While I had traveled abroad some in the past, it has always been my dream since childhood to visit Italy. I know many share in this dream, mainly due to the irresistible draw of delicious food, romance, and living Lizzy McGuire's life (the Lizzy McGuire Movie, based in Rome, is a must-see before a trip overseas). Finally, this summer I got a chance to go and jumped on that boat ASAP! While I had hoped that Italian would come easily to me (it's just like Spanish, right?) and I would blend right in with the locals, I ended up looking like an idiot for the majority of the some two weeks we spent here. In order to save others from mistakes I have made, and/or embarrassments I have survived, I compiled a list of things to keep in mind before planning a trip to Italy. (Many of them can also apply to other foreign cities as well.)
1. Put on your street savvy.
Actually haggle with people on the street; you're not at your local Target or Walmart right now, and besides, they're expecting you to haggle so whatever you're buying is most definitely not worth what they're selling it for. (Remember, you can almost always find the same thing somewhere else, so just be ready to walk away from it if you need to).
2. You look, you buy.
Really, don't even look at the merchandise or the people selling it if you're not interested. They will take even a fleeting glance as the possibility that you will buy something (and if you must, wear sunglasses while doing it, it's much less obvious if you do want to sneak a glance).
3. You listen, you pay. (Even if you are at lunch and stuck listening to them.)
When the guitar or accordion player comes and starts playing by your table while you're eating lunch, he's going to expect you to pay him, so just prepare yourself.
4. Don't touch the roses.
When the guy with the roses comes to you and tries to give you one, don't let him put it in your hand — you've as good as bought it at that point. This can also apply to other things, like scarves. For instance, one lady I saw in Rome was literally chased for a couple blocks by the seller after she had picked it up to look at it.
5. Terrible Tourists.
Skip the T-shirt stating things like "homework or nah" or "USA!" or other statements that demonstrate quite plainly that you are a foreigner and oblivious tourist. (You're already obvious enough — when I asked what makes us obvious, I was told it was just the “look” about us...)
6. Lugging Luggage.
Always remember that especially if you're going to be traveling around to multiple places, whatever you buy you are going to have to lug around with you for the rest of the trip and the plane trip home, so keep in mind how much space you have (and how much your bag weighs!) and leave shopping, especially for little trinkets, until the end of the trip.
7. BUT...
That comes with a bit of a caveat, if you're in a little shop in the middle of nowhere and you know you'll never be back nor ever see anything like it, if it's in your price range and you love it, just buy it; you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you decide not to and then never find something like it again. (Although, second caveat on that caveat, no thing/article of clothing, etc. is ever really that important, you have lived without it until now and can most likely do so going forward.)
8. Concierges are there to help you!
From directions to making dinner reservations to mailing postcards, they've got your back (not to mention you're paying to stay at their establishment and it is part of their job to help you out). Another point — if you really want to go to a certain restaurant, have the concierge call them and make an appointment.At one point, we walked for what felt like hours to a special, well-reviewed restaurant only to find it was full.
9. Be caring in the crowd.
Even while it might feel as if you are a Black Friday shopper on your way into Best Buy at 3 a.m. after skipping Thanksgiving to prepare for the battle, the other tourists (not to mention the locals) in the city are also just there to enjoy their time, so try to be respectful, and take extra care for people lugging heavy luggage or small children —remember, that might be you one day.
10. Relax!!
Even though you might feel guilty about the fact you are even there, instead of back home working or studying, enjoy yourself and put your worries on hold! Isn't this part of why we study and work, to take breaks to enjoy and learn more about other cultures, all the while expanding our palate on the local cuisine!? (Anddd maybe spend a little time on the beach hehe.)
11. Friendly Foods?
The foods that are super yummy staples back home are not always guaranteed to be delicious, and the stuff they're known for (even if it's not even originally where it came from) is bound to probably be pretty dang good. Like pasta and pizza in Italy, NOM, though tomatoes didn't even come from Europe!! Regardless, it is freaking delicious, though we continue to wonder what they did with their spaghetti before tomato sauce... (confession of a tomato sauce addict). So basically, ask the waiter for recommendations (the fried zucchini flowers are a must-try, they will blow your mind!) and remember that some stuff just won’t be the same, i.e. ketchup in Italy (not good…) or frappés in Rome, it just won't go well, no matter how many different places you order it. (Though if you order the the Crema Fredda, be ready for the biggest sugar & caffeine rush of your life, that stuff packs a punch!)
