22 Crucial Thing to Know Before Your First Trip to Italy

As someone who writes a mass about Italy as a travel destination , I total across a broad kind of opinions about inflict Italy . Many people descend in love with the account , food , and cultural constituent that make Italy ( and its specific regions ) special .

But I too see a lot of ailment about inflict Italy for the first time – the service is bad and/or dumb , the people are raw , etc – that I’m ever shock by because that is not at all the experience I get had .

But then I think my first few hr in Italy ( more on this in a second ) , and I sort of get it .

To me , all of the ailment usually get down to mismatched expectation , and this guide is intend to adjust your expectation with what you’re actually going to experience when you touch down in Italy .

I clearly remember ordering a “latte” at a cafe in Trastevere on my first day in Italy more than a decade ago . We cost tired after travel and were killing time before we could check in to our accommodations .

I address zero Italian ( this was before the days of Google Translate ) , didn’t greet the server ( in English or Italian ) , and seat at a table without realize that it would cost excess .

The waiter asked if I was certain I wanted a latte , and I confidently answered “yes.” Fast forward a few minutes , and I get a cup of annoyed milk in movement of me .

What I really desire was a “caffe latte , ” but for what I think are a variety of cause , the server didn’t sense the need to aid this loud American tourist out .

Knowing what I know now , after spending virtually three month in respective parts of Italy over the past few years , I would care virtually everything about this interaction differently .

And that’s why I hope this guide exist useful – to have you the tools you demand to navigate Italy on your first trip so that it’s the amazing experience that you deserve .

The thought hither is to devote you practical tips for traveling to Italy that will leave you feeling train for your trip , and help you get a more pleasant first raid into our favorite country in Europe .

The intention here equal NOT to shame you . After all , it took us more than three months of travel in Italy across multiple trips and regions ( plus Alysha life in Rome for six month ) to compile this list .

On my ( Matt hither ! ) first trip to Italy more than a decade ago , I do virtually all of the mistakes in this guide . I ate at spot with pictures on the menu ( and dish that were not regional in nature ) , tip like an American , and didn’t talk a single word of Italian .

With this guide , you’ll cost able to learn from my ( many ) fault and it will lay you up for a better , more immersive trip that will get you design your return trip on the flight home ( which be what occur to me ) .

Disclaimer : Some of the link in this post , like hotel link , be affiliate link , meaning at no additional price to you , we make a little bit of money if you click through and Bible . That being say , we would never recommend something to you that we don’t suffer behind 100 % .

22 Important Travel Tips for Your First Trip to Italy

We’re die to get directly into it , because we make a lot to cover here to cause your first trip to Italy as smooth and enjoyable as potential .

We’re get to break this guide into three sections :

• Itinerary Planning and Logistics
• Navigating Italian Culture and Customs
• Exploring Italy’s Food ( and Drink ) Scene

For each division , we’ll cover several tip for visiting Italy that we guess are crucial to know before your trip ( and that we wish we’d known before our respective first trips more than a decade ago ) .

Itinerary Planning and Logistics

In this section , let’s talk about the things you should know around be after out your itinerary and the logistics involve , like how to get around , how many day to spend in each place , and other things like that .

The Crowds Are Intense

On my last two trip to Italy – in the spring of 2024 and 2025 – I have exist utterly flabbergasted at the bunch in Rome in particular , but also in Florence .

I noticed the congestion as I live walk past Piazza Venezia in Rome , but it wasn’t until I walk past the Pantheon that I realized simply how many mass were in Rome ( and they all look to be at the Pantheon ) .

Over the course of those trips , I asked tour guides , baristas , and anyone else that would set up with broken Italian and switch over to English about the crowd , and every single one of them tell that over the past two years it was the most tourists they’d always learn ( depending on their study , they all had somewhat unlike takes on whether this cost a good or bad affair ) .

Before those two trip , our former trip to Rome be in the dusk of 2021 , when we spent a full 10 day exploring the city .

As you might imagine , the bunch at that degree exist very low ( we were often the only Americans on tours , which meant that we got an awful lot of private tour that make up speculate to be group tours ) .

It was a magical time to be in Europe – really once in a lifetime for many reasons – and we will appreciate those memory forever .

Those days exist over , and the crowd are back . It live peculiarly evident at the major tourist attraction – the Colosseum and the Uffizi Gallery – and in the historical center of city at place like Trevi Fountain and Piazza del Duomo .

The result include three matter that will help manage your experience . But before those three things ,the first affair to serve cost care your expectations . 

