According to an opinion poll undertaken by Hotels.com, leading organization for online hotel bookings, Italian cuisine is considered the tops in Europe by the Swedish (85%), Danes (80%) and the Dutch (73%). The French and Spanish, however, expressed preference for their own domestic culinary traditions. French cooking was also given the top vote by the Irish (65%) and the Norwegians (54%).
The Neapolitan pizza was singled out as the most typical Italian culinary product, although Finns and Irish plumped instead for lasagna as the true national dish of Italy. An exception was made by the Dutch, 27% of whom claimed that their favourite Italian dish was bucatini all'amatriciana.
Italy was considered the best country for Europeans wanting a good time. The Italians claimed the best night spots were in Milan (36%), Rome (32%) and the Rimini coast (19%). Among European visitors, however, Rome was elected as offering the best night life.
An overwhelming majority of both Italians and Europeans indicated Rome and the Colosseum as the most typical symbol of Italy. A distant second, for Italians, was Milan, and, for foreign tourists, Venice. Florence came in third. One English voter, however, chose Bergamo, while a lone Swede picked Aosta.
