I am going to beautiful Italy over the summer, any advice/suggestions?

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Jetgirly

Don't bother carrying around a phrase book. By the time you remember to use it, the opportunity to speak will be gone! Instead, buy a second-hand guidebook for Italy and use a knife to cut out the sections on the places you'll be visiting. Clip each section seperately with a butterfly clip and keep that section in your bag when you're out and about. This makes it SOOO easy to find a good restaurant if you're hungry, or something to see/do if your plans get changed. Plus, it takes up very little space!

Keep a close eye on your valuables but don't be obsessive. I lived in Italy for two years and the only time I got robbed was when I used my cell phone at a busy bus stop and then put it back in a huge bag that didn't close at the top. I was sooo stupid!

Don't get a Eurail pass or anything like that; it will be much cheaper to buy your tickets at the station. You can buy them a few days in advance if you're worried about getting a spot.

A great way to travel in Italy is to eat big lunches and light dinners. Sometimes, you can go two or three blocks off a main street to find a bar that is full of locals. I used to live six blocks from the city center, and there were TONS of bars by my house where you could get pasta, vegetables, salad and bread for less then EUR 5 at lunch. If you're short on cash Brek is a good place to get a cheap dinner as well. They usually have fresh soups, pastas and make-your-own salads.

Otherwise, just have a good time and go with the flow. Be flexible. Don't go down any dark alleys alone with an Italian man!

VAWeddingSpecialist

I disagree with the previous comment...I saw pick-pockets almost everywhere. Make sure to carry your purse, or bag, across your shoulder instead of on just one...then it is harder for them to take it. I have seen many women get robbed by 2 guys on mopeds...one to drive and the other to swipe. My roommate got picked on our bus ride home and she never knew it...some business owner called our school to say that her wallet showed up near his dumpster. BE CAREFUL!

eejonesaux

Hi Gypsy,,,,,

Ok, i go to Italy about 2 times a year,,, so listen,,, !!!!

be aware of the Pickpockets !!! THey are Very Good!! especially in Rome but in Florence also....
Your backpack,camer,purse, phone,,, will be gone in a heartbeat!!

Now, Florence has so much to see , the Duermo and the Michaelango, museum stuff is wonderful,, the Ponte du Hoc is a bridge of the last standing from the mideval times,,,
Buy your leather goods in Florence,, and they have good deals on hand made shoes, coats, ect.... rub the big brass pig in the open market next to the post office!! for luck...

Go, up from the Duermo,(cathedral) walk 50 yards, on the right is a small resturant called the shield,,, eat there once at least,,, good food and not too expensive... the chicken Carbanrie is great...

In Rome,, go early to St Peters ,, and to get into the Systine Chapel,, go real early, they are open only certain days and the lines are LONG, and they close at 11 am.. it takes 4 hours just to get to the chapel,, wear comfortable shoes,,, no shorts or t-shirts with the belly button showing..!!!!

Did I tell you to watch out for the pickpockets in Rome !!!!! they are good... they work in teams...

Go check out the Hard Rock Cafe in Rome, its nice also.. and you might meet up with some fellow Americans there....

Good luck and happy travels....

love2travel

Read our Italy travelogues for ideas for your trip:
http://www.thetravelzine.com

Search the public archive our travel discussion group:
http://www.thetravelzine.com/TTarchive/index.html

Have a great trip!

Thad

"I'm 18 and will be travelling alone".

BEWARE pickpockets, especially "funny looking" poney-tailed dark-haired pregnant females, ever-present in train stations and bus stations. Their name rhymes with "tipsy", okay ?.

Wear one of them chest or waist bag with solid straps, and pull money out two blocks "PRIOR" to buying. And also, if you carry a backpack wear it on your chest. Passport, TC theft with a potential river of tears, can be averted bu prudence.

Police take an irritating "What ? me worry ?" attitude about overt activites of this type. I call it tolerance and political correctness gone mad.