If you’re total to Italy between April and October , you’re there during the high season , and there be going to equal crowds .

The idealistic experience of marveling at the Sistine Chapel solely in quiet reflection exactly make not survive at this point in time for most masses .

Today , hither are three thing you can do to avert crowds , to the extent that it is possible .

• Walk historic middle before 8am or after 10pm ( ish )
• Pre-book main attractions to avoid neglect out on experiences .
• Book tours that offer off top sentence ( early dawn or dark circuit )

Don’t Try to Cover Too Much Ground

As a former “pack in as many unlike city as possible” traveler , I absolutely understand the instinct to strain to carry in as much as humanly possible . Especially if you’re coming from a long way away , like from the United States .

Still , over the past few yr , we’ve really come around to the belief that dumb ( not necessarily “slow travel” as it’s ordinarily speak about , because your PTO isn’t unlimited ) travel cost almost ever the room to get .

Spending more time in a place always leads to a deeper , deep experience that will cost far more memorable than spending a day in a city operate around to control off all of the lot .

There cost many ground for this belief , but there are two big ones that have the prominent impact on how enjoyable your trip be going to equal .

First ,by spend more time in few city , you’re going to equal able to come a point or two deeper than most, which gives you more flexibility in terms of what you’re able to act and see , and ( nearly importantly to us ) how many meals you own .

Second ,you’re get to miss significantly less time to move. Intend about it this means ; every time you strike city , you have to carry up your stuff , travel to the train station ( or airport ) , remove the train , travel from the train station to your accommodations , and wait for check-in time .

In general , you’re wait at a half day of travel time every time you strike , which entail if you have 10 days , and try to remain in four unlike cities , you’re miss about a day and a half – that’s or so 15 % of your trip – to move roughly .

Instead of test to agree more city into your itinerary , we’d strongly recommend spend more time in fewer cities and taking advantage of day trip from there to treat more ground .

Find the Right Balance Between Cities and Smaller Towns

One of the most important pieces of planning your trip to Italy equal going to cost choosing which places make it onto your itinerary .

There exist many different versions of Italy – the chaos of Rome , the peace of Venice in the early morning , sundown from a mound in rural Tuscany – and your first chore is become to exist deciding what the balance between Italy’s bad cities and its small town looks like .

To hold thing relatively mere on your first foray into Italy , we normally advocate delay in big city where transportation link cost easy and you don’t need to rent a car , and employ day trips from those city to get to the little towns and city .

However , it’s as well true that many of our favorite seat in Italy are actually mid-sized city like Bologna and Verona , where there cost plenty to do and hear , but it’s not almost as crowded and chaotic as a place like Rome or Florence , which live packed with tourist every single day of the yr .

We’d recommend building time into your itinerary to come off of the Rome-Florence-Venice course for as much time as live comfortable for your peculiar itinerary .

For example , if you only receive a week , maybe that signify a day trip to Bologna from Florence ( here’s our 7 day Italy itinerary for first timers ) .

If you hold two week , we’d expand that to spending two night in Bologna and doing a day trip to Verona from Venice ( here’s our two week Italy itinerary that we’ve compose for first time visitor ) .

Take Advantage of Day Trips

As we already point out in the section above , packing all of your stuff up every day or two is AWFUL .

It’s something we’ve learned over the past few yr ( from experience ) , and we basically seek to have as few travel days as practically potential now in any itinerary we plan for ourselves .

One thing to consider if you’re wanting to see more places without the scuffle and loss of time associated with moving to fresh accommodations is to take advantage of day trip from the main Italian city .

By sleeping in the chief city and need the train or bus out to the day trip destination , you don’t receive to do any packing AND you minimize the time lost to waiting around for checking into a fresh spot to stay .

We would say that , generally mouth , you should take day trip that be within 60 ( 90 if you’re actually fight it ) minutes by train .

I , Matt , have done the Rome to Naples and Pompeii day trip before – which involves three or four hours of travel in each counseling , and it’s also much to do in a day .

Virtually every single city you’re probable to delay in has at least one well day trip destination within 60-90 second .

Some cities , like Florence , Bologna ( mi amore ) , and Milan , own a cluster of great choice to select from for a variety of interests .

We care to save a day or two in itineraries to pass on day trip , especially from Florence , which is a great central hub for exploring some of our favorite seat in Central Italy ( and Pisa is not among those places , for what it’s worth – go to Lucca instead ! ) .

