Safety in Italy

The State Department advisory

As of October 2026, the US State Department rates Italy at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, because of terrorism. That is the same level it gives France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, and it is a general warning that attacks are possible with little notice at places where crowds gather: tourist sites, stations and airports, markets, places of worship, hotels, restaurants and big events. The advisory names no Italian region to avoid.

In practice, Italy has not suffered a large terrorist attack in recent decades, and you will see armed soldiers and police at major stations, piazzas and landmarks as part of a long-running security program. The everyday risks for an American visitor are petty theft, scams and travel disruption, and the rest of this page is about those.

• Enroll your trip in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so the embassy can reach you in an emergency.
• Check the current Italy advisory again in the week before you leave.
• Save the embassy and consulate numbers below in your phone, and leave a copy of your passport photo page with someone at home.

Pickpockets: where and how

Pickpocketing is the crime most visitors meet, and it is concentrated in a predictable set of places. Thieves often work in groups, one to distract or block, another to take, a third to carry the goods away. Many are well dressed and look like tourists or commuters. They target phones, wallets in back pockets, open tote bags and backpacks worn on the back.

Hot spots

How to avoid it

• Carry a cross-body bag with a zipper, worn in front in crowds; never a wallet in a back pocket.
• On metros and buses, stand away from the doors and hold your phone, do not leave it in a coat pocket.
• Carry one card and the day's cash; leave a backup card and your passport in the hotel safe, with a photocopy or photo of the passport on you.
• Be wary of anyone who bumps into you, spills something on you, crowds you at a ticket machine or holds a map or newspaper close to your chest.
• At café tables, keep your phone off the table edge and your bag strap around your leg or chair.

Common scams

None of these are dangerous, but they cost money and time. The fix is the same for almost all of them: keep walking, say no, grazie firmly, and do not let anyone put anything in your hands.

• Bracelets and roses. Someone ties a "free" string bracelet on your wrist or hands you a rose, then demands money. Keep your hands to yourself and walk on.
• Petitions. A young person with a clipboard asks you to sign for a charity, then asks for a donation, while an accomplice works your bag.
• Costumed photos. "Gladiators" near the Colosseum and costumed characters elsewhere pose for a photo, then ask for €10–20 (about $11–22) or more. If you want a photo, agree the price first.
• Ticket touts and "skip-the-line" sellers. Outside the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum, sellers claim official tickets are sold out and offer an overpriced tour. Buy timed tickets ahead from the official sites; see The Vatican and Rome's sights.
• Station "helpers." At train stations, people offer to help with the ticket machine or carry your bags to the train, then demand a tip. Ticket machines have an English option; staff are at the ticket office.
• Unlicensed taxis. At airports and stations, drivers approach you inside the terminal. Use only the official taxi rank, with licensed white cars that have a taxi sign, a number on the door and a meter. Rome and several other cities have fixed fares from the airport to the center; see Flights and airports.
• Fake police. Plainclothes "officers" ask to check your wallet for counterfeit money or drugs. Real police do not do this; ask to go to the nearest station.
• Restaurant bills. Tourist-strip restaurants with photo menus and touts at the door sometimes pad bills or charge by weight for fish without saying so. Ask the price of anything sold all'etto (per 100 grams) before ordering. Note that a coperto (cover charge) listed on the menu is legal; see Food.
• Card machines. When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in dollars, choose euros; the "convenience" of dollars is dynamic currency conversion at a poor rate. Use ATMs inside bank branches when you can. See Money.
• Rental cars. On highways around Naples and in the south, a "helpful" driver may signal a flat tire and pull over with you. Drive on to a service area. Never leave luggage visible in a parked car, especially at Pompeii, near ports and at trailheads. See Driving.

