My belief is that adopting some customs of people who live in a country while you're a guest there helps you to better experience that country. The locals may treat travelers who do so a bit differently (better) than they do tourists who strive to seek out American things while overseas (e.g., tourists who complain that once they left Milan, they couldn't find a single Starbucks in all the rest of Italy).
1. Don't bring your worn or ratty clothes to Italy.
During our trips to Italy, we have seen well-dressed Italians everywhere we went (especially in Milan). Italian men were rarely seen in shorts. Women often wore great looking dresses or well-fitted casual wear. And remember, many Catholic sanctuaries require women to cover their shoulders and knees to gain entry.
2. Don't forget your sunglasses.
The Italian sun can be very dazzling! Protect your eyes.
3. Don’t order a cappuccino after 11 AM.
Cappuccino is viewed by Italians as a morning drink to enjoy before 10 or 11 AM.
4. Have you always wanted cookies for breakfast? Now you can!
Italian breakfasts typically are espresso or cappucino drinks, sometimes with orange juice, and usually with something sweet--a delicious pastry or a cookie. Our tour hotels offered us more savory breakfasts, but not all hotels or restaurants provide that option. But, our hotels did offer an array of delicious pastries and cookies! As a kid, I often wanted cookies for breakfast, so this was a childhood dream come true.
If traveling on your own and your lodging does not provide breakfast, just go to a cafe and request "un caffé per favore," with a cornetto (an Italian croissant) or even better, a cornetto cioccolato (a chocolate croissant). And, order an OJ (you don't want scurvy, after all). Save some Euros and stand at the counter to enjoy your breakfast. It will be much less expensive at the counter than having it brought to you at your table.
5. Take a pause before dinner for an “aperitivo."
If you like cocktails, stop and order an Aperol sprtiz or a Campari spritz. You will often get some sort of snack with your drink. It may just be a few olives and potato chips or it may be something more substantial. We saw some places offering buffets with an aperitivo and people hung out there making dinner of it with their friends.
6. Expect to have only water, wine, or beer to drink with your lunch and dinner.
In restaurants, the most common drinks will always be water, beer or wine. Most restaurants don’t serve cocktails. Children may drink sodas with meals. Generally, though, adults should steer clear of that choice as Italians view soft drinks as covering up the taste of the food (perhaps because one does not like the way it tastes). But, water is seen as allowing one to properly enjoy a meal.
I can't drink alcohol so I often violated this guideline. I ordered Coke Light or a delicious limon soda with meals as I tired of only drinking water. Places that serve Americans often are used to such lapses in judgment, but my servers may still see me as non sofisticato (unsophisticated).
7. Eat later
Don't plan to get a restaurant dinner before 7. If you can manage it, go later. At 7, the place may be filled with hungry Americans. The Italians with show up later at 8:30 or 9:00. Lunch is often expected around 1:30.
8. Consider a mid-afternoon “riposino.”
A riposino is a nap. Small shops often close for an hour or two or three for lunch, except in highly touristed areas. This is even truer in summer when heat makes everyone retreat inside. So, if time allows, take a nap like Italians do and shop later! Or, if like me, you are not good at napping, use that time for planning, journaling, Facebook posting, traveling between destinations, finding some gelato, or just wandering and getting lost in the streets.
9. Carefully choose where you dine. Cafes and restaurants close to major attractions/ landmarks/ piazzas tend to charge more. If the restaurant posts its menu in multiple languages and/or has lots of photos of its dishes, the market its aiming for is tourists. My recommendation is to walk a block or more away from the attraction and look for a place that caters to locals. Often, their menu is only on a chalkboard as they may then be featuring the freshest ingredients. Ask locals for recommendations--we got pointed to some great gelato stands this way!
10. Plan to visit in the spring or fall. In the summer, tourists pack the country, prices go up, Italians leave the country for vacation, and the temperatures are unpleasant. We have only gone in the fall. Temperatures are perfect and crowds are down (but you still need to plan ahead for popular attractions--read Rick's Italy book for how to plan for this and how to get tickets in advance).