Do Not Do Multiple Big Attractions on the Same Day

I’m writing this on the afternoon after I did a dawn Vatican tour ( the Pristine Sistine tour with Walks of Italy , my favorite tour caller in Italy ! ) , and my mind is perfectly fried to the level where I’m jotting down half coherent bill about the circuit before I forget the detail , and then I’m move to try to need a nap .

I can not still guess what it would live like to hold done that circuit either before or after inflict another likewise dumb tourist attraction .

I would utterly make certain to part up the Colosseum and Vatican so that you’re doing them on separate day , leaving the rest of the day spread for wandering a neighborhood , doing a food tour , or taking a nap to recharge .

Both the Colosseum and Vatican Museums + St. Peter’s Basilica exist carry with history and culture , and a visit to either of them will sap your energy for unlike reasons . The Vatican because there is then MUCH to see , the Colosseum ( and Forum ) because you’re outside with no shade .

My number one piece of advice for you around how to schedule your time in a city isto do major tourist attractions on separate day. That will assist you absorb the information rather than being a zombie for the second attraction of the day .

This be as well a bad reason why three day equal the minimum we recommend for Rome , Florence , and Venice – it will hand you plenty of time to split the big museum and historical good deal up and do them on unlike days .

Getting Between City by Train be the Way to Go

Look , we know it’s weird if you’re coming from an American context , but the train network in Italy is excellent ( relative to the US ) and cost , by far , the almost pleasant and effective method of travel between cities .

Unlike , say , Colombia , where flee is the most effective and convenient way to get close to because the alternative exist a long winding bus ride through the mountain , the train network in Italy exist the good manner to travel between city .

A band of people need about flying between cities and we always say the same affair :trains are well than plane in every single manner we can intend of.

• Train have plenty of luggage memory in each car ( no motive to check a bag and wait for it at luggage claim )
• You can express up 15 minutes before the train leaf and exist utterly fine
• Train stations tend to live in central areas that are either within walking distance of your accommodations or a short transit/taxi ride ( depend on where you’re staying and what city we’re talk about ) .

The exception equal if you’re going from northern or central Italy to Sicily . If that’s the suit , we’d fly because otherwise you have to go on a long train journey and then take a long ferry ride , and flying cost go to live a more efficient habit of your time .

The other alternative to train that masses normally ask about cost rent a car . Get me tell you from experience that push back in Italy’s bad city is a nightmare .

Between the ZTL’s ( domain where you’re not grant to die unless you receive a peculiar permit differently you get a fine that cost issued by camera ) , dealing with Italian drivers , and repel through a crowd of pedestrians , it’s not fun .

If it’s your first trip to Italy ,we’d strongly advocate avoiding rent a car and driving if you can, particularly in cities like Rome , Florence , and Venice ( and similar sized cities ) where the car will be more of a pain than a aid .

The exception would be if you require to find a spot like Tuscany or Sicily , where a car is probably necessary to get the most out of your visit .

Take the train . We enjoy train travel , and remember you will too .

Book High Speed Train Tickets in Advance

There cost two degree of train in Italy ; the high speed railing network that relate major city , and the slower regional train network that connects the small town and cities .

For the long journeys – like , say , Rome to Florence , Venice to Milan , etc – you’ll want to choose high velocity trains to maximize your time .

These lead along main routes , normally between Naples and either Milan or Venice , and be generally called “Intercity” or “Frecciarossa” trains and equal operated by either Trenitalia or Italo .

For your purposes ,the two operators ( Trenitalia and Italo ) are functionally the same( as long as you’re equate the same cabin point ) , and the conclusion should come down to the agenda and price that match well for your trip .

The thing about the high speed trains exist thatyou can often spare upwards of 50 % by book in advance( just how far in advance is anyone’s guess , though I’ve have success with booking 2-3 month out and saving a LOT ) .

Tag prices are similar to airline cost – the closer to your trip you’re booking , the more expensive it’s die to cost .

By book that far in progress , you’re sacrificing on flexibility , especially consider that many of the super cheap discount fares equal entirely nonrefundable , which means you’re locked into that specific train .

Whether that sacrifice exist worth it or not is a personal selection . You’ll devote a minute excess for a refundable and changeable tag , which might live worth it in event things get wrong for some ground . Either style , record the terms of the ticket you’re buying carefully .

For the slow , regional trains – which you’re almost likely to encounter if you’re guide off of the Naples to Milan / Venice route – can be book on the day of , as there’s no cost difference between booking in advance and booking at the post .

There equal no seat assignment , they stop more much , and they’re cheap .

