I'm going to Italy in a week, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips, comments or suggestions for me?

Question

I'm going to Italy in a week, and I was wondering if anyone has any tips, comments or suggestions for me?

Answer 1

be careful of pick pockets. They are very smart and sneeky. Don't leave anything unattended or out of your site. ALSO DON"T BE TRICKED!!!

Answer 2

1.  Don't be concerned with all these people talking about pick pockets!  I was in Italy for 10 days, was not robbed once and was never afraid.  And because of our budget we stayed in hotels near the Termini in Venice, Florence and Rome, which are supposed to be the most pick pocketed areas.  We were never fearful.  

2.  I don't know if this is a Euro rule, but in Italy there were no irons in any of our hotel rooms.  One of the maids in Florence told us that it was illegal for hotels to provide guests with irons.  I don't know if that is true or not, but we did have to buy an iron while we were there.  Now, the iron was 50Euro, but it is by far the nicest iron I have ever owned.  We don't have enough power in the US coming from outlets to truly power it, but it is a hellified iron!

3.  Don't eat in restaurants for breakfast or lunch.  Take advantage of the breakfasts that your hotel provides.  They were all really good, and really necessary.  I was hungry the whole time.  Who knows if it was true hunger or the greed for all the yummy food ; )  For lunches order at the counter and take it to the piazza.  It will save you 10Euro per lunch to eat outside the restaurant or at the counter.  It is also more expensive to eat outside a restaurant.  

4.  Don't take any "tours".  They are ridiculously expensive.  Unless you have a high interest in any one sight, it's not worth it.  They take up a lot of time, are highly priced, and most sites have paper or audio guides that are in many different languages.  We did take the 110Trambus in Rome (13E) and the Sightseeing Firenze in Florence (20E for 2 days), and I felt they were both worth it.  But they were jump on, jump off busses with an English audioguide we listened to.  It was nice not to have to negotiate the public transportations system as a non Italian speaker, and non European.  It was totally worth it to me, and I would do it again.  

4.  Check out the "Let's Go Italy" book.  I can't explain how useful this book was to us when we went there.  It is ton of great tips and advice on how to save money, time in lines, etc.

5.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

6.  When you are looking at restaurants, check and see if anything on the menu says frozen.  I don't know if it's a law in Italy that restaurants have to state if the food is frozen, but they do on menues.  Stay away from these restaurants!

7.  Stuff a few tissues in your pockets for public bathrooms.  Most bathrooms did have tissue, but many of the sinks were outside of the bathrooms in restaurants in a common "area" outside of the men's and women's rooms.  I'm not a germophobe, but geeze, I don't want to touch a door k**b/slide after people have gone to the bathroom and not been able to wash their hands first.  Also, be on the hunt for the toilet flusher.  They are on the floor, pads on the walls or strings hanging from the ceiling.  If you are from the US they are nowhere where you would think they would be.  I was in a restaurant in Rome and spent literally almost 2 minutes looking for the flusher.

Well I suppose you have heard enough from me : )  Have fun.

Answer 3

stelettos+cobblestone streets= disaster

Answer 4

Be a wise traveller (you must know the safe travel guidelines & it depends on those places where you are going) then try to find out the proper dress code especially when going to religious places. You must know some basic Italian language, too. Enjoy! (--,)

ADD:

Try to buy the Lonely Planet (Italy) Travel book. It's a big help for travellers or check out their website.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/d...

(--,)

Answer 5

I your breakfast is including in the hotel price ok, if isn't enter to a Bar and order Cappuccino and Cornetto (brioche) cheap and easy (all the Italian do it).

Take car about the taxi driver.....the are too smart.

Don't eat spaghetti alla bolognese......they doesn't exist they do it just for tourist.

Answer 6

The water is clean, refill your bottles at the hotel. Buy lunch meat, cheese, bread, beer, wine & snacks at a grocery store, much cheaper than eating out. Find restaurants/shopping around universities, everything will be cheaper. You can take an opened  bottle of wine home from a restaurant. You don't have to order a full meal at a restaurant, if you want pasta, get it, if you want potatoes and salad, get it. A 15% tip is included at most restaurants and cafes, you can throw in a little extra for good service. Don't expect to get ice! Don't use a Deutsche bank atm-huge fee. Do get buffalo pizza. Wander. Go to Venice and get lost. Go to the Autogrill if you are driving. Take me with you!

Answer 7

save a LOT of money for expensive, but tasty resterants. In Italy, the food in resterants are usually expensive.

Answer 8

Eat as much gelato and pizza as you can. If you are an attractive female, the men will be all over you. Beware of pickpockets, etc... but overall you will find Italians to be honest and friendly. Don't drive if you don't have to. Italy is a great country, but it only takes 2 words to describe the place: Organized Chaos.

Answer 9

Enjoy yourself! :)

Bring comfortable clothes.

Use common sense without being too scared of pick-pockets and all.