11. Lines are an American thing. I noticed people crowding more and pushed themselves to the front of people who were massing to get served, rather than standing in an orderly line. If you stand patiently waiting for your turn, you may see lots of Italians pushing their way in front of you. If you continue to just stand there, your wait time may become quite lengthy as you get more and more incensed at the line-cutters. Just persistently push your way to the front of the crowd. That is how the rest of the people in front got there! Cristina, our guide in Ravenna, urged us to be "pleasantly aggressive" to get to the front.
12. Learn some Italian phrases.
Greetings:
Mi dispiace—I’m sorry
This is offered as an apology for misunderstandings (Example: Your cafe server was trying to get the order from the person to your right and you barged in with yours and got "the look" from both. Mi dispiace is the appropriate way to indicate you are sorry.)
Arrivederci — Until we see each other again. Say this as you leave a shop or as you get up to leave the bar. Be courteous and announce your departure.
Helpful phrases
Non parlo italiano. — I don’t speak Italian.
Parla inglese? -- Do you speak English?
Non capisco. — I don’t understand.
Dov’è il bagno? — Where’s the bathroom?
Il conto, per favore. The check, please.
Va Bene —
Seemingly our guide Sarah's favorite Italian phrase to use with our group was "Va Bene." It means ‘ok’ or ‘alright’, and you’ll hear it a lot in Italy. Literally, va bene means "goes well." It can also demonstrate that you understand what’s going on (assuming you actually do.) For example, if told the next train is not for an hour, you can shrug your shoulders in resignation and just reply "Va bene" as you look for a place to get un caffé while you wait.
Download the free Duolingo app or use their free website to learn basic Italian vocabulary .
Sign up to take 5 minute daily Italian lessons on babbel.com.
Be self-sufficient. Download the Google Translate app for your phone so you can translate signs, menu items, etc.
13. Speak with your hands
Italians gesture a lot while talking. If you use hand gestures with an Italian, even if you are speaking English, Italians may find you much easier to understand.
14. Remember you often have to pay to use the bathroom.
A reasonable price to use the toilet is a half Euro. More touristy places may often charge a Euro. Always keep some coins on hand to pay to access toilets. We generally just hold it if they want more than a Euro. We also practice "preemptive peeing." That means, you take advantage of access whenever you are near a free (or affordable) toilet in a bar, cafe, restaurant, museum, etc. This works in American cities too!). Again, remember that "Dov’è il bagno? " means "Where’s the bathroom?"
A toilet may just be a plumbed opening in the floor where you squat to do your business. Keep some tissues with you in case there is no toilet paper. You may also want a small bottle of hand sanitizer as you may not find a sink or towels to wash your hands. Need some help finding nearby toilets? For either iPhones and Androids, turn to an app called "Sit or Squat." It scans a database of over 100,000 toilets that have been rated as good ("sit") or bad ("squat"). In more rural areas, it does not always find a good option, but it's worth a try if the preemptive approach did not work out well enough for you.
15. Expose yourself to daily life in Italy.
Walk around in residential neighborhoods. Ride public transportation (buy tickets in the tobacconist's shop). Go to a local market and buy some fruit or perhaps food for a picnic lunch. Explore a supermarket. Sit in a park and people watch. One of our best times in Milan was at a dog park just watching folks play with their dogs.
16. Have an emergency? Call 112 (this is the Italian version of calling 911). 112 is the emergency number in all EU counties, as well as a number of other European nations. It can be reached by your mobile phone and landlines.
Consider installing the Red Cross' official first aid app before you board your plane. It provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for how to help someone who has a head injury, who is having a heart attack, who is burned or bleeding, who has broken bones, who has a bee sting, etc. It also deals with natural disasters, like earthquakes (keep in mind the Apennine Mountains have a number of faultlines that run along the entire Italian peninsula). There are instructional videos you can watch (I strongly recommend watching them before you leave home so you're better prepared). Appropriate first aid can make a huge difference in outcomes if you can help someone before first responders arrive.
1. Don't bring your worn or ratty clothes to Italy.
During our trips to Italy, we have seen well-dressed Italians everywhere we went (especially in Milan). Italian men were rarely seen in shorts. Women often wore great looking dresses or well-fitted casual wear. And remember, many Catholic sanctuaries require women to cover their shoulders and knees to gain entry.
2. Don't forget your sunglasses.
The Italian sun can be very dazzling! Protect your eyes.
