Italy continues to be one of the most traveled countries in the world. The breath-taking views and fabulous food is a sure way to make your visit an unforgettable one. But you might face some culture shock, which is natural while visiting a new country, and getting to know a little bit about the destination is always helpful. To help you our, we have compiled some practical Italy travel tips to help you on your way and ensure that the first time you travel to the city, your experience turns out to be truly magical.
Pre-book Your Tickets to Major Sights
Plan your trips to major sights, attractions and museums and then pre-book your tickets as you wouldn’t want to wait in the long lines and ending up wasting three hours of your day. For museums, book tickets from their official websites or official sponsored websites, because third party booking websites tend to charge extra.
Travel in the High Speed Trains
Comfortable and reliable, these trains are a preferred way of traveling around Italy as they aren’t time consuming at all. The easiest way to book your ticket is through a kiosk at the train station. But you can also purchase online ticket in order to save time.
ATMs & Money
It’s always helpful to exchange some cash before leaving your home country, as sometimes the airport ATMs are empty (especially on weekends) and you wouldn’t want to exchange your money at one of the expensive currency exchanges.
Always carry cash as most places don’t accept credit or debit cards and restaurant don’t split bills.
Carry a Copy of your Passport
Being a tourist, the chances of getting pick-pocketed and robbed are greater than being a local, especially when visiting popular and crowded sights. Leave your original passport locked and hidden safely in your room and carry its copy around in case the worst happens. And of course, guard your possessions very closely as you don’t want your cash and valuables getting robbed or lost in a strange country.
Dress Accordingly
Dress comfortably for sightseeing as you’ll be walking a lot. The cobblestone streets of Italy don’t go well with heels unless you’re a pro at walking in them. So make sure you’re taking a pair of comfortable and practical shoes. Dress codes are strictly enforced in big religious sites, so if you’re planning to visit such a location, do your research and don’t forget to cover your shoulders and knees to be allowed in.
Call a Taxi
We know we’re contradicting our own train tip by saying this, but just in case you’re in a hurry and aren’t able to purchase your train ticket, calling a taxi is the next best option you have.
Know Your Italian Food
Italy is made up of 20 regions, and each of them have their own unique culinary identity. For instance, pizza comes from Naples, and so you might not find the same sublime pizza everywhere even if it’s served all over Italy. And ordering pizza everywhere would also mean you’ll miss tasting the specialty of the region. Do your research about the specialties and make sure you try them when visiting the different regions.
Coffee Etiquette
In Italy, stopping at a cafe for a quick coffee is part of everyone’s routine. Although you might want to buy coffee before 11 am. There is no such strict rule, but you’ll surely get looks from the barista if you happen to visit a coffee shop after that time, as Italians think coffee is bad for digestion and thus, don’t order any milk-based drink after a meal.
Prepare to Eat Late
Italians generally eat late, so pick your lunch at 1:30pm and dinner at 8:30 t0 9pm. Many restaurants, and especially the fancy ones, don’t open until 7pm or later. So you would want to stack up on nuts and snack items so as to not starve yourself while waiting for your favorite restaurant to start serving.
Get Up Early
To witness and experience the serene beauty of Italy, it is worth getting an early start in order to get a different perspective of the city you’re staying in. Many of the monuments aren’t crowded early in the morning, and you’ll get a completely different feel without the hoards of tourists.
Have more Italy travel tips to share with us? Do so in the comments section!
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