Italy is a great country to visit. Beautiful scenery, world famous art and architecture, the most delicious food and drink, some of the world’s most friendly people. Quite simply, what more could you want from a holiday?!! It will come as no surprise that the Bookings For You team have travelled to Italy so many times that we’ve now lost count! So we thought we’d share our words of wisdom (for what it’s worth!!) to make your Italy villa holiday that little bit smoother, whether it’s the first, tenth or hundredth time you’re visiting la bella Italia!
Learn some basic Italian phrases
Check out our guide to learning some basic Italian phrases ahead of your Italy villa holiday. The locals will appreciate it and it will enable you to get more out of your stay.
Pack sensibly
Italy is a country with a lot of history and this is reflected literally in the streets that you walk on! Many of Italy’s streets are cobbled and uneven so sensible, comfortable shoes are a must when sightseeing during the day. Ditch the flip flops (they’ll not only be uncomfortable but Italians would be horrified at seeing flip flops worn away from the beach anyway!) and opt for comfortable but stylish shoes instead!
Italians themselves dress smartly and take a lot of care with their appearance. The term bella figura is a good one to think of when it comes to clothing. If you want to blend in, opt for fitted clothing in classic styles. But don’t be afraid to be yourself and have your own style! Italians are incredibly welcoming and non judgemental.
Dress respectfully
And on the subject of what to wear, be mindful that Italy is a conservative Roman Catholic country. There are a lot of churches to admire when exploring Italy and these will require you to be respectfully covered up. Ditch the short skirts, tiny shorts and strappy tops. Instead, make sure your clothing covers your shoulders and your knees otherwise you may well find that you’re denied access to the religious institution you were so looking forward to seeing.
Be organised and book ahead
If you’re planning on visiting these religious institutions or one of Italy’s many museums or galleries during your Italy villa stay, it’s well worth being organised and booking your tickets ahead of your trip. Get Your Guide and With Locals are our favourite companies offering a fantastic selection of tours, skip-the-line tickets and experiences to enrich your stay in Italy.
Check out our full guide for how to book tickets, tours and attractions for your Italian holiday.
Embrace the local food
Italy is renowned for its food. However, what you may not realise is that Italy is an incredibly diverse country and there are lots of regional dishes unique to particular areas. For example, Lazio (and Rome specifically) is famous for a pasta dish – spaghetti cacio e pepe – whilst Puglia is famous for its cime di rapa sauce, usually served with orecchiete pasta. Further North, around Milan it’s the Risotto alla Milanese which is most well known. We really recommend you find out the local specialities and try these wherever you’re staying.
We thoroughly recommend you do a little bit of research ahead of your stay to find out the dish unique to the area you’re visiting and then make sure you get to try this at least once during your stay. Our guide to the regional foods of Italy will get you started on your research!
Eating out
On the subject of eating, let’s take this opportunity to simplify the menu options you’ll find in a typical Italian restaurant. You’ll find the menu options are usually split into antipasti (the equivalent of a starter), primo piatto (a first course which is often pasta or risotto), secondo piatto (a second course, usually revolving around meat or fish), contorni (side dishes such as vegetables, potatoes or salad) and dolce (dessert).
I’d be amazed if anyone can eat their way through all four courses. Instead, I normally opt for either the primo or secondo course rather than choosing both, leaving me room to enjoy a starter and, if I still have room, a dessert.
To tip or not to tip!
When you’re eating in a restaurant, you will often find that there is a fixed fee added to the bill – coperto. This is not a service charge but instead is a small charge per head to cover the cost of bread, oil or vinegar usually provided at the start of a meal. You may also see this itemised on a bill as pane (bread). If a service charge has also been added (servicio) there is no need to tip but, if not, we recommend leaving a tip for your waiter. Unlike in some other countries, tips aren’t expected in Italy however, we still think it’s nice to give one.
If in a taxi, again tips aren’t expected but, again, we think it’s nice to, at the very least, round up the bill or add an extra 10% on top.