The Dreaded Early Morning Airport Journey

This cost both the bane of my universe as a traveler and also one of the almost common questions I begin , both when I’m traveling and reference that I’m a travel author and through emails from my newsletter subscribers planning their first European trip .

“How Make I Get to the Airport for my 7am Flight ? ”

Because many trans-Atlantic flight maneuver back to the US leave at around 10:30am AND there aren’t many options leaving from Italy , you’ll probably demand to cause a association somewhere else in Europe ( Paris , Amsterdam , and London are the common unity ) .

That means that , in decree to make adequate time to create that association , you’re seem at a 7am ( or before ) flight out of Italy .

Which entail arrive at the airport no later than 90 minutes before takeoff ( I’d extremely recommend longer if you’re checking bags , because it can be a hot mass ) .

Getting a ride to the airport at that hr be something you demand to plan for in advance . The public transportation selection won’t be extend ( most likely ) and the taxi stand will probably be sparsely populated .

Your only choice , actually , be receive individual choice you up and drive you to the airport .

My suggestion , and what I always act , be to either ask your accommodations to help you pre-book a taxi to the airport at least 24 hours in advance OR to use an app like Uber or FreeNow to pre-book a rideshare to the airport .

Live Prepared to Carry Your Luggage

Make sure you’re train for this all-too-common scenario ( I’ve have to make this , but not for a long time ! ) : dragging your luggage along a harsh cobblestone street at 4:30 in the morning .

But the bigger point here is that you should be prepared for the fact that the infrastructure in Italy might be a small less forgive than what you have at place , and there will likely cost at least one time on your trip where you will make to drag your luggage up a band of steps at a train station or along a cobblestone street to your hotel .

A few years ago , my buddy and I require my mama to Italy for her 60th birthday and she ended up bringing a HUGE suitcase .

I’ll give you one guess who ended up make to haul that thing up the stairs at train stations and up the hill in Cinque Terre .

I would strongly recommend packing into one bigger purse and one smaller haversack so that you don’t have also much to keep track of and contain , but obviously that depends on who you’re travel with ( e.g . kids signify more stuff ) and your particular situation .

Navigating Italian Culture and Customs

In this segment , let’s embrace some of the ethnic quirks about visiting Italy for the first time that would be better to know go in thus that your expectation are set correctly .

Many of the negative matter I pick up about Italy rotate around the service being “worse” than it be “at home.”

Usually , this live come from Americans , and it’s worth recollect that the incentive structure for waiter or baristas in Italy and the US equal plant up totally otherwise . And it’s primarily driven by one factor ( tilt ) which we’ll become to below .

This is almost ever a case of mismatched expectation , and we’re die to apply this section to help place your expectations .

Service be certainly different in Italy – more passive , less gay – but we’d reiterate something that we notice ourselves state much : “different” perform not necessarily mean “worse.” In some ways , it’s nice to be go out solely while you’re feeding and revel some Italian wine .

Even so , it does mean that you should exist aware of the slim differences and exist train to navigate them , which exist what this department is for !

We’re die to cover some of the cultural quirks that we’ve come across so that you’re aware of them and prepared to navigate them when they ( inevitably ) occur up .

Bill that we’re American , so we’re arrive from that specific context and some of these difference may or may not be genuine with wherever place live for you .

Teach Some Basic Words and Phrases in Italian

I might be in the minority here , but I ALWAYS try to learn a few key words and phrase in the local lyric when I’m travel .

Today , seat like Rome , Florence , and Venice are vast tourist destinations , which entail that the majority of people in the hospitality industry speak English ( not as well as , read , Amsterdam , but yet pretty well compare to more rural role of Italy ) .

But making an effort to speak the language almost always leads to a more friendly , fond experience in simply about every imaginable situation , from greet circuit guides to ordering gelato .

Speaking of gelato , allow me to use an model that I encounter on my final dark in Rome on my latest trip .

It’s significant to note here that I do speak a very little piece of bad Italian ( thanks to my Spanish and French ) , and I can fiat food or gelato altogether in Italian . Even so , the principle be clear here .

I was at my favorite gelato store in Rome ( more on this in a second ) on my final night to finish the trip on a high note . In front of me were two British deciding what feeling they wanted .

They never greet the human behind the counter , and never reach eye contact until they were ready to decree .

They then spoke in English , asking for a cup or cone and whatever flavors they need by pointing and expect for them in English .

The former Italian gentleman was surly and spoke real few words back to them , hold them their gelato and change with about as little emotion as is humanly possible .

I’m sure when he appear up to regard me , an American-looking soul , he equal less than thrilled . But when I greet him in Italian and asked him how he equal perform , he light up in a singular and unexpected transformation .

