Avoid These 10 Common Tourist Mistakes When In Italy

Take it from me, if you are visiting Italy for the first time you don’t want to stand out as a disrespectful tourist that doesn’t know the customs and traditions of the country. It might get you some dirty looks or in extreme circumstances, a fine or refusal of service. The next time you go to Italy, make sure you avoid these common tourist mistakes.

1. Being Inappropriately Dressed In A Church

Many churches in Italy have a dress code of sorts. Shoulders, knees and midriffs should not be exposed. Jeans are okay and so are shorts as long as they cover the knees. If you want to wear a tank top and visit a church in the same day, carry a shawl with you to wrap around your shoulders.

2. Waiting In Line For Tickets

Here’s the thing about Italy, it’s almost always very crowded and everyone wants to see virtually the same things. This means that you could be standing in line for hours for a ticket just to see one place. It’s best to go on a planned tour or have an organized hotel stay that has preschedule a time to view the sites. This can save a lot of time and allow you to actually see sites rather than the back of someone’s head while you are standing in line for hours on end.

3. Not Dealing With Public Transportation Accordingly

In American we usually can buy bus and tram tickets while actually on the ride. This isn’t the case in Italy. You have to buy these tickets before boarding. A lot of the bus stops do not have a ticket machine next to them and you will have to find a tobacco shop or newspaper stand to purchase these tickets. If you are traveling on a Sunday, you may be out of luck finding a place that’s actually open to purchase tickets. It’s best to purchase bus and tram tickets ahead of time to make sure you actually have them when you need them. Remember, you will also need to validate your regional train ticket before you board or you could face a fine.

4. Not Keeping An Eye On Valuables

When you are in Italy it can be easy to get swept away by the beauty of it and forgetting that you need to be cautious. It’s fairly common for unsuspecting tourists to have their valuables stolen. It’s important to keep an eye on your valuables at all times and never have them more than an arm’s length from you. While it may be tempting to set your purse or bag down on that bench several feet away from you while you take a picture, it’s generally not a good idea.

5. Not Carrying Enough Cash

Don’t rely on credit cards while in Italy. A lot of the shops, especially the smaller ones, only accept cash. Before heading out for the day, make sure you have enough money with you or you may be disappointed when trying to buy that cute little souvenir because your credit card wasn’t accepted as a form of payment and you don’t have enough cash on you to buy it.

6. Trying To Do Too Much In One Trip

There is so much to do in Italy. Many tourists don’t take into account how much walking they will need to do to get from one site to the other or how much time they will be on public transportation. They often leave the country feeling disappointed that they didn’t get to see everything they wanted too. Have realistic goals as to how much you actually can see while you are in Itally instead of trying to fit too much into one trip.

7. Choosing A Cheaper Hotel Outside Of The City

Sure, it’s great to save money where you can and you will almost definitely be able to find a cheaper hotel outside of a large city in Italy. The problem with this is that you will probably have to spend a lot of money going back and forth on taxis to go back into the city. Instead, splurge a little on the hotel in the good location so you aren’t having to spend a ton of money, and time, on taxi rides.

8. Eating At Touristy Restaurants

Touristy restaurants are fine to go too, but the food is usually better and costs a lot less at restaurants off the beaten path. For example, a gelato in front of the Trevi Fountain costs double of what it would in other areas of Rome. The same can be said for eating along the Grand Canal in Venice versus eating at a quaint little restaurant just a few blocks from it.

9. Expecting Very Attentive Service

In America we expect our every need to be met when at a shop or restaurant. In Italy, this is not the case. Tourists can feel like a restaurant is understaffed because there only seems to be a few waiters working or after dropping off the food the waiter doesn’t come over to check on them. The reality is that waiters are pretty much only there to take the order and deliver the food. They don’t often come back by to ask if anyone needs a drink refill or to make sure the food is okay. This might seem off-putting, but the service does tend to be fast which is a plus for many travelers that are short on time.

10. Touching Food Items At Street Markets

Street markets are a lot different in Italy than they are in other countries. When you see a delectable fruit or vegetable for sale, you aren’t supposed to pick it up with your hands and inspect it or tell the vendor that’s the item you want. The people working will do everything and it’s highly disrespectful to touch the goods. You also aren’t supposed to actually touch the fresh fruits or vegetable in the supermarkets. In fact, there are gloves or bags throughout the fruit and vegetable section so that you can pick up the items without putting your bare hands on them.

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