I AM traveling to Italy in a few weeks, what should i expect..?

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Felicity???

You can fry an egg on the sidewalk. <*-*>

ADD:
â˜»The ability to speak English confers prestige in Italy, and there's often no shortage of people willing to show off their knowledge, particularly returned emigrati. However, even in the main cities and resorts you'll need to use at least some Italian, and in more remote areas you may well find no one speaks English at all.
â˜»Architecture
Even if Italy's architecture has not been so consistently influential as its painting and sculpture, the country still boasts a remarkable legacy of historic buildings, an almost unbroken tradition stretching back over more than 2500 years. As in the other arts, strong regional distinctions are evident in most of the main architectural periods.
â˜»Although it has long been popular primarily for its cheapness and convenience, Italian food occupies a revered place as one of the world's great cuisines. The southern Italian diet especially, with its emphasis on olive oil, fresh and plentiful fruit, vegetables and fish, is one of the healthiest in Europe, and there are few national cuisines that can boast so much variety in both ingredients and cooking methods. Italy's wines, too, are among the finest and most diverse in Europe and the international image of cheap fizz and rough reds is long out of date. (pasta, pizza, wines, desserts, coffee and so much more).
â˜»The sirocco, the hot and humid African wind that affects regions south of Rome, produces at least a couple of stiflingly hot weeks in summer.
<*-*>

Dana C

Ignore Roberto. He is obviously a very close minded person. Rome, like the rest of Italy is amazing. Go in with an open mind. Keep in mind the people that walked there hundreds, thousands of years ago. The history alone of Italy is amazing. Enjoy sitting at a cafe with a cappucino and people watch. Talk a moon light walk through Rome. In Florence, watch the sunset from Piazza Michaelgelo. Splurge and take a gondola ride in Venice. Be silly in Pisa and do the corny thing trying to "hold" up the tower. Eat lots of pasta, it's great. Eat lots of gelato. Order wine with dinner. I bet you won't gain any weight on the trip. You walk so much, 2 trips and I have yet to gain a pound there. Go into a grocery store and wander around. I am fascinated with grocrey stores in other countries. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy! I am jealous. Italy is the best place to travel. Message me if you want any info.

thanks for the thumbs down Roberto

luckylala013

well it all depends on where you go, this time of year it is hot they dont have the humidity like we do here but hot is hot. the good thing is that no matter where you go they have beaches (which i might add get crowded) they have a lot of places you can go sight seeing. they have no drinking age and have some of the BEST clubs ever. dont feel bad if u cant speak the language, there are plenty of people who speak english

Wildwitch

You are going to find it incredibly hot but wear a hat, drink plenty of water, wear comfortable walking shoes and enjoy the fantastic historical buildings and atmosphere.

There is something to see around almost every corner - and the Italians love to sit outside eating and drinking - taking in the ambience and people watching.

I LOVE IT! ENJOY

You've gotten some good advice so far.

1. Hot weather
2. Motorcyles or mopads, whatever they call them.
3. Nice places to shop. I went overboard, my luggage was full
to capacity and then some.
4. Wine with food, big servings.
5. Go to Pompeii (sp).
6. Do the gondola ride
7. Italian men flirting
8. Italian men trying to touch/kiss you in clubs. They are
far more free spirited out there.
9. If you go to Rome, Venice, Florence, etc., make sure to
take the train to Milan. I believe its about a 4-hour train ride
from Rome. I went on a tour that did not include Milan. I
ditched my tour group early and went to Milan for a day.
There was no way I was going to Italy without going to
Milan. My only mistake was that I went on a Sunday,
hardly any clothing stores open that day. "Sad face"
10. Churches and more churches (wear something over your
shoulders (sweater, scarf, etc). I believe its a rule or
something.
11. As another poster said, go to Pisa and try to hold up the
leaning tower. I took a picture doing that, its very silly.

Miss 1928

Wow, you've gotten several great responses so far, but I do have some thing so add.

Roberto is right, --but only a little tiny bit. Rome is a bit dirty, and there is an abundance of graffiti and dog poop in certain areas of the city, BUT it is also an amazing city with so much culture and diverse experiences to offer. It is a treat to see so many ancient ruins in such a bustling city. (Smoking is now illegal in all public buildings, restaurants, etc.... Yay!)

Listen to Dana C. She has good advise, especially the part about going with an open mind. :-)

Know that you are going to one of the major artistic centers of the world and take advantage being able to see some fantastic works of art in the country they were created.
The Museums not to miss are;
The Uffizi in Florence, The Brera in Milan and in Rome don't miss the Borghese Gallery (my favorite museum in the world, but you need a reservation (0039) 06 32810, press 2 for English.) and the Vatican Museum.

