Increasingly, there is a trend towards more flexible opening hours. Most shops and businesses in Italy open from Monday to Saturday from around 8am until 1pm, and from about 4pm until 7pm, though many shops close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings, and in the south the day can begin and end an hour later. In the north some businesses work to a 9am-5pm day to facilitate international dealings. Traditionally, everything except bars and restaurants closes on Sunday, though most towns have a pasticceria open in the mornings, while in large cities and tourist areas, Sunday opening is becoming more common.

The other factors that can disrupt your plans are national holidays and local saints' days and festivals. In August , particularly during the weeks either side of Ferragosto , when most of the country flees to the coast, many towns are left half-deserted, with shops, bars and restaurants closed and a reduced public transport service. Local religious holidays don't generally close down shops and businesses for the whole day, but they do mean that accommodation space may be tight. The country's official national holidays , on the other hand, close everything down, except bars and restaurants. These are:

January 1 (New Year's Day)

January 6 (Epiphany)

Pasquetta (Easter Monday)

April 25 (Liberation Day)

May 1 (Labour Day)

August 15 ( Ferragosto ; Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

November 1 ( Ognissanti ; All Souls Day)

December 8 ( Immaccolata ; Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

December 25 ( Natale ; Christmas)

December 26 ( Santo Stefano ; St Stephen's Day)

Italy guide

Getting there
When to go
Where to go
Italy general info
Italy
Average costs
Credit and debit cards
Cost, money, banks
The euro
Insurance, health cover
Embassies, consulates
Red tapes, visas
Banks and exchange
Travelers with disabilities
North-South divide

Getting around
Ø Trains
Ø Flights
Ø Driving
Ø Cycling, motorbiking
Ø Ferries, hydrofoils
Ø Hitchhiking
 

Festivals:
Ø Religious, traditional
Ø Diary festivals
Ø Food festivals
Ø Arts Festivals
Ø Ferragosto

Italy food and drink
Ø Italian cuisine
Ø Italian pizza
Ø Lunch and dinner
Ø Drinking

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