Italy Travel Tips and Tricks!
These Italy Travel tips will help you out during your vacation at the Italian Lakes…enjoy!
FLYING
When flying to your Italian destination, make sure your airplane air quality is good. Most major airlines fly to Italy, so be sure to jump on a reliable airline such as Delta, United, Continental, etc. Some good local airlines are Alitalia or AirFrance, and in many cases are much cheaper and just as good as the major airlines. Here you can find cheap tickets to Italy.
MONEY
Never carry a lot of cash while in Italy (or in most of Europe for that matter). The Italian lakes are very safe in general, but pick pocketing is rampant (watch out for kids too). Another good idea is to carry your wallet in your front pocket. Ladies should use purses that close fully or zip closed and carry them under their arm.
Traveler’s checks are not accepted at a lot of places and are mostly a hassle (plus they have a poor exchange rate). A better idea would be to exchange money in small amounts at the numerous money exchange shops. Keep the Euros handy for whenever you need them, and try to pay with credit card as much as possible; paying with credit cards will give you the best exchange rate. They are widely accepted in all commercial areas.
In Italy the ATMs are known as BANCOMATS and will accept all major debit cards. Double check before leaving for Italy that your ATM card will be accepted at the BANCOMATS. Also make sure to alert your banks that you will be in Italy so they don’t think that your card got stolen and temporarily freeze your account, which could be disastrous.
Also remember that the bank hours in Italy are much more lax. They are generally open between 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Mon-Fri.
HEALTH SERVICES
U.S. and Canadian citizens visiting Italy are not covered by an Italian health care system. It is a good idea to purchase an outside insurance policy while traveling if your current insurance policy doesn’t cover you while in Italy.
INTERNET AND PHONE SERVICES
Internet cafes are pretty common and not too expensive; they are usually between 5 and 10 Euros per hour. These cafes generally have international phones so you can call your loved ones at home and tell them about your Italian lakes holidays! These days with international smart phones being the norm, as well as the growing importance and popularity of the Internet, it is very easy to communicate with people back home.
If you decide to bring your laptop, wireless Internet cafes are prevalent as well. Remember to bring a converter! They are easy to find once you arrive in Italy and not very expensive.
STORE AND RESTAURANT HOURS
Don’t forget that the hours of operation for stores and restaurants in Italy are very different from those in the U.S. Many places (including restaurants) close between noon and three o’clock. Not only that, hours of operation are not set in stone in many places. Just because a restaurant says it is open until 9 doesn’t mean it actually will be. Many places are closed on weekends too.
TIPPING
Generally speaking, tipping is not customary in restaurants in Italy. If you feel the service was excellent, by all means leave a tip, but remember: it’s not the norm. Sometimes you will notice on the bill there is a service fee in the form of a percentage, but unfortunately that doesn’t go to the waiter. It just goes to the restaurant.
For taxis, a small tip will be sufficient. Don’t go over 10% (unless of course you feel the service was outstanding).
Remember that Italian men and women are very different from American men and women. Just keep an open mind, and you will find that the little differences in culture are what make Italian holidays so unique and fun.
Lodging
You will find that there are numerous hotels all over Italy, and a great majority of them are independently owned and operated (unlike in America where it is mostly chains). This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. If you enjoy the comfort of going to a place where you know what to expect, Hotel Italia is a reliable and standard place to stay through your Italian vacation. Those of you who are interested in something more unique may opt to stay at hostels, or maybe check out some luxury Italian villas!
Places To Visit
Since this website is dedicated to the Italian Lakes, that is where we will start! If you go to Lake Maggiore, I would highly recommend reading Stresa hotels. If Lake Como interests you, I would suggest reading Menaggio hotels, Tremezzo hotels, and Varenna hotels. Lake Lugano is also beautiful, and if you want to visit, I suggest you read Hotel Lugano.
Gorgeous coastal cities of Italy have information about them listed here: Hotel Alassio, Hotel Pisa (where the leaning tower is!), and Hotel Cervia. Other great places in Italy to visit if you are interested in skiing resorts that we have information on: hotel Bormio, Madesimo, and Ortisei.
And of course our last tip: plan a Tuscany vacation within your vacation!