3. Don’t order a cappuccino after 11 AM.
Cappuccino is viewed by Italians as a morning drink to enjoy before 10 or 11 AM.
4. Have you always wanted cookies for breakfast? Now you can!
Italian breakfasts typically are espresso or cappucino drinks, sometimes with orange juice, and usually with something sweet--a delicious pastry or a cookie. Our tour hotels offered us more savory breakfasts, but not all hotels or restaurants provide that option. But, our hotels did offer an array of delicious pastries and cookies! As a kid, I often wanted cookies for breakfast, so this was a childhood dream come true.
If traveling on your own and your lodging does not provide breakfast, just go to a cafe and request "un caffé per favore," with a cornetto (an Italian croissant) or even better, a cornetto cioccolato (a chocolate croissant). And, order an OJ (you don't want scurvy, after all). Save some Euros and stand at the counter to enjoy your breakfast. It will be much less expensive at the counter than having it brought to you at your table.
5. Take a pause before dinner for an “aperitivo."
If you like cocktails, stop and order an Aperol sprtiz or a Campari spritz. You will often get some sort of snack with your drink. It may just be a few olives and potato chips or it may be something more substantial. We saw some places offering buffets with an aperitivo and people hung out there making dinner of it with their friends.
6. Expect to have only water, wine, or beer to drink with your lunch and dinner.
In restaurants, the most common drinks will always be water, beer or wine. Most restaurants don’t serve cocktails. Children may drink sodas with meals. Generally, though, adults should steer clear of that choice as Italians view soft drinks as covering up the taste of the food (perhaps because one does not like the way it tastes). But, water is seen as allowing one to properly enjoy a meal.
I can't drink alcohol so I often violated this guideline. I ordered Coke Light or a delicious limon soda with meals as I tired of only drinking water. Places that serve Americans often are used to such lapses in judgment, but my servers may still see me as non sofisticato (unsophisticated).
7. Eat later
Don't plan to get a restaurant dinner before 7. If you can manage it, go later. At 7, the place may be filled with hungry Americans. The Italians with show up later at 8:30 or 9:00. Lunch is often expected around 1:30.
8. Consider a mid-afternoon “riposino.”
A riposino is a nap. Small shops often close for an hour or two or three for lunch, except in highly touristed areas. This is even truer in summer when heat makes everyone retreat inside. So, if time allows, take a nap like Italians do and shop later! Or, if like me, you are not good at napping, use that time for planning, journaling, Facebook posting, traveling between destinations, finding some gelato, or just wandering and getting lost in the streets.
9. Carefully choose where you dine. Cafes and restaurants close to major attractions/ landmarks/ piazzas tend to charge more. If the restaurant posts its menu in multiple languages and/or has lots of photos of its dishes, the market its aiming for is tourists. My recommendation is to walk a block or more away from the attraction and look for a place that caters to locals. Often, their menu is only on a chalkboard as they may then be featuring the freshest ingredients. Ask locals for recommendations--we got pointed to some great gelato stands this way!
10. Plan to visit in the spring or fall. In the summer, tourists pack the country, prices go up, Italians leave the country for vacation, and the temperatures are unpleasant. We have only gone in the fall. Temperatures are perfect and crowds are down (but you still need to plan ahead for popular attractions--read Rick's Italy book for how to plan for this and how to get tickets in advance).
11. Lines are an American thing. I noticed people crowding more and pushed themselves to the front of people who were massing to get served, rather than standing in an orderly line. If you stand patiently waiting for your turn, you may see lots of Italians pushing their way in front of you. If you continue to just stand there, your wait time may become quite lengthy as you get more and more incensed at the line-cutters. Just persistently push your way to the front of the crowd. That is how the rest of the people in front got there! Cristina, our guide in Ravenna, urged us to be "pleasantly aggressive" to get to the front.
12. Learn some Italian phrases.
Greetings:
- Buon giorno — Good morning.
- Buona sera — Good evening (after 4 pm/post-riposino)
- Buona notte — Good night (for when you head to bed or someone else is heading to bed)
- Ciao — Hi/Hello/Goodbye (this is very casual, less often used with strangers, except by over-eager tourists. After you have been introduced, it's fine.)