Shop local
If you’re lucky enough to be staying in a villa rental in Italy, then you will also have the enjoyment of shopping for food in Italy. We highly recommend you shop local. Most villages and towns will have a weekly market and it’s worth checking out when these are taking place. Here you’ll be able to find the freshest locally grown produce. Do not handle the produce yourself through. Just let the market stall owner know what you’d like and they will select the produce for you.
If shopping in the local supermarket, make sure you wear one of the plastic gloves provided before selecting your fresh fruit and vegetables. There will then normally be weighing scales for you to use to get your bar code before proceeding to the check out desks at the end of your shop.
Some of the smaller supermarkets will still close at lunchtimes but the vast majority now open throughout the day. Some of the larger chains also now open on Sundays and some even open 24 hours a day. Italy has always been one of the leading countries when it comes to its eco credentials. They started charging for carrier bags over a decade ago so bring your own re-usable bag if you possibly can.
Do as the Italians do!
Italians have a lovely structure to their day and we can highly recommend following their lead! Start the day by enjoying breakfast (colazione) in a local cafe or bar. Italians typically prop up the bar with a coffee and a cornetto (similar to a croissant).
Incidentally, if you’re visiting Italy for the first time and expecting to find your coffee similar to that served back home, you may get a surprise. For breakfast, we recommend you order a cappuccino (equal measures of coffee, hot milk and froth) or a caffe latte (hot milk with just a dash of coffee) but if you want something stronger but shorter, opt for un caffe (a short and strong espresso coffee).
And end your day with an aperitivo or passeggiata. The latter is a walk enjoyed in the late afternoon or early evening when locals will take a stroll to socialise and catch up on each others news.
Consider all modes of transport
Hiring a car in Italy is a great way to explore Italy to the full, particularly if you’re staying in a rural area where public transport may be more limited.
However, even if you’re staying in an Italian villa in rural Italy, you may be best placed to find the nearest train station if you’re wanting to explore one of Italy’s larger cities. Driving in Italian cities can be a bit of a nightmare and extremely stressful so it’s worth taking the more relaxing train option if you can! The best place to book your train tickets in Italy is in advance via Omio. This will ensure you get the best value for money as tickets tend to be cheaper if you commit to a set time and date in advance. If you’re more of a last minute sort of person, you can, of course, also buy tickets at the station on the day. Just make you validate your ticket on the platform before boarding the trains. You risk being slapped with a hefty fine if you don’t!
If you’re looking to find a taxi, then Uber can only be found in Milan and Rome. And even there, you only have the option of choosing the more premium Uber Black service. Otherwise, it’s a case of finding your nearest taxi rank. Hailing taxis isn’t common practice in Italy. Instead, it’s a case of waiting for a taxi to come to the rank.
Check out our complete guide to travelling in Italy for more information.
Don’t get caught short!
Public restrooms do exist in Italy, with many charging a small fee (around 1 euro) to use them. However, there aren’t a great deal of public restrooms in Italy. As a result, if you’re sightseeing, we always recommend you make a point of using the toilets whenever visiting a museum or when stopping to enjoy a drink in one of Italy’s cafes. It’s also not uncommon to find a lack of toilet paper either so we also recommend to always carry a packet of tissues with you just to be on the safe side!
Aways carry some cash!
Another way to avoid being caught short is always to carry around a small amount of cash. I never cease to be amazed at how many places in Italy don’t always accept card payments. The excuse I often hear in cafes or restaurants is that the card machine is broken! So, better to be safe than sorry and carry some coins and bank notes with you just in case. If you need to take some cash out when you’re in Italy, it’s normally quite easy to find a local ATM (bancomat) which you should be able to use (although it’s worth checking with your card provider first in case of any banking charges).
I’m sure there are lots of tips we should have shared but have forgotten or overlooked. But hopefully this gives you a useful start ahead of your Italy villa holiday. Feel free to get in touch with the team at Bookings For You for any further advice or assistance you may need.