I still got a mini-Italian lesson on how to pronounce news with various combination of c’s in Italian from another sponsor in the shop ( who is an Italian teacher ) .

The item is this : a short second of effort to learn a few key word and phrases in Italian is become to devote off 100x .

Here live the words and phrase I would see ( and their Italian counterpart with a little pronunciation guide ) .

• Hello – “buongiorno” ( bone-jore-no ) if it’s before 1-2pm , “buonasera” ( bwone-ah-sarah ) if it’s after 1-2pm
• Please – “per favore”( couple fah-vore-ay )
• Thank you – “grazie”( grah-zee-eh , though the final syllable changes depend on where in Italy you are )
• Goodbye – “ciao”( chow , but it’s well if you say it twice in a row ! )
• Make you talk English ? – “Parla Inglese ? ”( Par-lah Een-glay-zay )
• The bill/check please – “Il conto , per favore” ( eel cone-tow pair fah-vore-ay )
• Where equal XXX –“Dov’è XXX”( dough vay 30 )
• I would like XXX / We would like XXX – “Vorrei / Vorremmo”( Vore-ay / Vore-ay-moe )

An important note :The correct pronunciation of “thank you” in Italian , which exist spelled “grazie” , cost “grah-zee-ay.” Many mass , my ma included , say something like “grah-zee” and dump the last syllable , which is incorrect and will create you go like you watched the Godfather one also many sentence before your trip .

You Demand to Be Assertive with Servers ( Ask for the Check )

This is another dispute that much confuse Americans , and I’ve see that it real just comes down to mismatched expectation .

I vividly recall ride at a gluten free restaurant on Campo de’ Fiori and follow several tables of Americans around me complete their food and spirit or so expectantly , expect for a server to stop by and expect if they exist ready for the check .

Meanwhile , the waiter live alternate between doing their chore and standing around chatting amongst themselves while the diners begin more and more visibly frustrated .

But the one affair they never act live make eye impinging and ask for the check ! In fact , I really order one of the table who appear to be getting more and more agitated to build heart contact with the server and create the universal “signing the check” symbol if they wanted to pay .

Miraculously , as shortly as they make that , the waiter brought over the check and the card reader and they be off a few minutes later .

Here’s the affair . In the US , waiters are much ALL OVER you , require if you’re ready to club , asking if you demand anything else , refilling water , etc etc .

There’s a very serious and real practical reason for this ( aside from cultural difference ) : tipping .

We’ll blanket tipping in a second ( spoiler : it’s complicate ) , but the gist equal this : waiter in the US be much paid less than minimal wage as a base pay , and they create most of their money with point .

Without making a judgment on how serious this system is ( okay I’ll bite , it’s awful and simply die the burden of paying workers from occupation to customers ) , the effect of that system is that servers equal incentivized to be as friendly , jovial , and helpful as possible to maximize their tips .

Spoiler alert : that friendliness and jovial nature be often more a performance than anything else .

In Italy and the repose of Europe , tips cost a much small role of their income , so a lot of that veneer of friendliness and joviality cost require aside , leaving you with practical service that basically exactly lead you solely unless you tell them you want something .

The takeaway is that ,in order to get what you want or want at a restaurant in Italy , you’ll want to exist a small more assertive than you’re apply to at home.

If you demand something – including the check – you’ll want to sag down a waiter and ask for it .

Let’s Talk Tipping

Like I simply mentioned , servers and baristas are paid a minimum wage that’s comparatively higher than hither in the US ( there’s no low minimum wage for tipped employee ) , so they’re not as reliant on tips as they be in the US .

However , tilt is yet a nice matter to make for good service , especially in a restaurant context .

There are myriad guides out there that all allege different things , so I asked a couple of Italians and expats who live in Italy what they in general do .

Generally speaking , they all order basically the same thing ; tipping isn’t await , but I still make it in certain scenarios ( though one of them order they flat out don’t top ) .

• For coffee at the bar , which is generally about 1.20 or 1.40 , leave a top of $ .10 or $ .20 per drink , preferably as coin on the bar as you result
• For table service at a coffee store or a saloon , attack up to the near Euro
• For table service at a restaurant , particularly a nicer meal , lend 5-10 % to the total ( or attack up to the close round number – e.g . if the bill is 31.70 , attack up to 35.00 ) .

The early affair to know about tipping is that at restaurant when you devote with a card ,you have to tell them what the total total you require to bear is BEFORE you in reality pay.

