What Not to Do in Italy

This post is all about what NOT to do in Italy. Want your trip to Italy to go smoothly? Here are some of the most common Italy mistakes that tourists make that can be easily avoided. The first tip is about train tickets: for many regional trains in Italy, you must validate your train ticket after purchasing it before you can board the train. This isn’t always clearly communicated and it can be hard to find the validation machine, but if you forget to do it and a conductor checks your ticket, you can be charged an expensive penalty.

Accepting a “free” gift on the street is one of the most annoying tourist scams out there, and it occurs all over Europe. Once you accept the item, people will demand payment for the “gift.” When you see these people, just ignore them and keep walking. Another one about gifts: be careful not to buy fake souvenirs. Whether you want some Italian leather boots in Florence, or some Murano glass tableware in Venice, be sure you check the authenticity of your souvenirs before you buy them. Do your research on where to buy authentic pieces before you go.

Now, some tips to save money and time! Italy has some of the cleanest and most drinkable water in the world. You can even fill your water bottle up from any public fountain or water spigot, so there’s really no reason to waste money on buying bottled water. Almost all the most popular museums, churches, and historic sites in Italy have skip the line tickets you can purchase online in advance. It doesn’t cost any extra, and you will be incredibly glad you did it as you walk past the mile-long line to enter a museum. In major tourist hotspots, most public restrooms will charge you up to three euros just to use them. And they are almost always disgusting! Instead, go into a cafe or bar on a non-touristy side street and order an espresso at the bar. This is usually only one euro and you’ll be able to use their cleaner, private restroom. Also, tipping servers is appreciated, but it is not a customary practice in Italy, and all servers are paid a regular living wage so they do not rely on tips to survive like they do in the US.

The last recommendation is to learn some Italian! Yes, many Italians in the hospitality industry speak at least some English, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to not even attempt to learn the local language. Don’t be that annoying tourist. It’s polite to learn basic greetings and phrases in Italian, like hello, good morning, goodbye, please, thank you, etc., and use them while you’re there. Now that you know what NOT to do in Italy, be sure to have fun and enjoy your trip!

(Available in: https://www.wanderherway.com/what-not-to-do-in-italy/ – text specially adapted for this test).