If you are robbed

1. Cancel cards immediately using the phone numbers you saved before the trip; freeze cards in your banking app if you can.
2. Report the theft to the police. You can file a denuncia (police report) at a Questura (State Police office) or a Carabinieri station. Bring ID if you still have it. You will need the report for insurance claims and for a replacement passport.
3. If your passport is gone, contact the nearest US embassy or consulate for an emergency passport. Bring the police report, a passport photo and any travel itinerary. Emergency passports are issued only in Rome, Milan, Florence and Naples, not at the consular agencies.
4. For a stolen phone, use another device to locate, lock or wipe it, and call your US carrier to suspend the line.

Strikes and protests

A sciopero (strike) is a normal part of Italian life. Transport unions strike regularly, usually for 4, 8 or 24 hours, and there are national general strikes several times a year. They are almost always announced days or weeks in advance, which means you can plan around them.

• Trains. Trenitalia and Italo publish the trains guaranteed to run during a strike. For regional trains, Italian law protects weekday commuter windows, typically 6 to 9 a.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. If your train is canceled, you can usually get a refund or rebook.
• Local transit. City buses and metros in Rome, Milan, Naples and elsewhere strike separately; guaranteed service times differ by city.
• Air. Airline, air traffic control and airport handling strikes occur, though Italian rules protect certain flights and, by law, there are periods (for example around peak summer weeks and holidays) when transport strikes are not allowed.
• Taxis and ferries. Taxi drivers occasionally strike; ferries to the islands are affected less often.

Check the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport's strike calendar before any travel day, and look at the Trenitalia and Italo apps. Build slack into the day you fly home: sleep near the airport or in Rome the night before an early flight.

Demonstrations are common in Rome (around Piazza Venezia, Piazza del Popolo and the government buildings) and in Milan and Naples. Most are peaceful, but they can close streets and metro stations. Avoid crowds of protesters, and keep clear of the areas around stadiums before and after major soccer matches.

Heat waves

Summer heat is now a real safety issue in Italy. Heat waves bring daytime highs of 95–104°F (35–40°C) to Rome, Florence, the Po Valley and the south for a week or more at a time, and stone cities stay hot at night. Italy's Ministry of Health issues heat warnings for major cities, from green to red, and some regions restrict outdoor work in the hottest hours.

• Book the Colosseum, Pompeii and other exposed sites for opening time, and plan indoor museums, a long lunch and a rest from about 1 to 5 p.m.
• Carry water and refill it at public fountains; Rome's nasoni run all day.
• Wear a hat and sunscreen at open-air sites; Pompeii and the Roman Forum have little shade.
• Confirm air conditioning before booking a room for June to September; see Where to stay.

For signs of heat illness and what to do, see Health. For month-by-month temperatures, see When to go.

Volcanoes and earthquakes

Italy is geologically active. The national civil protection department and the national geophysics institute (INGV) monitor every active volcano closely, and the risk to a short-term visitor is low. It is still useful to know what is happening, especially around Naples and in Sicily.

Campi Flegrei

The Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) is a large volcanic caldera west of Naples, centered on the town of Pozzuoli. The ground there has been rising for years, a process called bradisismo (bradyseism), and the uplift has produced frequent earthquake swarms. The crisis has produced several quakes above magnitude 4, and a magnitude 4.7 quake on July 31, 2026, damaged buildings in Pozzuoli and left hundreds of residents temporarily displaced. The official alert level remains yellow (attention), and INGV has said its data do not point to a significant short-term change in volcanic activity.

For visitors, this means you may feel a tremor if you stay in Pozzuoli or Naples's western districts (Bagnoli, Fuorigrotta, Posillipo). Day trips to Pozzuoli, Baia and Cuma generally continue, but the Solfatara crater has been closed to the public for years. Italy's public warning system, IT-alert, can send emergency messages to every phone in an affected area, including US phones roaming on Italian networks. If one arrives, read it and follow it.

Vesuvius

Vesuvius has not erupted since 1944 and is at its base (green) alert level. You can hike the cone to the crater rim on a short trail inside the national park, with timed tickets bought online in advance. The trail closes in bad weather, high wind and high fire risk. See Naples and Pompeii.

