We've Been to Italy 30 Times and Here's What We Learned
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We’ve been to Italy 30 times and explored a variety of cities, seasons, restaurants, and activities. All of this experience compiled together answers the question:
What commonly overlooked things should travelers know before their trip to Italy?
Specifically, how to make your trip to Italy more effortless, full of local recommendations, and different from a “tourist” experience.
1. Know the regional specialties and eat seasonal foods!
Italy is all about regional cuisine—what you eat in Naples should be very different from what you eat in Milan. Eat the local dishes that are specialties of that region so you can taste what they’re best known for, and enjoy each dish at its very best.
2. If you wait for the check to come, you’re going to be waiting a very long time.
You’ll be waiting forever! (As long as you’re in an authentic place.) This isn’t a huge mistake, but it is a helpful tip! Restaurants in Italy aren’t trying to rush you out the door, they’re not solely focused on turning tables, so they often won’t bring your check until you ask for it.
3. Say yes to opportunities that take you off the beaten path.
Traveling to Italy is about having a deeper understanding and appreciation of the culture, history, and way of life. Stroll the streets and get lost. Find a café or a restaurant that has a small menu, only in Italian, and try it. Get outside your comfort zone. Go to a place where they don’t speak any English. Learn a few phrases in Italian and maybe mess up your order trying to use them (it’s all about the experience!).
4. Taking a huge tour with 20+ people can be kind of boring.
We see these 30+ traveler groups all the time. They eat at the worst restaurants because that’s where they can get reservations for a group that large, they shuffle through the streets having sights pointed out to them without going in and experiencing anything unique, and they have tour guides who are ticking off a checklist of things they’ve seen.
5. Italians don’t order a cappuccino after noon.
Most Italians view the cappuccino (a milky, creamy coffee) as a breakfast drink and do not agree with having it in the heat of the summer in the afternoon or with/after savory meals.
A cappuccino should only be consumed in the morning with a croissant or cornetto for breakfast. If you want a coffee after your meal, do as the Italians do and order an espresso or a macchiato (which is acceptable as it is only a little bit of milk).
6. Try not to fill up on bread before dinner.
Or maybe you want to! This one really is up to you, but we have found that the food that usually comes after the bread is to die for and we wish we hadn’t endulged in the bread before.
7. See where the closest local market is to where you’re staying.
This is one of our favorite ways to get to know the local side of the destination that we are visiting. Pro tip: Shopping at the local market is one of our favorite ways to get snacks or some food to have on hand for breakfast.
8. You don’t need to waste your time standing in line.
Don’t spend your precious time waiting outside of a museum. Book in advance directly on the museum’s website or using a website like Tickitaly.
9. Be wary of eating at restaurants with massive menus.
Most restaurants should have seasonal menus or specialties. Menus with a million options are usually trying to attract tourists.
10. Don’t forget to validate your train ticket.
Important to Note: On regional or local trains you have to validate your ticket before boarding; on fast trains they validate once you’re on board.
11. Leave the rolling suitcase at home.
The streets of Italy are not suitcase-friendly unless you have private transfers. Enough said.
12. Don’t over-schedule your Italy trip.
Italy is a beautiful place to let yourself explore. Give yourself some free time to let this place work its magic--you never know what you might find or who you might meet! We take this so seriously that free time is something we’ve carefully built into our Heart of Italy trip.
13. You can't just hail a taxi in the streets in most places.
Most places have taxi stands and certain places from which they can pick you up around the city. This is normally where you have to wait in line if there are others who are also waiting for a taxi.
14. Don’t skip the aperitivo!
It is a must! We love this tradition where you receive free snacks while ordering a drink in the afternoon or early evening. What's included in the aperitivo varies by the bar or restaurant.
15. Driving in cities is a little complicated.
Many of them have a "ZTL" and you will get a ticket mailed to you (even from a rental car company) if you drive within the Zona Traffico Limitato without the proper permit for the car to be in that zone. This is monitored by cameras when you enter the city, so the tickets are automatic. If you want to park within the city center, there are some parking lots where you can pay extra for them to register your vehicle for a period of time that day while you're parked.
As you can see, we love our time in Italy. So much so, that we take travelers back every year to show them all our favorite views, introduce them to our friends, and share our absolute favorite meals with them. If you want to go to Italy and experience the intimate and local side of Italy, check out our multi-day Heart of Italy food tour!
If you’re traveling to Italy on your own and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our customized travel coaching and optional booking service.
No matter where you travel, we always recommend purchasing travel protection to safeguard against sudden changes or cancellations. If you don’t already have a preferred vendor, you can check out ours - Travel Insured - who offers a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.