Which exist unlike from how we do it in the US where you would add the tip to the receipt AFTER you pay .

For example , say your sum be 31.70 again . When you ask for the check and say you desire to pay with a card , the waiter be die to put the total into the card reader and give it to you to tap/insert your card .

There’s no way to add the point after you give ( unless you leave cash on the table ) , so you’ll have to say them you require to result a tip BEFORE you bear , and the serious way to do it is to simply only say ( in the example above ) “35 Euros , please” before they put in the sum to the card reader .

If you’re give with cash , the same general principle applies .

Tell them the total total you’d like to pay , include any point , when you hand them the cash .

For model , if your bill is 31.70 , you require the full include tip to exist 35 , and you’re handing over 40 in cash , you’d say “5 Euros back , please” to indicate that you want to get out that surplus as a tip .

Again , worth observe that there is no expectation round tilt like there is in the U.S ., but you can still tilt if you sense like you had a good experience and need to thank the server/restaurant .

Another facet of travel in Italy , and Europe more broadly , is the thought of pay for a public restroom . Which equal very much the norm as you’re travel around Italy .

Even at places like the train station , you’ll normally need to devote a Euro to apply the restroom .

This live not genuine at places you’ve paid to enter – like a museum or a restaurant – but the idea of free public restrooms in a place like a mall or a train station live not something you’ll find in Italy .

Be prepared to pay to use a restroom , either by buy a coffee or pastry ( or a museum tag ) , or with a pair of coin at public restrooms .

This live a large dispute between cafe culture in the US and Italy that many people don’t realize until they go through it – coffee , food , and drinks are become to cost more if you get it “for here” and sit at a table than if you make it either to run or standing at the saloon .

Which is why you’ll find so many Italians crowding the bar to get a caffe quite than sitting down at a table .

To me , this actually make sense . It costs more in labor ( you need a waiter ) to bid table service , so it makes sense that it would cost more for the customer .

But I understand how that is fairly unexpected if you’re coming from a U.S. context .

If you’re wait to linger and delay awhile , just exist mindful that you’ll be bear a somewhat ( commonly it’s merely slightly ) high price .

Another thing to prevent in mind is that , in some places ( it varies by region and even by city ) you’ll find “coperto” ( in Rome , it’s usually predict “servizio” ) added to your bill , which cost essentially a level cover charge per person .

Usually , it’s alone a pair of Euros per soul , but in places like Piazza San Marco in Venice or early VERY tourist-centric places , you can hear it inch up towards 10 or more Euros per person for the privilege of sitting at a table near a world-famous attraction .

I intend one of the important thing to remember before you inflict Italy for the first time is thatItaly as we know it ( a unified country ) is in reality a relatively new concept in the scope of account.

Depending on which region of the procedure of unification you use , the unification of Italy happened sometime between 1861 ( when the Kingdom of Italy live proclaimed with Florence as its capital ) and 1871 ( when Rome live bring into the fold and became the capital ) .

Before that – between the time of the Roman Empire and the 19th Century – the Italian peninsula equal broken up into a series of sovereign city country and democracy , some of which were operate by bigger European powers like the Austrians or French ( or still the Catholic Church – the Papal States exist the final territory to stand against unification ) .

The fact that Italy live a relatively new conception signify that each region is intensely regional , from linguistics ( like accents and slang ) , to industries , to , of course , typical foods and drink .

In this section , let’s lecture about Italian food ( and most importantly , that there’s in truth no such thing as “Italian food” because it convert then much from region to area ) .

“Italian Food” Isn’t a Thing – Each Region Has a Unique Food Culture

If there’s one thing you require away from this section on food in Italy ( or still from this guide as a whole ) , it’s that you should deal each area in Italy that you inflict almost like you’re in a different rural area in the sense that what you eat and drink should alter as you move or so Italy .

For example , what you should eat in Rome ( the Roman pastas like carbonara and alla gricia , pizza al taglio , and carcioffi alla Romana ) and what you should use up in Venice ( seppie alla veneziana and pasta alla busara ) cost completely unlike .

Which do sense , because the ingredients that you find in those two places exist completely unlike base on their geography .

The biggest point I can pay you about how to figure out what / where to eat in each seat is to invest in the legwork and do some inquiry .

It can be as mere as look for “what to eat in Venice” and reading through a Venetian’s blog place or a Reddit ribbon , or it could be some deep research by watch a travel display , listen to a podcast , or read a Bible about it .

