Things To Know Before Visiting Italy

Wondering what you should know before visiting Italy? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Maybe you’re planning your first trip to Italy or you’re going back to enjoy more of what this country has to offer. No matter what the reason is, this article will offer you practical tips you should know before visiting.

Tipping.

You don’t have to tip at a restaurant, hairdresser, or any other service. At restaurants, there is a service charge called coperto. It goes between 2 to 3 euros at most restaurants.

If you want, you can still tip to show appreciation, but you really don’t have to. Also, Italian credit card slips don’t have a line on which to add a tip, so bring some euros in your wallet to leave a mancia (tip in Italian). 

Most time you’ll have to ask for the check at a restaurant.

Il conto, per favore! – The check, please! This is a good line to remember if you don’t want to wait for a while at a restaurant.

In Italy, you typically have to ask for the check; the waiter does not simply drop off the check in advance, as in most American restaurants.

Validate train and bus tickets.

Validating train/bus tickets may not be a reflex for people who are used to foreign rail services, but it is normally a requirement in Italy, and you can be fined for failing to do it.

Remember to always have some cash with you. Not all places accept payments by card!

If you use the local train, Trenitalia Regionale, and buy the ticket at the train station you will have to validate your train ticket before hopping on the train.  Every platform has self-service ticketing and yellow validation machines. Simply insert the ticket into the machine and you’re good to go!

You won’t have to validate the ticket if you have bought it online. For example, if you buy your ticket through Italo, you will receive an email with your train ticket in a pdf file. You can add it to your Apple wallet or use the Italo app to show it to the staff on the train.

Don’t expect to order an iced coffee.

I should count how many times I received this question on my Instagram. Ah way too many! Don’t expect to order an iced coffee, American style, in Italy. If you’re a coffee lover, this is something to know before visiting Italy.

Some of my fellow Italian might disagree with me. Unless you go to a Starbucks location in Italy, you won’t find iced coffee in a traditional café in Italy. The closest version of an iced coffee in Italy is called caffè leccese or caffè shakerato. Want to be adventurous? Order it on your next trip to Italy!

The reason why you won’t find iced coffee in Italy is simple. For Italians, the concept of adding ice to their coffee – which dilutes it – doesn’t sound appealing to them.

Don’t expect ice in drinks.

I think ice is a love/hate concept in Italy. Unless you ask for it, you won’t have ice in your drinks. In the U.S. it is a normality to have ice in your drinks or water, no matter if it’s cold or hot outside. However, in Italy, it is quite the opposite. In the summer, drinks are served cold from the fridge but don’t expect ice. 

Sometimes you have to pay to go to the bathroom.

In Italy, there is a chance you will have to pay to use a public bathroom. Many restrooms are pay-only and sometimes manned by an attendant who will charge you to enter. This is the case in big cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. The charge to use the bathroom really depends, but you should expect it to be somewhere between 1-2 euros.

My advice is to always have some coins in your wallet just in case. You never know! Also, you can go to a café and order a coffee, buy something small, and ask to use the restroom.

Late dinners.

Dinner is usually after 7 pm. In the north of Italy is quite common to have dinner around 7-7.30 pm while in the south, dinner time can start at 8-8.30 pm. You’ll have to adjust your mealtimes when you visit as most restaurants don’t open or start serving meals until those hours or later in the evenings. Don’t worry though, aperitivo is usually available throughout the day, so you won’t go hungry.

Greetings.

It’s common to greet people when you enter and leave a store. In bigger cities, such as Rome, Florence or Venice it is becoming less usual. However, if you go to small cities and villages, you will tend to notice this quite often. When you enter a shop, you will be greeted by someone saying buongiorno, salve, or buonasera, depending on the time of the day, and arrivederci or ciao when you leave. Feel free to practice and be part of the Italian way!

We are closed, sorry! 

This is one of the good things to know before visiting Italy. Generally, stores will close on Sunday. It is a day to rest and recharge to start the new week stronger! Over the last few years, things have been changing. In bigger cities, some stores are open all day and others have flexible hours.  Keep in mind, in the south of Italy, some stores will be closed after lunch in the afternoon.

I hope these tips will be useful in your upcoming or future trip to Italy!