Italy is a preferred destination for so many travelers today because of the beautiful city, welcoming culture, and fascinating places to visit while in the country. Some of the best sights, fashion, architecture, cooking, and art in all of Europe are in Italy, so visitors keep coming in.
If you are planning a visit to the beautiful Italian cities, then you need to get familiar with how things work over there to improve your experience while touring the city. Whether you are interested in taking award-winning tours to Italy or you are just a regular visitor, these tips will help you make smart decisions while holidaying in Italy.
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Get Euros before you leave home
You can save a lot of money by switching your money to Euros before you leave your home country. ATMs are a great place to exchange your money easily while you are in Italy, but it is not uncommon for airport ATMs to be empty, especially on weekends. In this case, you will be forced to use one of the expensive currency exchanges to get Euros to spend.
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Transportation Strikes
Transportation strikes are fairly common, and to an extent, they have become part of the Italian culture. If you have an important appointment like a flight to catch within a deadline, ensure you have some time in between to account for an unexpected delay because of a strike. Also, check out the signs at the local stations to know if there will be any strikes, then, you can plan around it.
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Read about how the Metro works
You can save a lot of money when you travel between Italian cities via train. However, you also do not want to get stranded or frustrated while trying to move from place to place. Italian transport workers go on strikes from time to time, so you need to prepare for this adequately.
You can use online resources to get information about the train networks and fare. For instance, a train from Venice to Florence would cost you as low as $40.
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You can drink water for free
If you are in the right Italian cities, you don’t have to keep paying for clean water to drink. The town squares in Florence, Rome, and Venice have clean water outlets for people to use. Find one, fill up your bottle and continue having a jolly time on your visit.
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Tips are not necessary
If you feel the need to gift the person serving you some extra money, or you just want to round up your diner expenses to the nearest ten, it is fine. However, in most Italian restaurants, leaving tips is not mandatory or even expected. Many of these businesses are family run and the people working are part of the family.
In addition, when dining in Italy, you might see extra charges on the bill like “servizio” and “coperto”, they do not necessarily go to the person who served you, but the extra charges often discourage people from adding tips to their payments.
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Dinner starts by 7:30
Of course this does not apply to restaurants established for tourists or those in tourist hotspots or resorts. However, if you are interested in enjoying Italian dishes in regular areas, you should not expect the evening meals to be ready early. This eating late culture is natural in most parts of Italy, so you can get prepared for it.
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Dress decent to the Vatican
Even if you are not a religious person, if you visit the Vatican chapels, gardens, or museums, you will need to respect the rules there. These rules demand that visitors should be covered to a reasonable extent. This means you have to avoid short skirts, shorts, sleeveless clothing, and similar clothes that leave some body parts exposed.
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Enjoy the Art
There are a lot of things to enjoy when in Italy, but you will most likely leave with regret if, after spending time in Italy, you were not able to take in all the beautiful art pieces here. The Vatican has so many art houses that attract tourists every year. There are also lots of other interesting galleries scattered across Italian cities.
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Availability of Restrooms
In Italy, public restrooms are very much available for random people to use. They are also properly cleaned, maintained, and stocked with the necessary materials. Anyone who needs to use them can easily access them without stress.
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Beaches
The Italian cities are exquisitely built, and this, along with the art and excellent cuisine, are the focus for most tourists. However, if you enjoy having a relaxing time on the beach, Italy has some beautiful white sand beaches you can check out.
Italy is an amazing destination for a holiday journey, and if you plan it right, you can have the best time enjoying the amazing Italian art, cuisine, and culture.