Etna and Stromboli

Etna, above Catania in Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes on earth and erupts several times in a typical year, usually with lava fountains and ash at the summit. The main danger to travelers is disruption: ash clouds regularly force partial closures of Catania airport for hours or a day. Excursions to the upper slopes go with licensed volcano guides, and access near the summit craters changes with activity. Stromboli, off Sicily's north coast, erupts almost continuously; climbing it is restricted and allowed only with authorized guides to set heights when conditions permit. See Sicily and The outdoors.

Earthquakes

Much of Italy, especially the central Apennines, the south and parts of the northeast, is seismic. Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan have lower risk. If you feel a strong quake indoors, take cover under a sturdy table or against an inside wall away from windows, and do not run outside while the shaking lasts, since falling masonry is a major hazard in old towns. Afterward, follow civil protection instructions and stay out of damaged buildings.

Sea and mountain safety

At the beach

• A red flag means no swimming. Lifeguards are reliable at stabilimenti (beach clubs) in summer; many free beaches have none.
• Rocky coasts have sea urchins; water shoes help. Jellyfish come and go with currents, and locals will tell you if they are around.
• For emergencies at sea, the coast guard answers on 1530, and 112 works too.
• Renting a small motorboat without a license is legal in Italy for low-powered boats close to shore, but experience matters. Ask about wind forecasts; summer afternoon winds can make returning hard.

In the mountains

• Start early in summer; afternoon thunderstorms are common in the Dolomites and the Alps, and lightning on exposed ridges is a serious hazard.
• Marked trails are maintained by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), with red-and-white waymarks and numbers. Carry a map or offline app, water, layers and a charged phone.
• For mountain rescue call 112 (or 118). Helicopter rescue is fast and professional, but several regions bill hikers for rescues that turn out not to be medically necessary, sometimes thousands of euros. Check that your travel insurance covers rescue.
• On the Cinque Terre trails, wear proper hiking shoes; the park has threatened fines for hiking in flip-flops, and rescues there are frequent. Check which paths are open before you go.

Emergency numbers

In regions where 112 has fully replaced the older numbers, those still work and are routed to the same center. Italy has three main police forces: the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri (a military police force that also polices towns) and the city's Polizia Locale, who handle traffic and local rules. Any of them can take a report or point you to the right office.

The US Embassy and consulates

Consular staff can replace a lost or stolen passport, help if you are arrested, hospitalized or the victim of a serious crime, and contact family at home. They cannot pay your bills, act as your lawyer or get you out of jail. Most routine services need an appointment, so check the embassy website, it.usembassy.gov, for current hours and phone numbers before you go.

Consular agencies in Genoa, Palermo and Venice offer limited services by appointment, and cannot issue emergency passports. From anywhere, you can also reach the State Department's Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 from the US or Canada, or +1 202-501-4444 from abroad.

Local rules that catch visitors

• Monuments and fountains. Climbing on, sitting on or wading in monuments and fountains in Rome, Florence and Venice can bring fines of several hundred euros. Rome also forbids sitting on the Spanish Steps.
• Venice. Swimming in canals, cycling in the historic center and picnicking on bridges and church steps are banned. See Venice.
• Counterfeit goods. Buying fake designer goods from street sellers is illegal for the buyer too, with fines; see Shopping.
• Drugs and driving. Italy's 2024 road code sharply tightened penalties for drug and drunk driving, including license suspensions. Do not drive after drinking more than one glass of wine; see Driving.
• Smoking. Smoking is banned indoors in public places, and Milan bans smoking in most outdoor public spaces when others are nearby.
• Beach sand and shells. Taking sand, pebbles or shells from beaches in Sardinia is illegal and fined at the airport; see Sardinia.

For traveling as a woman, a solo traveler, an LGBTQ+ traveler or with children, see Italy by interest. For staying healthy, see Health.