What to be wary of tourists in Italy? What oddities, surprises, problems, disappointments, direct losses in money can await gullible travelers in this country ? Is it safe to go to Italy alone or alone, for foreigners in general? Eurotraveler strained and remembered, summarizing the rich experience available, and also supplemented the article with fresh details!
Italy is one of the richest tourist attractions in Europe! It also has the longest coastline, replete with excellent beaches.
And the climate in this country is so good that it seems that no matter which month you arrive, you will not only be satisfied, you will become happy! In general, it is not surprising that Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world by tourists!
All of the above, however, does not negate the fact that tourists in Italy should be afraid of something. And that’s exactly what we would like to tell you about the unpleasant surprises that await foreigners in Rome and Venice, Milan and Florence.
Along the way, paying attention to how safe it is to travel around Italy alone? How do the locals treat tourists? What do you need to know and consider when planning and already during your trip?
Transport
For a long time we doubted where to start. Choosing from what seemed to us not the most pleasant features of the Italian reality. And as a result, we started with an actually international one – a fine for a ticket that was not validated in a special device at the station.
Here – how to get to Venice by train and bus.
If you honestly bought a train ticket at the ticket office or vending machine, paying your hard-earned euros, this does not mean that you are a law-abiding and respectable citizen. Not at all – it turns out that this receipt still needs to be validated before boarding the transport.
That is, put it in a special machine that will mark this historical action with its own overprint.
This device is no longer present in the wagons. So take a few minutes to find the device at the station or train station (an inconspicuous box on the wall with a yellow circle), and then to understand the principle of its operation…
If this is not done, you will be considered a hare if the controller checks you on the way. And they will be required to pay a fine on the spot – once it was 60 euros per person.
Somehow, we saw a relaxed American couple. She kept poking her tickets into the eyes of Italian officials and didn’t smoke them, not realizing that without an overprint, these forms meant nothing…
You might say that for such a violation (repeated over the course of a year, however) in Germany, they can award a much larger fine and even put you in prison for a year. And even if it is, we will still consider it European savagery!
In any case, as far as tourists are concerned. Which, it seems, it is difficult to suspect that they will regularly ride the same route. It’s like they don’t have anything else to do.
Here’s a list of a must-visit in Verona (and it’s not Juliet’s House).
And in Italy, there are high gasoline prices and toll roads. And even if you drive off the highway onto a rural road, you will still see gas stations with shocking prices.
At least 1.8-2 euros per liter of gasoline – how do you like that? Current average prices for motor fuel in Italy are here – fuel-prices.eu/Italy/.
Interestingly, in neighboring Austria, a much more affluent and prosperous country, refueling is cheaper by as much as 25-30 cents per liter. These are the surprises of capitalism.
Those who travel around Europe by car, in Italy may be shocked by automatic gas stations. They really like to swallow money, not giving fuel in exchange.
There may not be an operator at such pumps – well, he went for a siesta, big deal?! And on a day off or on Sunday, without knowing Italian… it will be very difficult for you to “find the truth.”
Hotels
Both in Rome and Florence, one unpleasant feature is that as soon as the cool season arrives, their owners try to save on heating. This mainly applies to small hotels and family guest houses.
Such a desire is understandable and does not even (usually) cause severe rejection among tourists traveling in Italy – it is only necessary to familiarize yourself with the current tariffs for electricity and gas in this European country. But, of course, it’s still unpleasant to freeze in a hotel room between walks through the probably beautiful, but already quite cool Italian cities in autumn and winter.
But, of course, walking will help keep you warm. Here we wrote about what to see and do in Milan in January.
Siesta
Not knowing that it exists and is practiced actively enough even in the north of Italy, you can seriously disrupt your plans. Or even stay hungry.
No, museums and palaces of all kinds haven’t thought of that yet. But churches and cathedrals, even famous ones, are welcome.
You might want to go inside Santa Maria della Salute, for example, right around lunchtime. To see how everything is arranged inside and generally admire Tintoretto.
But if you don’t, it’s closed! They’re taking a break. And they don’t seem to be violating any rights – the entrance is free.
Many restaurants and cafes operate in the same way. Not in the passageways, of course. And where, according to the owners of these establishments, tourists are not found “during the day with fire”.
