Things to know before visiting Italy

Here's a list of some tips that could be useful to know before coming to Italy.

1. Learning a bit of Italian

In Italy, we won't expect foreigners to know our language, but learning a few words will surely make your trip easier, and you'll impress some Italians along the way. We love foreigners using our language as we take it as a sign of great respect, so expect a lot of people to say to you that you speak amazing Italian even if you say one word.

Some useful words to know:

• Buongiorno/Buonasera (Good morning / Good evening): we tend to use Buongiorno up to the afternoon, and good evening from 6 pm onwards.

• Ciao: we mostly use it to say goodbye, or also when we meet friends or family, so in an informal way.

• Arrivederci (Goodbye): it can be use when you leave a restaurant or a shop, but Ciao is perfectly fine in this context (and probably easier to say).

• Grazie (Thank you): make sure to pronounce the 'e' at the end of the word. If you say Grazi, it sounds a bit weird (but still understandable).

• Prego (You're welcome)

I'm a bit of a language nerd, as I also studied foreign languages at university, so whenever I travel to a new country, I want to be able to pronounce words in that language. I tend to read everything out loud, quite annoying for my friends, but I love it anyway ahah.

Italian is easy to read, all the words you see written are pronounced (it's definitely not like English or French). Learn the few exceptions, and you'll be able to read Italian in no time!

1. Paying in Italy: Cash or Card?

   This is a hot topic in Italy, but as far it concerns you travelling to Italy all you need to know is that you can pay by card anywhere across the country. It's mandatory for shops and restaurants, or any kind of business to accept card payments.

   Sometimes, you'll get either complaints that you can't pay under a certain amount, which is false, or they'll tell you that the POS is not working, most likely false as well.

   Usually, businesses prefer to be paid in cash, so this way they will not give you a receipt and they won't pay taxes.

   If you decide to pay cash, always ask for a receipt, this Italian will thank you.

   In some restaurants, they give you the order request instead of the actual receipt sometimes, to give you the impression of having a receipt. In order to be valid, all receipts have written on top 'Fattura commercial', meaning commercial invoice.

   Recommendation: You can pay with your card anywhere, but in case the POS is actually broken, always bring some cash for emergencies. And always ask for a receipt :)

2. Public Transport in Italy

   I don't have a driving licence and mostly rely on public transport to travel.

   It's mostly doable to use public transport, aside from some specific destinations.

   If you plan to visit big cities like Rome or Milan, or head to the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como and Cinque Terre, then you'll be fine with trains.

   In Italy, we have a great high-speed system connecting the North to the South (up to Salerno). From Milan to Rome is just a 3-hour trip!

   The main companies are Trenitalia (the state company) and Italo (a private company). I use both and just choose based on the price, but I prefer to use Italo if I have the chance.

   City transport: this gets a bit more challenging depending on the city. The best city transport system is surely in Milan, with most metros and bus/trams being on time and pretty reliable. The further South you go, the harder it gets to move with city transport.

3. Eat Local Food

   We proud ourselves that we have the best cuisine in the world, and for good reason in my opinion. Italian food is not only pasta and pizza, we have a great food variety which changes from region to region and even from city to city.

   For example, if you want to eat Carbonara, a typical Roman dish, it will likely taste better in Rome than in Bergamo for instance. In Bergamo, you can try Casoncelli, which is typical of the city.

   My best tip is to do a bit of research of the typical food of the city or region you visit, or also ask at the restaurant or a local for advice.

4. How to avoid touristy places

When it comes to restaurants, there are a few signs to check before going inside.

See if there is someone telling people to go in or if they have a menu with photos, in both cases avoid that restaurant.

Search on Google Maps for reviews, see how many stars the restaurant has and how popular it is. But make sure to check if there are many reviews in Italian, if so, it's likely a restaurant where locals on, if you see most reviews in English, it's likely a touristy place.

1. Avoid scams

   There are a few scams that you need to be careful of:

   • If someone wants to give you a bracelet 'for free', just know it's not free. They tell you it's free, put it on your wrist and then ask you for money (quite aggressively also).

   • In Milan, avoid taking photos with pigeons. For one thing, it's not the most hygienic thing to do and the people taking photos are definitely overcharging.

   • Taxis: they could be a potential scam, so there are a few things to be careful of:

     • In Italy, taxis are white and have 'Taxi' written on top

     • Taxi drivers could be sketchy. Make sure they turn the taximeter on, otherwise they will charge you a price they'll make up and require cash payment only. When the taximeter is on and when you pay by card, they'll have to pay taxes

     • Make sure to say that you'll pay by card. While it's your right to pay how you like, some taxi drivers become aggressive that you pay by card or they could even bring you to an ATM so you can pay them cash. It's absurd, but some people will do anything just to not pay taxes, they could even prefer giving you the ride for free.

2. Opening times

   Most small businesses in Italy close for lunch, sometimes from 1 pm to 3 pm, sometimes even to 5 pm. It's something normal for us, especially in small towns, but also in big cities like Rome or Milan.

   Likely, if the business reopens late in the afternoon it will be open even late in the evening. This happens for example in seaside towns. As most people during the day are at the beach, they'll likely go out in the evening for a walk and see some shops.

   So always make sure to check opening times, even for restaurants, as the not-touristy ones, close in the hours between lunch and dinner (usually from 3 pm to 7 pm)

Hope these tips are helpful, and I'll update them with more soon. So, you can be even prepared for your trip to Italy :)