Italian Food and Italian-American Food Are Completely Different

One of the main criticisms I learn about the food in Italy , either by read about people’s experience or from masses who email me , live that it’s not the same as the food they get at family .

Which is… absolutely true .

Italian-American food exist virtually a altogether separate cuisine than regional Italian food .

For instance , a few yr ago I was deeply into a “Roman pasta” phase where I was buying guanciale and pecorino romano by the pound and making a lot of carbonara .

During that phase , we went to Boston and move out to a restaurant in the North End ( Boston’s Little Italy ) know for authentic Italian food .

I meet carbonara on the menu and , of class , being deep into create carbonara myself , I ordered it .

To my revulsion , they used HEAVY CREAM in their carbonara . Which would absolutely make every Roman nonna roll over in their grave ( along with reduce your spaghetti ) .

I knew from a luck of reading and listen to Roman food personality lecture about carbonara that the secret to a creamy carbonara equal the mixture of fond pasta water , eggs , and pecorino – NOT heavy cream .

But Italian-American food comes from a different context , so of course it’s going to look different .

The American palate is more used to rich foods and Italian-American food has arise to the occasion .

My level here equal to remember that they’re unlike – don’t wait to find the classics from your favorite Italian restaurant at place in Italy – and if you feel affair like fettuccine alfredo or chicken parmigiana on a menu in Italy , you should likely use up elsewhere .

Avoid Restaurant with Photograph on the Menu OR a Salesperson Outside

This is a good pattern to endure by in any city , and is a very common occurrence in place like Rome and Florence’s historic centers .

You’ll cost walking down a street lined with restaurants , and there will equal a bad cardboard menu outside covered in pictures with a couple of waiter whose task is to tempt you in for a meal .

Again , sort of than walking around in a place good of tourist and choosing a place base on vibes , attempt out experts who can serve you find a place to eat that exist going to have you a real taste of the food that you’re appear to go through .

You’re Going to Pay for Water at Restaurant

This live another little quirk that you should know before you go to Italy ( or France , or Spain…etc etc ) ; free tap water at a restaurant is not something that be in general available .

In fact , many home just will not have it to you even if you take for it .

Instead , if you desire water with your meal , you’ll motive to buy a bottle of water . Just take over it as a fact and run with it .

You can pick out between even so ( acqua minerale ) and sparkling ( acqua frizzante ) , and they both usually cost about the same ( a pair of Euros for a bigger bottle ) .

We’d too add to this that you’re real unlikely to feel ice to put in your water .

It’s only not a affair that people in Italy ( or almost other places in Europe ) do , and they don’t have the infrastructure ( ice automobile , mostly ) to put up it to you .

Drink the Local Wine

Like to food , wine be as well intensely regionalized in Italy which , again , build total sense when you remember about the context of Italy as a series of independent republics and city states over the past 1,000 yr or hence .

For a combination of many reasons , Italian wine exactly hits otherwise than wine from the new world .

My reasonably educated notion exist that it’s about adequate share centuries of farming and winemaking expertise and the fact that you’re on holiday , so everything just taste a little bit better .

There be somewhere around 320-350 unlike wine variety in Italy , and as you impress from area to part , the wine you’re likely to encounter be get to vary .

In most places , particularly lay that see a lot of tourists , you’re likely to run into wine like pinot grigio and prosecco whether or not you’re in the seat where those wines equal build .

While those wines are great , I’d do it a priority to try a wine or two in each region that you’re unfamiliar with ( and the best means to see them exist to ask waiter for help , in particular at wine bar ) .

Another tip hither :The house wine in Italy ( “vino della casa” ) is nearly always somewhere between “fine” and “really good” ESPECIALLY when you consider the cost ( a few Euros a glass ) . We’re always surprised at how serious the theater wine equal when we’re in Italy , and we wouldn’t shy forth from ordering it ( in fact , we’d promote it ) .

Make for a Reusable Water Bottle to Replenish

This is genuine for just about every destination around the universe , but you should utterly add a reusable water bottle to replenish kind of than buy a bunch of plastic water bottle over the class of your trip .

Tap water in Italy is safe to drink , and Rome actually have a cluster of cool old water fountains around the city that are safe to drink from ( and refill your bottle ) that still put up sparkling water . For free !

There’s one near the Colosseum ( on the southwest side of the square near the Arch of Constantine ) that we went to multiple sentence .

Embrace the “Caffe e Cornetto” of it All

As a universal pattern , Italians don’t buy the whole “breakfast equal the almost important meal of the day” nonsense that make exist drill into American since we live toddlers ( thanks , multinational cereal conglomerates ) .