(Sorry, I didn't realize your tag is gypsy...haha...call it coincidence ?...maybe more ?...I sure didn't plan it that way. Yuk.)

Gabrio

That's a short trip.
Taste the wine, the pasta (good one), the deserts, flirt with the Italians, buy Italian clothing in St Lorenzo Market in Florence, beware of the thieves in Imperial Forums,
visit the Vatican, and fall in love of this country.

marque1717

Hey that is great!!!!! I suggest that you look up over the internet all the museums that you would like to visit. In Italy visiting hours are different and when you decide to vist a museum I suggest since it does get hot and muggy to get up early and be in line so you can beat all the crowds. Around 9 am all the tour buses drop off thousands of tourist in front of museums and it gets realy annoying to be shoved and pushed. Watchout for pickpockets, have your passport, cash and credit card inside your shirt. Even ia museum where tourist get distracted you can be pickpocket. No shorts or sleevelss tops are allowed in churches.
Bring a pair of sweat pants that you can roll over and a t-shirt.
You will need to reserve for Florence reservations at the Uffizzi Gallery and just let me know if you need any further help.
Finally, someone that understands that travelling to Italy is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please be careful if you go to pubs or disco's, use common sense, never make anyone bring you a drink and watch closely the barman when he pours your drink.
If you leave your drink unattended or you turn the other way to speak with somone keep your hand on your drink. I was a teenager myself but I never got myself drunk or anything else . Be smart and use common sense!!!!!!! Contact me if you need any other advise.

Demon Doll

What a wonderful opportunity!

To need to go to Venice. It's a whole city with canals instead of streets. It's amazing.

george l

HI I'M A DUAL-CITIZEN--ITALIAN/ AMERICAN.--THE ITALIANS ARE VERY FRIENDLY BUT BE PREPARED THE EXCHANGE RATE ON OUR dollar --u lose about 20%.--ROME-SO MANY TOURISTS-- so many brits americans etc -.-POINT IS YOU WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM.--FLORENCE IS ACTUALLY CALLED FIRENZE.KEEP that in mind.(dam sorry for the caps not looking up as i type)--gorgeous city and since its a tourist point almost all businesses speak engllish to a degree.--Never been to assissi but dont worry same goes there i'm sure.---theres a little translator i bought by the mfg'r called franklin.--you type in english it translates--does small phrases too.--it wont help you with pronunciation though.--so dont think that they'll understand you even its spelled out for you to read.-after the first try show them the word and that will help.-- safety-just like anywhere on earth i'd imagine.--At night be on the busiest of streets . another thing If your pretty expect to be hit on bigtime and maybe go to a families house for dinner (called cina)- pronounced chin--na --not china ok.--lunch is pranza-pronounced like its spelled .--oh very importnat do as the italians do--do your thing all day long.--eat a late lunch because 80% of everything closes from 1 ish to 5 ish in general--soemtimes 2-6--u get the picture.--well anyway hope this helped i'll be in italy too at that time.--regards,giorgio-------sites to see in rome--a must i mean a must--is fountain di trevi.--custom to throw a coin over your shoulder(stand with your back to the fountain.)--other custom is to drink the water from the spout in the right corner of the piazza-- pro: pi-attz-a--trans--plaza/square.--the bus and train systym is awesome in rome-very easy to read and understand and everybody is there to help.--anyway i can type for hours about italy--been there for 12 months of the last 3 years--4 trips -see ya

Allison

I myself am italian and I first travelled alone to Italy when I was 4. Let's see you definitley want to make the best out of the delicous food and make sure you look at the coluseum and the Tower of Pisa, make sure you carry around an english/italian dictionary that has at least the basics ( Hello, Goodbye, how are you etc.) Don't take this for granted because I'm just 9 and I knew 3 fluent languages when I was 4. Don't mind too much about things getting robbed like a bicycle you could just leave anywhere and it won't get stolen. Make sure you bring clothes that is good for any weather because in Italy the weather s very unexcpected. and lastly,

have fun :-)!

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