So, please grab a sandwich or a slice of pizza at the store. And for a normal lunch and dinner, come no earlier than 5 p.m. Well, or in the morning, preferably well before noon.
Toilets
We wish they were everywhere, even if they were paid. But no, if you want to, you’ll get tired of looking. Especially in the morning or in the middle of the day, when there is a siesta everywhere.
We understand that in Russia it is somehow not customary to put these booths on every corner. But in Italy, which is actually either the third or the fourth in the world in terms of the number of foreign tourists, why are there so few of them?
In many pizzerias there are no toilets (that is, for visitors, we believe), in gelaterias – especially in shops – only large ones. McDonald’s helps out in part, but these establishments are not found on every corner. Again, they learned at the WC to let in only by barcode from the receipt in the same institution..
The train station is a reliable, although – of course – a paid option in the sense of a toilet. There are also toilets at gas stations. But you won’t be able to find a gas station in the old city centers.
A museum is just an excellent option. The entrance to which, of course, also costs money.
If you are going to visit Venice or some other major tourist center, there are paid toilets in some places (from 1.5 euros). But this is an exception.
In Treviso, Verona and other cities of a similar caliber, you should consider the solution of the “toilet issue” in advance. If you don’t want to totally ruin your entertainment.
And speaking of Venice, most of vaporetto boat is equipped with wc… and there are free!
Food
Alas, the quality of even traditionally Italian food: pizza and pasta in many eateries does not even meet the shop level. Well, they doesn’t care.
You can usually talk about “licking your fingers” only in the case of not at all pretentious cafes and restaurants. Those that are not located on the central streets and squares.
Those that are located along the main tourist “rivers” are clearly lazy and allow themselves not to try too hard. Both in terms of the quality of the dishes and the service.
Don’t you believe it? Take a 1-day trip to see Florence and try gelato or something more substantial on Via dei Calzaiuoli. The main street of the old town, connecting Santa Maria del Fiori and Palazzo Vecchio.
You will almost certainly be impressed, but in the opposite sense!
Oh, by the way, don’t forget about the traditional “coperto”. The service fee is included in the bill at almost every (international fast food and gelaterias are not charged) local catering establishment.
So forget about tipping. They are prepaid here by default as soon as you place an order.
Security in General
At the usual, rather high, European level. If you walk in the evenings and nights in the seedy areas of large cities like the neighborhood of Termini station in Rome, you can run into trouble. First of all, from the illegal immigrants who gather there.
But in general, there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of in the light of day and on visible streets. The Italians themselves are very good-natured and nice guys who will easily help if they see that you are in trouble.
Few people in this country understand English, but in general it is not difficult to explain using gestures and facial expressions.
You don’t have to worry about harassment and harassment of single girls. Again: during the day and not in some dead end of the emigrant district. Because men in Italy behave like gentlemen in most cases.
Yes, they are often very emotional and do not skimp on tirades. But in such a way as to impose one’s society, as it can be done, for example, in Egypt or Turkey, definitely not! Will you be vacationing in the north of Italy or going to explore Sicily?
Whether in Rome, Florence, or Milan, it’s not difficult to encounter beggars – mostly a little away from the most touristic places. And yes, they are dark-skinned dirty children, and their parents can be persistent in their attempts to convince you to part with a euro or two. But they usually don’t grab their hands – they persuade them with a “word.”..
How safe is it for foreigners to travel in Italy? You will almost certainly not encounter any sidelong glances and whispers behind your back. Since ordinary Italians, as we said above, are very good people, friendly, welcoming and not evil…
Pickpockets
They are here, judging by the reviews. But we have not personally encountered them. Perhaps because they avoided the main streets as much as possible and kept an eye on bags and pockets.
And there are plenty of begging refugees, mostly Africans. For the most part, by the way, they are harmless guys. And for a euro fee, they will almost be crushed to pieces: they will help you park your car or safely exit the parking lot onto a busy thoroughfare.
But Gypsies, or people suspiciously similar to them, who like to hang around churches, are bolder. If they stick, they won’t leave you alone, they’ll all be nagging at you, holding out their dirty little hands.
Keep this in mind and don’t let the children get too far away from you!
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© Eurotraveler