Don't be stingy with a greeting. Offer a warm “Buon giorno!” when you go into a small store, as you walk up to a cafe counter, as you sit beside somebody in the bar, hotel lobby, or airport waiting area, etc. - Please and thank you:
- Per favore — Please
And three ways to say thank you! - Grazie—Thank you.
- Molte grazie—Many thanks.
- Grazie mille—Thanks a lot.
- Prego (multiple meanings)
— You’re welcome
—"Prego?"--How can I help you? (by storekeepers)
—Be my guest (to someone asking if a seat is available)--add an open-hand gesture to offer up the empty seat to that person.
—Please talk more slowly (when the person is speaking way too rapidly)
A guide in Florence once told me Prego is the "olive oil of the Italian language." It is used all the time (but you're less likely to speak it than to hear it as a traveler). - Mi scusi—Excuse me (formal -- for use with strangers)
Mi dispiace—I’m sorry
This is offered as an apology for misunderstandings (Example: Your cafe server was trying to get the order from the person to your right and you barged in with yours and got "the look" from both. Mi dispiace is the appropriate way to indicate you are sorry.)
Arrivederci — Until we see each other again. Say this as you leave a shop or as you get up to leave the bar. Be courteous and announce your departure.
Helpful phrases
Non parlo italiano. — I don’t speak Italian.
Parla inglese? -- Do you speak English?
Non capisco. — I don’t understand.
Dov’è il bagno? — Where’s the bathroom?
Il conto, per favore. The check, please.
Va Bene —
Seemingly our guide Sarah's favorite Italian phrase to use with our group was "Va Bene." It means ‘ok’ or ‘alright’, and you’ll hear it a lot in Italy. Literally, va bene means "goes well." It can also demonstrate that you understand what’s going on (assuming you actually do.) For example, if told the next train is not for an hour, you can shrug your shoulders in resignation and just reply "Va bene" as you look for a place to get un caffé while you wait.
Download the free Duolingo app or use their free website to learn basic Italian vocabulary .
Sign up to take 5 minute daily Italian lessons on babbel.com.
Be self-sufficient. Download the Google Translate app for your phone so you can translate signs, menu items, etc.
13. Speak with your hands
Italians gesture a lot while talking. If you use hand gestures with an Italian, even if you are speaking English, Italians may find you much easier to understand.
14. Remember you often have to pay to use the bathroom.
A reasonable price to use the toilet is a half Euro. More touristy places may often charge a Euro. Always keep some coins on hand to pay to access toilets. We generally just hold it if they want more than a Euro. We also practice "preemptive peeing." That means, you take advantage of access whenever you are near a free (or affordable) toilet in a bar, cafe, restaurant, museum, etc. This works in American cities too!). Again, remember that "Dov’è il bagno? " means "Where’s the bathroom?"
A toilet may just be a plumbed opening in the floor where you squat to do your business. Keep some tissues with you in case there is no toilet paper. You may also want a small bottle of hand sanitizer as you may not find a sink or towels to wash your hands. Need some help finding nearby toilets? For either iPhones and Androids, turn to an app called "Sit or Squat." It scans a database of over 100,000 toilets that have been rated as good ("sit") or bad ("squat"). In more rural areas, it does not always find a good option, but it's worth a try if the preemptive approach did not work out well enough for you.
15. Expose yourself to daily life in Italy.
Walk around in residential neighborhoods. Ride public transportation (buy tickets in the tobacconist's shop). Go to a local market and buy some fruit or perhaps food for a picnic lunch. Explore a supermarket. Sit in a park and people watch. One of our best times in Milan was at a dog park just watching folks play with their dogs.
16. Have an emergency? Call 112 (this is the Italian version of calling 911). 112 is the emergency number in all EU counties, as well as a number of other European nations. It can be reached by your mobile phone and landlines.
Consider installing the Red Cross' official first aid app before you board your plane. It provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for how to help someone who has a head injury, who is having a heart attack, who is burned or bleeding, who has broken bones, who has a bee sting, etc. It also deals with natural disasters, like earthquakes (keep in mind the Apennine Mountains have a number of faultlines that run along the entire Italian peninsula). There are instructional videos you can watch (I strongly recommend watching them before you leave home so you're better prepared). Appropriate first aid can make a huge difference in outcomes if you can help someone before first responders arrive.