12. The waiter is always right.
Don't argue with the waiters; most of the time, if they disagree with what you're ordering, they'll just refuse to serve it to you. At one point on a chilly evening I wanted to order a latte before dinner, and our waiter just about had a heart attack at the concept of coffee before dinner, insisting that it was something taken after the meal and so simply refused to bring it until then. Additionally, never ask for Parmesan cheese on seafood pasta — major no-no.
13. The post-gelato thirst is real!!
(Also, there are a LOT of gelato places, and, as I'm sure everyone has realized, it is a lot better than the gelato we have in the U.S.). Despite the fact that restaurants will always make you pay for water (it's a human right folks! But of course they have to give you the fancy bottle for 2 euro...), if you end up in Rome, you may see people filling up water bottles from fountains spurting water (not like drinking fountains, but like big splashy ones)! You can feel safe drinking water from there! It's free, and even better, its probably coming out of a lion's mouth! How cool is that!
14. Validation Station.
Don't forget to validate your train ticket in Italy! While it is theoretically possible to try to avoid the ticket-checker people on the trains (as said from experience trying to be a thrifty college-kid while abroad), I have found it is NEVER worth that stress of making eye-contact with them, and them knowing that you know that they know that you don't have a valid ticket...
15. Paying to pee.
Don’t be surprised when you find a bar stopping you from using the bathroom without depositing a few euro. Once you’re in there though, the bathrooms are usually pretty nice, although in many cases the toilets will come without seats, so prepare yourself.
16. Scarves on scarves.
Despite it being about 100 degrees and 90 percent humidity, make sure to wear clothing that goes past your knees and covers your shoulders if you plan on visiting any religious sites, it would definitely be a big bummer to wait in the three-hour line to get into the Sistine Chapel just to be turned away because you had a tank top on. A quick fix for this can be to bring (or buy) a scarf to wrap around your shoulders as soon as you get in, or in the situation of your dress being too short and having your shoulders uncovered, rock the scarf skirt and wrap to get the full picture!
17. Gondolas Galore!
Whenever thinking of the city of Venice, I am sure everyone has had an image of themselves riding gracefully down a canal in a gondola while listening to the beautiful serenade of an Italian gondolier. Sadly, this romance comes with quite the price! Gondola rides can run as high as 100 euro for a 30-minute ride, so for some that is still worth the experience, but the high price is definitely a good thing to know coming in.
18. Time?
There is a difference between American time and Italian time. Similar to experiences you may have had in some other foreign countries, there is just a different vibe when it comes to time compared to the U.S. In order to best enjoy your time, just try to relax and let go of a need to be anywhere at any particular moment. And if you do need to get somewhere at a certain time, make sure whoever you are working with knows that and make sure to leave a little extra time for transport/getting lost (it will happen eventually if you are as navigationally inept as I am).
19. Time to Tip?
Tipping is not the same deal here. While I am sure the service staff greatly appreciate our American tipping habits, it is not expected. Do not feel obligated to tip staff like in the U.S.; in most cases they do actually get a living wage for their work unlike many establishments back in the states.
20. Location, Location, Location.
When you're in a place as famous for food as Italy is, you know you don't want to waste a single meal on a bad restaurant! In order to avoid this, research is key! Make sure to avoid very populated areas such as the cafés right next to Piazzas or major monuments (they can slack on the food since they have such good spots they'll get the business anyway), and for the most part ignore the Travelocity stickers and awards; they don't really mean too much as the system can be easily duped (unless the wall is literally covered in awards from different companies, then it's bound to be at least pretty good) The main way to go is to either do some serious online research before to figure out where is good; otherwise, just ask some locals what their favorite spots are. Just as you know exactly where the good stuff is back home, they've got the low-down on what places rock, and what others are just a bunch of phonies.
As magical as a new country seems, in many ways, the big cities are like any other major city — for better or for worse. They each have their own charm, even with Micky-Ds everywhere, a lot of traffic, and way too many tourists, but also, there are going to be nice people looking out for you, delicious food, and people who speak your language. So have fun, make mistakes, and look stupid, and learn loads about yourself and your world. :)
