3 July 2019
Travel

Ultimate guide to traveling in Italy

The best resources, tips, phrases, and cultural notes for travelers.  

I have a lot of thoughts and advice on the subject of traveling in Italy, and hope to make it easy for anyone who is bound for il bel paese. After all, la dolce vita can really only be enjoyed if you aren’t stressed about the small details and cultural differences that might make a traveler anxious. Below you’ll find the best apps to download, Instagram accounts to follow, phrases to use, and general information that will help you have the trip of a lifetime. Italians are kind and usually very welcoming of visitors, but I definitely recommend learning some Italian phrases and they will be very appreciative of your efforts!

CULTURAL NOTES

  • Italians typically have something sweet for breakfast, like a croissant, and an espresso or cappuccino…and they don’t drink cappuccino past 11 am!
  • When ordering at a coffee shop, you just have to walk up to the bar and basically shout your order to the barista. Drink your coffee while standing at the bar, then once you’re done with it go to the cash register and pay. In some places you pay first, then bring your receipt to the counter. Try to observe what others are doing if you’re unsure.
  • If you drink your coffee at the bar, it is cheaper than if you sit.
  • In the summer, the closest thing to iced coffee is a caffé shakerato, which is espresso shaken with ice and simple syrup (unless you find a cafe with more ‘American’ options).
  • Aperitivo is the best thing ever. It’s Italian happy hour, usually around 6-9ish, where your drink comes with either a tray of food brought to you or a buffet…try an Aperol Spritz or a Negroni!
  • Open container policy means that you can kick off your evening by having a glass of wine along the river or in a piazza.
  • No tipping typically. If service was particularly great, you can leave a few euros.
  • Have small bills in CASH (or euro coins) always, especially for cafes. 
  • Typically when pasta is served with bread, it is meant to be used to fare la scarpetta, which means “make the little boot.” It basically is the act of scooping up the leftover pasta sauce with your bread.
  • Don’t expect to take leftovers home from the restaurant, unless you’re doing a whole pizza to-go. Restaurants serve (for the most part) portion sizes that are meant to be finished in one sitting, and they expect you to eat it all!

APPS

  • Rick Steves Audio Europe: pre-download his audio tours while you’re on WiFi, they are great!! Walking tours, museum tours, church tours, etc. I found the Assisi one especially great when I traveled there alone.
  • Navmii: app where you can download maps for cities.
  • Maps.me: another downloadable maps app.
  • Hostelworld: always a good spot to start when looking for hostels, but best to book direct.
  • Omio (formally GoEuro): great for figuring out what all your transportation options are between cities.
  • FlixBus: super affordable buses if you can’t find a train that works for your time and place.
  • Rail Europe: another great app for looking at train tables.
  • Google Translate: seriously the best when traveling in a country with a new language and trying to make an effort to speak the language!

BOOKS

  • Rick Steves’ Italy: I lived by this book!!!!
  • Andy Steves’ Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget: for the budget-conscious, younger traveler.
  • A small phrase book is always helpful too! Rick Steves has a good one, otherwise I suggest looking at your local bookstore in the language section.

INSTAGRAMS

  • @theartfuleveryday….mine! I tend to share a lot about Italy, since I lived there and just returned in January for a short trip.
  • @anamericaninrome…Natalie has a blog and an app dedicated to all things Roman!
  • @sofiesworld…her tagline is “an American girl transported to an Italian world” and I love all her content. Though she’s moving back to the states soon, you have to check out her YouTube videos for the best tips on being in Italy.
  • @girlinflorence…the best for daily life in Florence, and she has a very resourceful blog for visitors to Florence and Italy in general!
  • @travelitalianstyle…Cassandra is such an inspiration to follow because she puts in so much hard work to make her dreams happen. She owns a travel company and spends half the year living in Italy, often offering great advice for travelers on her Instagram.
  • @nickipositano…not so much a resource, but beautiful photos and videos of the Amalfi Coast.
  • @ristorante_michelangelo…this account is run by Holly, whose husband owns a restaurant on Capri. She has the best tips for the island, and always makes me long to be back on Capri.
  • @doingitaly…for all things Milano, especially for those skeptical of visiting this industrial northern city.

