Italy is a great country to visit and there is no shortage of beautiful places to visit or interesting things to see. However, there are a few things you need to know before venturing into the cities and towns of Italy. Tourists often make little mistakes that can ruin their vacation because they don’t know better and don’t do their research.
So if you want to order coffee, intend to travel by train, or pack shorts because you are visiting Italy in the summer, prepare to get acquainted with some of the local customs and norms.
These are the top 10 mistakes tourists make when visiting Italy.
Board a regional train without validating the ticket
Tickets for regional trains, or any tickets that do not have a specific schedule and assigned seat, must be validated (Frecce train tickets, which have assigned schedules and seats, are some of the exceptions). Regional train tickets can generally be used on any train in a two-month period, so validate your ticket before boarding.
All you need to do is find a validation machine; green and white in some seasons and yellow in others. Push your ticket into the slot until you hear the stamp applied. This stamp will make your ticket valid for up to six hours. Note that even tourists will be fined for not validating their tickets before boarding a train in Italy.
Order a latte (when you want a coffee)
Latte is the Italian word for milk, so if you order a latte, especially outside of the touristy areas, you may end up with a glass of milk. If you want a coffee, head to a bar (which in Italy is not just a place to consume alcohol). Be aware that in many places you will pay more for table service.
If you just want a quick coffee, do what Italians do and stop at the bar. In restaurants, coffee (usually espresso) is normally served only after the meal (including dessert) has finished. Italians do not have coffee with their meals and generally do not have cappuccino after noon, although you can still order one.
Please note that you will not get free refills on your soda or iced tea and generally your cold drinks will not be served over ice.
Driving in the ZTL
The ZTL, traffic limitation zone or limited traffic zone , is prohibited for drivers who do not have a permit (for which tourists are not eligible). Most cities and towns have a ZTL, which can also be called a pedestrian zone. The Centro Storico is usually a limited traffic area.
Often a camera is placed at the entrance to a ZTL, taking photos of license plates as cars enter. They are unlikely to stop you right away, but people have reported that they received a ticket in the mail six months or a year later (often through their car rental company). Keep an eye out for speed cameras while driving through Italy too.
Standing in the ticket lines
During peak season, people can queue for an hour or two just to buy tickets to enter one of Italy’s top sights or museums. These days it is fairly easy to purchase tickets for most venues online, although it will require planning your itinerary in advance.
While you may not want to be tied to a strict schedule, there are some tickets that you really should buy ahead of time.
Wear shorts when visiting a church
Italian cathedrals and churches are interesting to visit and many have important works of art. Most may have signs asking visitors not to enter in shorts or off-the-shoulder (for the most part, Europeans don’t wear shorts, at least not as often as Americans).
Women can wear a scarf to cover bare shoulders when wearing sleeveless tops. But many places, including the Vatican, will not admit people in shorts. So plan your dress for hiking.
Relying only on credit cards or bringing traveler’s checks
In Italy, there are many places that still do not accept credit cards and if you travel with American Express you will find even fewer places to use it. Many small family restaurants and shops, hostels and guesthouses, and open-air markets require cash payments. Your credit card may not work at machines like the autostrada toll booth. It is a good idea to have two credit cards so that you can use one as backup and be sure to call your banks before you leave to inform them of the dates you will be in Italy.
Traveler’s checks are rarely used to get cash in Italy and if you find a place to change them, you will likely pay a fee. The best way to get cash is with your ATM card.
On planning and on scheduling
Italy doesn’t run like clockwork, so don’t expect everything to go smoothly, especially if you have a tight schedule. Leave some time to hang out in a plaza or bar or go to a festival or special event that you might stumble upon.
Visitors to Italy often find that the most memorable part of their trip was something they didn’t plan on. Moving to a new city and a new hotel every day is exhausting and time consuming that you could spend enjoying a place for several days and really getting to know it.
Overpacking or traveling with a heavy suitcase
While your large rolling suitcase may be great in places with smooth trails and hotels with elevators, you won’t always find these things in Italy. Historic buildings can be remodeled to make beautiful accommodations, but an elevator is often not allowed. And unless you are staying in 5-star hotels, it is unlikely that there will be someone to carry your bags.
Uneven cobblestone streets make lugging a suitcase difficult and if you go to Venice you will likely cross bridges. If you are traveling by train, you will have to lift and carry your luggage yourself.
Consider a lightweight bag (or two) that is easy to transport.
Relying on GPS
While having a GPS for driving can be very helpful, relying on GPS alone is not a good idea. It is common in Italy to have several cities or towns (in different regions) with the same name. So look at your map and make sure you know which one you want.
Being the victim of a robbery
As in any big city, you must take precautions against theft of your money or passport. Rome and Florence are the places where tourists most frequently report the theft of items such as wallets, cameras, passports, and money.
Keep a close eye on your belongings, don’t pack valuables on your back, and avoid wearing expensive jewelry. Take your passport somewhere that is difficult for a pocket to access and don’t carry more cash in your purse or main wallet than you will need for the day.
