Hints and tips for your next trip to Italy

Destinations

Rome

Day 1: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine hill
Day 2: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 3: Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon

Florence (1,5 h by high speed train)
Pompeii (1 h high speed train to Naples and 40 mn local Circumvesuviana train to the site’s entrance)
Villa d’Este (30 mn by train)

Amalfi Coast

High speed train to Naples (1 h) and then local Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento (1 h)

Capri (30 mn by hydrophoil)
Pompeii (34 mn by regional train)
Amalfi and Positano by bus or by boat during the summer season

Venice

Day 1: St. Mark’s basilica, the Doge’s Palace, Rialto Bridge, the Jewish Ghetto (Cannaregio)
Day 2: A trip to the islands: Murano for glass blowing, Burano for lacework and the bright coloured houses, Torcello
Day 3: Gallerie dell’Accademia, Scala Contarini del Bovolo, Arsenale

From the terrace above Fondaco dei Tedeschi
(free access with online booking)

Florence

Day 1: City walking tour, Galleria dell’Accademia (Michelangelo’s David)
Day 2: Gallerie degli Uffizi, climb the Duomo or the bell tower
Day 3: Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Pisa (1 h by train)
Siena (1 h 30 mn by train)
Bologna (37 mn by train)

From the top of the Duomo’s dome or Giotto’s bell tower
From Piazza Michelangelo at sunset
From Fiesole

Pre booking

Yes, always book tickets before travelling. Rome, Venice and Florence are among the most visited cities in the world.

You can book from the official sites:

Vatican Museums website

Colosseum website

Booking directly with the supplier is cheaper but you may not have any cancellation option.

Beware:
Bookings with Viator, Get Your Guide etc. are made through third parties hence are more expensive but may offer cancellation policies. Be aware that third parties sometimes sell tickets before they have them actually available.

Yes, skip the line tickets are highly recommended for the most visited sites such as The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum.

Yes, it is definitely worth doing a guided tour. The guide will help understand the context and will avoid you missing key pieces.

Beware:

Make sure your guide is a licensed guide. Licensed guides must show their professional ID card clearly. Thaey usually pin it on their clothes or carry it around their neck.

Transports

Trains

Italy has an extensive railway network and trains work pretty well. All the main cities are connected by fast speed trains, so you should use trains as much as possible and rent a car or use private transfers just to explore regions that don’t have efficient public transport.

The main companies are ITALO and TRENITALIA.

You can buy tickets directly from their official website.

Tickets showing the date, time of travel and seat reservation don’t have to be validated.
All other tickets such as the ones purchased at automatic ticket machine (located in the stations) must be validated before departure at a validating machine at the station.

Useful information

Shoes and clothes

Jeans, leggings, t-shirts, sweaters, rain slickers & layers, a coat or a puffer jacket for the winter. Light dresses, short trousers, confortable sandals, sun hats and sun cream for the summer.

Beware:

The Vatican, basilicas and churches don’t allow shorts, miniskirts, or sleeveless tops so be sure to dress in appropriate way.

Quality running shoes which get air to the feet but are padded and supportive for cobbles and uneven paving. Hiking boots for any or more serious hikes.

Always carry some emergency clothes in your hand luggage, just in case your checked luggage is delayed.

Accessories

Voltage is different in Italy than in US.

Bring a 2 prong adapter for charging phones, laptops, etc. and plan on using your hotel hair dryer.

Almost all water coming out from the city fountains and from taps is drinkable unless a sign states “non potabile” which means not drinkable.

There are many public fountains, bring your own water bottles and fill them.

Safety

Rome, Florence and Venice are safe cities. This said, wear a cross body bag or a fanny pack and be vigilant as you would in any other big city.

Toilets

You’ll usually find public toilets in train and bus stations. Always carry a few Euros, public toilets cost from 1 to 2 Euros.

You can use bar’s and cafe’s toilets, just have a coffee at the counter or buy a bottle of water.

Often toilets don’t have a toilet seat or toilet paper so always carry Kleenex, disposable wipes and toilet seat covers.

ID Cards

Italian law states that you must have international identification on you. It does not state it needs to be the original passport, a copy usually suffices.

Cash/Payments/Tips

Cash and tap feature on cards is widely used. Amex is not as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard.

Use ATMs that are directly attached to a bank if you need to withdraw money and check with your bank how much fee applies to foreign transactions before leaving .

Service is already included in the bill. Tipping is not expected, however, if service is really good you may leave a few extra Euro.

Do you have further questions or would like more details?

Let’s get in touch! You can use this form or send an email to elena.m@traveldesigner.it I’ll be more than happy to respond to your queries. The most recurring ones will be published on this page.