If you are able to make it to Pompeii you should also make an effort to go to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Napoli. That is where all the artifacts from Pompeii are housed. It is worth the trip. Also Pompeii is huge, and in the summer sun it can be exhausting, just to warn you. You may want to bring a hat that shades your face.

"Rome by night" is also a nice way to experience this "Citta Eterna". The main piazzas and streets are bustling and filled with street vendors and Romans out enjoying the cool evening, although some of the attractions, like churches etc... are closed, it is preferable to wander some of the main areas at night when it is cool. You will be amazed how alive Roma is at 1:00 am. And if you stay in the main tourist areas (Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo) the city is also very safe at that hour. The summer is so hot that it understandable why so many Romans sleep during the day to avoid the heat and stay out late at night, just walking and enjoying a Gelato (do eat tons of gelato, it is great!).

I also wanted to give you just a bit of practical advise:
1> Carry tissue with you everywhere. Generally you won't find any when you visit the restrooms in restaurants etc... Although Italy is amazing, it does have some of the worst public bathrooms I have ever experienced. (The Italians think the rest of the world are barbarians because we do not use bidets, however, the state they keep their public bathrooms in can sometimes be appalling.)
1a> If you do need a bathroom and there are none to be found, go to any BAR, they always have a bathroom for customers. Order something small, an espresso, or juice or tramezzino (little sandwich), or even just a glass of mineral water. Usually the places where you get "pizza a taglio" (cut pizza, or "by the slice") do not have bathrooms for customers. I don't know why.
2> Always keep a watchful eye on your purse and wallet when on the subway in Rome. (and I can imagine this applies to public transportation in the rest of Italy too.) Pick-pockets can always spot a tourist and often prey upon them, unfortunately.
3> You will eat VERY well in this country, however, it is advisable to avoid restaurants in some of the more touristy areas. The food is overpriced and usually poor quality. (Right next to the Vatican Museum and Piazza della Signorina in Florence are 2 places where I have had some of the worst food in Italy.) Try to find smaller "hole in the wall" types that usually attract Italians, rather than tourists. That said... Almost all of the restaurants in the Trastevere district of Rome are fantastic and it is well worth the price to get indulge in a drink at Cafe Florian in San Marco Square in Venice.
4> Often (but not always, so it is generally advisable to check ahead of time) churches, attractions and shops close from 1:00 to 4:00 Monday through Saturday. Shops and Stores are almost always closed on Sundays, especially in some of the smaller towns.
5> Bring at least 2 pairs of _really_ comfortable shoes so you can switch off. Switching shoes every day really helps your feet from getting too worn out. You will be doing a _lot_ of walking.
6> Sunscreen is expensive here. Bring some from home.
7> Pack light and leave extra room in your suitcase. It is way too easy to find loads of great fashions and shoes etc... here.

I hope you have a wonderful time in this beautiful country!

conley39

It depends on where you go. Generally, you can expect to see a lot of historic sites and art masterpieces, meet friendly people, and sample some of the best food in the world. If you go to the beach, there are both sandy and rocky beaches here. You will probably visit a lot of churches. It will be hot and probably crowded at the tourist sites, but with patience this isn't much of a problem.

If you drive the Amalfi Coast highway, you might be scared to death, but the scenery is worth it. Just think of all the people that pay big bucks to go to Disney for rides that are much tamer.

There are music and other festivals throughout the summer. If you're in Venice on the 14th go to the Il Redentore celebration. It includes a spectacular fireworks display over the lagoon.

Expect to have a great time and you will.

smilies1998

I live here and its hot hot hot right now! You should also expect to eat lots of pasta and pizza. They drive crazy and will hit you if you are not careful. Wear good walking shoes because there is lots of walking and shorts are not allowed in all places.

Gary G

To meet lots of Italians!

Saul T

its real fun i went last year its not to hard to pick up on the language...try to get out into the countryside or small towns i liked them a lot better than the bigger cities.
have fun!

Genius Cook

North to south... it's gonna be hot as hell.

Roberto

If you're coming to Rome, don't expect much. I think its stupid how everyone from the US or Americans say OMG Rome The Colossium all the museums. Rome is a very very dirty city; graffiti everywhere, no street lanes, hard to find street names, DIRTY and miskept sidewalks and dog poop everywhere. People smoking and riding their motorcicles on sidewalks.

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