HELPFUL PHRASES

  • Grazie=thank you, pronounced grat-see-eh, many people say it wrong! It’s not grat-see.
  • Grazie mille=thanks a million! 
  • Prego=you’re welcome
  • Dimmi=tell me, often what the barista will say to you if you look ready to order
  • Vorrei=I would like, great for ordering!
  • Posso avere=Can I have, also great for ordering
  • Possiamo avere=can we have, in case you want to speak for more than one person!
  • Posso avere il conto=can I have the check?
  • Porto via=to go, basically translates to “I take to the street”
  • Da portare via=also means to go but this term varies greatly by region, they’ll usually understand if you just say “to-go” haha!
  • Un caffe=espresso, not an American coffee
  • Un cornetto vuoto=an empty croissant, or a plain croissant
  • Una bicchiere di vino=a glass of wine, pronounced bee-key-air-eh
  • Per favore=please
  • Pronto/prego=ready, you will often hear those phrases when checking out in a store
  • Biglietto=ticket, pronounced bill-yet-oh
  • Dov’e la stazione=Where is the station?
  • Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci (dee-ay-chee)=1-10
  • Parlo un po’ d’italiano=I speak a little Italian, people LOVE this phrase! It’s always a great response if people assume you speak the language.
  • Quando=when
  • Dove=where
  • Che cosa=what
  • Sono vegano(a)=I am a vegan
  • Sono vegetariano(a)=I am a vegetarian
  • Posso provare=Can I try? Great for when you’re at the gelateria.
  • Avete=do you all have, perfect for inquiring about something in a restaurant or store
  • Avete gelato senza latte?=Do you have gelato without dairy?
  • Questo=this
  • Quello=that

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation totally depends on what city you are in, though for the most part they are all very walk-able. In Rome you will probably take a bus or tram at least once, in Florence you can easily walk everywhere in the center, and in Venice it’s best to stick to the vaporetto and walking…

Buses are very easy to use for the most part, though not generally on-time. I rode many buses to and from airports and train stations to get to the city center and back. Often you can buy the ticket from the driver, or right inside the train station or airport. If you are already in the city, you can buy a ticket from any Tabacchi.

Train travel is king in Italy! Plus it is generally very easy and very enjoyable, watching the countryside go by with no baggage limits and plenty of legroom. Italy has two train companies, Trenitalia and Italo. Italo does more regional trains, Trenitalia more fast trains. Some trains have assigned seating, others don’t (you’ll know when you purchase your ticket). Make sure you know if your ticket needs to be stamped or not. I usually buy my tickets online because I’m a planner, but you can also buy tickets right at the station in most cases. Both train companies have websites that are easy to use, depending on where you’re going, just check both and compare prices and times!

Be aware that strikes may happen. Taxi drivers and train employees strike often but they are usually announced beforehand and sometimes drivers will still operate through the strike. When I was in Venice in January, the vaporetti stopped running for a few hours due to a strike. We took the time to walk around the city, then just picked up our water bus once they started running again. In Rome,  it’s smart to taxi to the airport from a piazza with an established fare. Always have euros on you for taxis.

If you’re looking for a fun way to get around in, try a Fat Tire Tour! The award-winning company offers unique tours (some with skip-the-line options) in over 12 different cities, including Rome and Florence. Bike the cobblestone streets with a local and learn more about where you’re traveling!

ETC.

  • Always have Kleenex in case there’s no toilet paper (more for if you’re heading to an underground jazz club or a place where the restroom might not be in the condition you’d like).
  • Use museum and cafe restaurants when you have the chance, there often are not public restrooms.
  • If you do find a public restroom, have euro coins on you. Often there is around a 50 euro-cent fee to use the facilities (even in the train stations).
  • Some restaurants are closed on Monday, and some stores are closed on Sundays. Just check their website/Facebook page/Instagram before you go!
  • Most restaurants also close after lunch service, and don’t open again for dinner until seven at the earliest. So plan to eat later (or fit in an aperitivo before!).
  • When looking at prices/numbers, they use commas instead of periods, the opposite of how we do.
  • When buying wine at the grocery store, bottles with the DOC or DOCG labels are best.
  • Buy fruit at the market for a healthy snack. Most cities have a market or two, and I love going for the local feel and for a fresh fruit pick-me-up!
  • If you’re there for more than a few days and stop into a grocery store (such as Conad or Carrefour), you will have to buy a bag by answering the simple question, Una borsa? Answer with: Si, grazie.
  • Dress the part: leave baseball hats and sports apparel at home. Depending on what part of the country you are in, Italians typically stick to neutrals, the further North you go, the more black and white you’ll see.
  • Wear comfortable shoes, because walking on cobblestones for ten miles a day is no joke. In the winter, booties are a great option. In the summer, opt for a stylish tennis shoe or sandal (but no flip-flops unless you’re on the beach).
  • When traveling in the colder months, it’s really important to wear layers. Churches can be especially cold, and walking outside can get chilly too. I’ve found wearing a scarf helps me feel ten times warmer (pick one up at one of the leather markets or street stands in Florence).

heading to Italy soon?

Here are some additional posts to help you prepare for your trip!

Leave a comment below with additional questions about traveling in Italy!

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