Italy is one of the most beautiful countries to visit in Europe and quite popular on European Bucket Lists. Who wouldn’t get itchy feet when thinking about Cinque Terre, the canals of Venice, and don’t even get me started on Italian food. I love Italian food. Pizza, pasta, give me all the carbs, I feel no remorse and no reason to apologize. Here are some of my very own tips worth knowing before heading to Italy!
Riposo is king.
Riposo is the Italian men's siesta. Due to high temperatures in the afternoon many businesses close between 1 pm and 4 pm before they open again later that day. Thus you might want to plan your daily schedule accordingly as well. Life before work!
ITALIANS EAT DINNER QUITE LATE.
Speaking of planning your daily schedule - Italians eat dinner comparably late (well, at least for German standards, if you're French you might not mind) and thus most restaurants only open around 7 pm. To avoid hangry moods, plan accordingly.
Instead of Tips, there is Coperto.
Instead of tipping, many Italian restaurants have a cover charge called "coperto". It is not a fixed price but can be anywhere between 1 and 5 Euros. It is basically a fee for sitting down at a restaurant (you wouldn't need to pay it if you order your pizza to go) and thus has to be paid by tourists and locals alike.
Prepare for some non-Wifi, non-Starbucks Europe experience.
If you are trying to find a Starbucks or any other café full of people hacking into their laptops, you will most likely be out of luck. The new café culture is basically non-existent. Also, the wifi infrastructure isn't what I would call progressive. However, you'll be able to find some charming cafes, in which you might want to spend your time enjoying la bella vita.
Give "Ciao" and "Grazie" a try, they will get you a long way.
Italians are friendly and friendly also means talkative. Whether your Italian is flawless, basic or you can't really say more than "Ciao" and "Grazie" - the Italians will appreciate your effort.
The plugs are different.
I feel very stupid for not realizing this before I went to Italy the first time, but also for forgetting every time I go back. Italians have different plugs. This mightn’t be a big shocker if you are coming to Italy from outside of Europe. Within Europe, except for the UK and Ireland, I always thought we had the same plugs. The tricky thing is - the Italian plugs look super similar to the ones we use in the rest of Europe. Sometimes you are lucky and your standard European plugs fit, sometimes they don’t. Just do yourself a favor and bring a travel adapter so you are prepared for all occasions.
Forget everything you know about Italian food.
I am actually sometimes shocked about what counts as a pizza in other countries. As Germany has closer proximity to Italy (and you can find a decent amount of Italian restaurants there), you can get good Italian food in Germany. But Italians take their food quite seriously. I have lived with Italians long enough to know I won’t even announce that I’m about to make Spaghetti Carbonara, because I will end up getting scrutinized on every step (I say “Italian-inspired pasta dish” instead). And yes, nothing is as good as eating a pizza in Italy itself. Not to mention the gelato. Or the panettone. Or the tiramisu. Well, I’m a sucker for Italian food and it for sure is at its best in Italy.
The weather can be extreme.
The summers in Italy can be - as you would expect - very hot. The winters on the other hand can be extremely cold, particularly in the winter. You can actually ski in Italy. So don’t expect to go for a nice swim in Bibione in October, as I once did. Just because you drive over the Austrian/Italian border doesn’t make it 20 degrees warmer. Shuck. If you go during the summer, definitely pack sunscreen, hats, and enough liquids for your trips.
Validate your tickets.
If you purchase a train ticket ad a train station in Italy, remember to validate them using validation machines inside the station. The tickets typically come with a date, but no time stamp - meaning you could purchase it in the morning and then use it in the evening. You have to validate your ticket before boarding the train, otherwise, you’ll get fined. This is actually the case in some German cities as well, however, I actually forgot twice when I was visiting Naples. I did get away with a warning each time, but you should ave yourself the worries and just validate them!
Beware of pickpocketers.
Pickpocketing seems to be a particular problem in Italy. Rome and Florence as apparently the world’s second and sixth-worst cities for pickpocketing. My family has actually been pick-pocketed twice while in Italy, so believe me the last thing you want is figuring out how to get a new passport when abroad. So keep an eye on your belongings, particularly when you are in crowded places and read up on some clever hiding places for your money.
Is there anything that surprised you when you traveled to Italy?
Kate recommends: Zeno’s Conscience by Itali Svevo is written in the form of Zeno Cosini’s diary. The protagonist is advised to start writing a diary by a psychotherapist and he explores different parts of his life. As the novel was written in 1923, writing a diary as some for a therapeutic approach was relatively new. Aside from psychology, it is also full of dark humor. Zeno’s Conscience is a modern Italian classic and considered Svevo’s masterpiece (even James Joyce agrees).