I’ve been travelling many times to Italy and I always discovered new things about the Italian culture, the habits of the people and their way of living.

So I just thought that I could share with you some useful tips for a vacation to Italy.

Here are my top 10 recommendations:

  1. On the first Sunday of each month, the entrance at the museums is free in Italy. If you’re interested in visiting some of their important museums this is a great way for you to save some money.
  2. The parking space` is pretty expensive in Italy: 1.5 to 3 euros/hour or even more in the big cities. The schedule of the parking is usually from 8 AM to 12/2PM and then from 2/4PM to 7/8Pm. The parking is free in the weekend and I mention that because, yes, I paid it on a Saturday when I shouldn’t. You won’t lose the money though, as this is valid on Monday morning.
  3. If you’re hungry at 2 PM and you have nothing to eat at home, forget about it. Just go to sleep or something, you won’t find too many open shops. In Italy, there is this habit of doing the “riposo” at the lunch time. Shops usually open at 9 AM and close to 12/13 PM. They open again at 3/4 PM and close to 7 or 8 PM. Most restaurants are only opened for 2-3 hours at lunch and then, again in the evening at 7 or 8 PM.
  4. In Bari, I found some shops open until late, but the owners are Arabic or Tunisian. You will still find interesting products to enjoy, so that would be a great option for your lunch or dinner.
  5. Speaking of it, Italy is one of the countries where the restaurants are charging for a service called “coperta”. No, it’s not the tip, as we were told. It is a cost for the service, meaning: the preparation of the food, the fork, the plate that you’re using. It’s not really convenient to pay 4 € for a 15€bill of, but there are still other restaurants where you can eat without this service fee.
  6. Renting a car in Italy is a must. Is the best way to get to see as much as you can of this country. Once you’re there, I guarantee that you would like to take advantage and see more of its beauty. I was pleased of the renting car service and it wasn’t that expensive, about 150€ for one week.
  7. More than this, the Italian roads are really good, but they have of course, speed limits. You better respect it if you don’t want to be stopped by a carabiniere. Anyway, it is a real pleasure to drive on their roads and it’s easy to reach a big distance in a short time.
  8. In Italy you can always have a coffee and especially after eating. It is important for Italians to have it after lunch or dinner for with the digestion.
  9. I was very lucky to visit the North and the South of Italy, but these areas are totally different. The culture, the way how people speak, the cities and the buildings have different influences. No matter which part you decide to visit, they are both so beautiful and worth to see. Now guess which picture is in the South and which one in the North?
  10. When it comes to communication, in the big cities, you won’t have problems if you only speak English. Italians have a nice way to speak with their body anyways. Although, most of them are not feeling comfortable in English, so few Italian words may help you out.

To make it easier for you, I will leave you below some basic things that you may use:

Good afternoon- Buongiorno

Goodbye-Arrivederci

A coffee please- Un café, per favore

I would like a pizza please-Vorrei una pizza per favore

I don’t speak Italian- Non parlo italiano

Do you speak English?-Parla inglese?

How much does it costs? -Quanto costa?

Thank you for reading this article- Grazie per leggere questo articolo

PS: If you want to know what you can visit in Puglia, click here.

Comments

comments

Previous articleOne week in Puglia!
Next articleWhat happens when your flight is cancelled?