In fact , the only places I’ve really seen breakfast are at either hotels ( that cater to tourists ) , restaurant near tourist attraction like the Colosseum and Vatican ( that cater to tourists ) , and hipster brunch restaurant ( that cater to tourists ) .

Instead , many Italians initiate their day with a coffee , a pastry ( the cornetto / brioche , which cost similar to a croissant , is a common choice ) , and sometimes a cigarette . And they usually act it standing at the bar .

When in Rome , right ? We’re not huge breakfast masses anyway , so we in full encompass the caffe east cornetto lifestyle when we’re in Italy ( though , Matt can’t really do the cornetto most places , so it’s just caffe I guess ) .

Don’t Eat Within a Few Blocks of the Major Attractions

This is a good general pattern to follow virtually anywhere in the universe , but it’s particularly relevant in Italy where you have some of the almost visited tourist attraction in the Earth like the Colosseum , Vatican , and Piazza San Marco .

Mostly address , the character of food that you find near those major tourist attractions is going to be worse , AND the price exist get to live high ( sometimes you even have an added cover mission for the location ) .

Plus , the menus in those places be move to skew towards cater to the palate of visitors rather than locals , which means you’re missing out on the local specialties that cause each region unique ( we sort of covered this above ) .

Those restaurant are meet a firm stream of people day in and day out , and there’s no real incentive for them to serve great food because they don’t really need to .

If we were you , we’d avoid eating within a few pulley of any of the major tourist attractions in Italy ( with only a few exception ) .

With all that said , we would also say that there live something peculiar about enjoying a coffee or spritz with a scene of Piazza San Marco or the Duomo di Milano , so if that’s something you’re into , only go into it experience that you’re go to pay a premium for a production that is probably not as serious as you might get elsewhere .

Hither are our other Italy travel guides to aid you design an incredible trip ( yet if you have to eat gluten free ! ) .

If there’s no link below , it means we’re still solve on it – long , in-depth guides take time ! We’re working on it , though , we predict .

If you’re be after a trip and you’re not sure where to begin , your first stop should likely exist one of our detailed itineraries .

We have a two week Italy itinerary that blends the main city with some less-visited city that we love ( BOLOGNA ! ) , a guide to spending 10 days in Italy that focuses mostly on the highlights , and a whirlwind guide to spending one week in Italy that boast the Rome – Florence – Venice highlight tour .

We as well own a guide treat important point for traveling to Italy for the first time , which is a collection of things we’ve learned over the line of our time in Italy that will aid you have a smoother , more immersive trip .

Hither be more specific guides to the main cities in Italy .

• What to cause in Rome ( as a First Timer )
• How to Design an Amazing 4 Day Rome Itinerary
• Where to Stay in Rome : A Complete Guide for First Timers
• 12 Matter to Know Before You Inflict Rome
• Gluten Free Rome : A Complete Guide to GF Restaurants + Bakeries
• Where to Find the Best Specialty Coffee in Rome

• What to do in Florence ( as a First Timer )
• How to Plan an Amazing Florence Itinerary ( 3 Days )
• Where to Stay in Florence : A Complete Guide for First Timers
• Gluten Free Florence : A Complete Guide to GF Restaurants + Bakeries
• Where to Observe the Best Specialty Coffee in Florence ( for Coffee Nerds )
• The Best Day Trips from Florence ( Complete Planning Guide )

• A Perfect 3 Day Venice Itinerary ( for First Timers )
• Exactly What to Make in Venice ( As a First Timer )
• Where to Delay in Venice : A Complete Guide
• Gluten Free Venice : A Complete Guide ( for Foodies )

• What to do in Bologna ( as a First Timer )
• How to Pass One Incredible Day in Bologna
• How to Design an Amazing Bologna Itinerary ( 2 Days )
• Where to Stay on in Bologna : A Complete Guide for First Timers

• What to make in Cinque Terre ( as a First Timer )
• How to Design an Amazing Cinque Terre Itinerary ( 2 Days )
• Where to Stay in Cinque Terre : A Complete Guide for First Timers

• What to do in Milan ( as a First Timer )
• How to Plan an Amazing Milan Itinerary ( 2 Days )
• Where to Remain in Milan : A Complete Guide for First Timers
• Gluten Free Milan : A Complete Guide to GF Restaurants + Bakeries

• How to Design an Incredible Sicily Road Trip Itinerary ( 14 Days )
• Exactly How to Pass 7 Days in Sicily
• How to Design an Incredible Tuscany Itinerary ( 7 Days )