Italy Vacation
Italy is always a great choice for a vacation destination. I highly recommend travelling to any part of Italy, you will not be disappointed. Italy has such a vast range of sceneries and weather. In the north they have some of the most beautiful lakes, Garda and Como as well as the Alps. To the West is the Italian Riviera which is a narrow coastal strip and to the East is Venice. In the mainland there are beautiful cities like Florence and Rome you must see. And in the South is breath taking beaches and good food. The there is Sicily where the weather is always warm and the beaches are wonderful. Don’t forget to swing by and see the volcanoes as there are still active ones there.
Italy Vacation – Travel Tips
Here are a couple of things that you should know prior to going, because Italy is very different from many of the places that you may have travelled to before. In the USA, you can get away with many things, but it is not the same in Italy. Being aware of these things beforehand will help you have a more enjoyable trip.
Traveling to Italy
When you are planning for your trip, think about what medications you need to pack and make sure you take a little extra medication. Whilst there are Pharmacies on almost every corner in the cities, you can not always find your medicines. Drugs that are common in the USA are not always easy-to-find or may not be available in Italy. Make sure that you pack yourself all the medicines that you may need for both on the plane and while traveling abroad. The key thing to remember to pack over-the-counter medicines and to keep all medications in their original containers or they might get taken at the airport checks.
Dinning Out in Italy
In an Italian restaurant keep in mind that what you order is what you get. Most items are alacarte and not a lot of extras automatically come with every meal, like salad, soup and choice of potato. You can not make many special requests in restaurants in Italy so make sure you read the menu as most of them have English translations. The Italian frown on changing your mind after your order comes and also on sending your order back. It is always safe to order some type of pasta and they are always good and fairly inexpensive. Do not ever cut you spaghetti, use a spoon and fork to twirl, my father used to yell at me when I was a kid for doing that. To the Italians, cutting your spaghetti is bad table manners. If you are the type who waits for your check, you would wait all night. You will need to ask for your check to receive it “il conto per favore” (the check please).
If you are going to tip, remember to with cash in Italy. If you are looking for fast food in Italy, try a pizza shop, or pizzeria or you can just grab a panini (Italian sandwich). Most of the restaurants in Italy are sit-down where you would order several different courses. And no one, absolutely no one eats dinner before 9 pm in Italy and they stay until way after 11:00 PM, even with little children.
Incredible Site Seeing
Most of the sites and attractions in Italy are absolutely breath taking and you will want to remember them forever, so take a lot of pictures. There are rules to be aware of for some of the places that you travel to. Not all of the places will allow you to take pictures (especially some churches and museums) and if you are allowed, some will not let you use a flash. It is always safe to buy postcards. Other things to be mindful of, is what you wear, some of the paid attractions will not let you in wearing shorts, so check first and dress accordingly.
Clothing
Italians love to dress up every day, everywhere. Depending on what part of Italy you are travelling to, shorts, tank tops and flip flops but it seems to be getting relaxed. If you plan to visit the Vatican, the dress code is very strict. No bare shoulders, no bare legs. There is a stalls and shops selling paper clothes for anyone who forgets the Vatican dress code but expect to pay a lot.
Home Sweet Home
My experience getting home after a long Italian vacation is rather depressing. It is a country you will quickly fall in love with and being home can never compare to the Italian cultures and food that you will be exposed to.
