Italy. Trip to Italy: everything you need to know Tips for tourists traveling to Italy

The undisputed leader of European tourism, Italy, is a country with a rich history and culture, but a holiday here can be overshadowed by far from pleasant impressions. The downside of Italian life is the high level of crime, theft and other phenomena that are not usually discussed too often.

You can protect yourself from possible troubles by going on vacation to Italy. You just need to know in advance what can happen at the most unexpected moment, and how to behave in such situations.

Theft

The main danger in Italy is theft. Absolutely everything is stolen here, most often from tourists and in large cities.

If you rent a car, you automatically become a candidate for theft of either the car itself or the things left in it. That is why you should not leave things in the trunk or inside the car at all. Things can be stolen literally in a few minutes while you go to pay for gas or have a snack in a cafe.

You should not leave valuables at the hotel, even in a special safe - things often disappeared from these safes, and the cases of their return were negligible. It’s better to carry them with you, while keeping them in sight at all times.

All items should be carried in carefully closed bags. If you suddenly forgot your phone or your bag somewhere, for example, in a cafe, then you don’t even have to come back for it.

If you have insurance, theft should be reported. report within 24 hours, otherwise your expenses will not be compensated.

Fraud

The second problem in Italy after theft is scammers. Tourists can be deceived here literally, at every step, so you definitely shouldn’t trust everyone you meet.

The most common deception scheme is "fake" cops. No matter how local authorities fight such enterprising swindlers, this does not always work out. It must be remembered that the police in Italy wear only one type of uniform - a dark blue jacket, trousers with stripes and a headdress. If a person dressed inappropriately introduces himself as a police officer and begins to demand something, you should call for help.

Police officers in Italy

Also very often tourists are deceived street currency exchange offices. They are often kept by people from Muslim countries who do not have the best relationship with the law. The exchange rate is almost always undervalued, and the exchange is often issued in counterfeit bills.

A tourist in Italy can be deceived even in a restaurant, and not even the cheapest one. The rule about “the client being right” should be forgotten - local waiters, even in Rome, are often rude, and may not respond to complaints in the most decent manner. Restaurants often have "menu for tourists", where even a glass of water will cost the same as a cup of coffee. Also, you should not be fooled by the “specialty dish” that is constantly offered to foreign guests. It's unlikely to be worth the money.

Less obvious problems in Italy include ATM hacking. Local hackers have learned to introduce viruses into bank terminals, due to which the card may be blocked and all the money on it will disappear. Unfortunately, this has been happening more and more often in recent years. You can avoid this by abandoning street ATMs.

Communication culture

It is worth remembering about basic etiquette when communicating with Italians - this can seriously help in any situation.

Adult Italians should be called lord or senora before saying hello or asking any questions. It's worth learning at least a few duty signs phrases in Italian– The locals flatly refuse to understand English.

Saying goodbye to an unknown Italian, you can't talk popular word "Ciao!" Among Italians, this form of farewell is considered familiar, and is acceptable only among close people.

For young girls Don't actively respond to flirting Italians. In the worst case scenario, the guest will receive a reputation as an easily accessible woman, with all the ensuing consequences.

While on the street, never You should not approach unfamiliar children. The methods of raising Italian parents are very different from ours, and leaving a crying child in the middle of the street is probably one of these methods in response to whims. You may feel sorry for the child, but in return you will listen to the angry rebuke of his parent.

Sanitary conditions

In Italy, all tap water is ozonated or chlorinated, so it can be safely consumed. In many large cities, drinking water fountains are located on the streets, from which you can drink safely. If you see the inscription “non potabile” above the tap, this fountain is intended for washing, and you shouldn't drink from it.

Drinking fountains

Products should be consumed only after heat treatment, although they are considered safe for health. Vegetables should be thoroughly washed and fruits should be peeled. Mozzarella cheese made from unpasteurized milk is sometimes found, but cases of illness from eating such cheese have been isolated.

Environment

Since the climate in Italy is very hot, and the radiation of the sun is quite aggressive, it is necessary to constantly carry sunscreen, hats, and cotton clothing that covers the entire body.

Highly recommended apply repellents and various insect repellents, since even in cities mosquitoes are a fairly serious problem. For example, Milan in the summer is simply filled with mosquitoes. Local insects do not carry dangerous diseases, but can cause serious inconvenience.

In many places popular with tourists, the sea is quite dirty. Clean beaches are located on the islands and in the south of Italy; in other places the water is far from blue, and the sand is often interspersed with garbage. When entering the water on an unequipped coastline, you must use sturdy shoes, which will protect your feet from sharp stone fragments and animal needles.

Often the shores located south of Rome are composed of rocks with many sharp edges, but public beaches are clean enough that you may not encounter such problems.

In winter, when traveling in mountainous areas, you should beware of avalanches and landslides. Sometimes they happen in the summer. Rockfalls sometimes occur in the southern and central parts of the country.

The waters between the islands and the Italian mainland are often very choppy - there are strong currents and whirlpools, so you need to be extremely careful when swimming.

There are very few poisonous animals in the coastal waters of Italy, so swimming here is safe. Follows with Be careful when eating local fish, since some of them contain toxins in their meat. However, this does not interfere at all during bathing.

Social problems

In recent years, the number of refugees from the Middle East has sharply increased in Italy, which could not but affect problems with tourists.

Mostly refugees in Italy are engaged in trade, which is not always legal. It is worth remembering that street trading in Italian cities and resorts is prohibited by law. Therefore, when making purchases from migrants, tourists themselves become unwitting accomplices in the crime. There is only one rule here - You can't buy on the street.

Also, refugees from Pakistan and other countries often appear on the beaches of Italian resorts, offering tourists massages for 10 euros. Agree under no circumstances is it possible- not only is it unsanitary, but there is also a high risk of theft.

Another problem in Italy is beggars and gypsies, sometimes combined. Often these are quite able-bodied people who do not want to legally earn their living. It is not recommended to give alms - often “beggars” work in pairs - while one distracts, the second cleans out the tourist’s bag or pockets.

Beggars in Italy

In addition, Italian gypsies organize entire gangs that commit robberies and even steal cars. You should be extremely careful and don't walk alone at night.

I wanted to put together all the useful information that I had dug up while preparing for our independent journey.

Probably every travel lover has thought about a trip to Italy. Anyone will find something for themselves there: beautiful palaces and small narrow streets, simple but at the same time exquisite cuisine, wines - dry, emphasizing the taste of dishes, or sparkling, cheering the soul. And all this beckons, because Italy captivates everyone who knows how to feel and knows a lot about the joys of life - Dolce Vita, as the Italians say. How can you plan your trip in such a way as to experience this beautiful country, touch its joys, and not be left with an empty wallet?
In fact, spending can be reasonable even in a country abounding in temptations like Italy. The most important thing is to decide what you want to get from the trip: perhaps it will be a gastronomic tour, or shopping, or maybe everything in one bottle, including a visit all kinds of attractions. In this case, you should resort to the following secrets so that in the first two days of your stay in the country you will not be left without money and the opportunity to explore the country throughout your vacation.

Italian Cuisine Italian cuisine is famous for its simplicity and, at the same time, sophistication. Italians love to eat tasty and healthy food. If you want to travel around Italy, taste finger-licking wines and dishes, then you should not visit restaurants in crowded tourist areas. You are unlikely to be able to taste real Italian cuisine there, and you will pay a lot of money for it. It is better to turn off the streets and move a little away from the tourist trails. In any trattoria where locals, and even families, come to eat, you will, as a rule, find a menu that is not rich in the number of dishes, but tasty, and it will cost you half as much. Of course, after tasting the dishes, you will wash them down with good wine; try ordering wine in a decanter of vino della casa instead of bottled wine. Believe me, it will be no worse, and the price will be much lower.
By the way, if you want to drink coffee or a glass of wine at the counter in a cafe, the price will often be two times cheaper than at a table. And at tables on the restaurant terrace the prices will be the most expensive. Restaurant menus usually do not include waiter service and taxes - be prepared for this! Well, pizzerias, of course, will never leave you hungry! Don't think that only visitors eat pizza - Italians often gather with friends in the evenings and enjoy the crispy crust and flavorful filling of the pizza. It's convenient and delicious!

Where to eat and how much does it cost? Inconspicuous trattoria And osteria - small family restaurants, often without a printed menu and in a home-style style, cantina - snack bars, inoteca - small tasting rooms, where you can try several types of wines, while you will be offered two or three types of snacks. Pasticceria - a pastry shop where you can run in to drink a cup of coffee and enjoy a delicious dessert, but you shouldn’t count on long gatherings in such a place - just grab a bite and exchange a few words with friends. In these places the prices are much cheaper and much tastier.
And if you decide to plunge into the real world of Italian cuisine, you should rent a car and drive around various agriturismos. What it is? This is an ideal option for living in the countryside, and an opportunity to try the dishes that Italians eat, living away from big cities. Often, agrotourism is a family business, where the family grows vegetables, fruits, makes wine and olive oil, keeps a barnyard - in general, a real household.

And at the same time, they receive guests in their home, in rooms specially designated for this. There is a restaurant at the house, where the owners also cook, where families living nearby come for dinner and guests eat. This is where you can truly plunge into what is called Italian cuisine - Cucina italiana.
Average lunch or dinner in a Venetian restaurant for 2 persons - from 60 € Pizza in Venice and Verona - from 7 € Dinner at an agriturismo near Verona for 4 persons - 80 €
Shopping and purchases

In Italy, every season comes time for sales, and they start on the same day in all stores. If you want to go shopping, then you should do some research in advance and look for information about outlets - places where brand stores gather. This will save time, first of all - not to run around the city to all the boutiques, but simply go shopping for the brands of clothing and shoes you need, collected in a centralized location. As a rule, outlets are located on the outskirts of cities or in the suburbs. This is convenient if you rented a car. If not, find out in advance on the Internet where the stop of the shuttle bus is that will take you shopping and back.
Here are some outlet addresses: Milan and surroundings- http://www.franciacortaoutlet.it/index2.php, http://www.fidenzavillage.com, http://www.mcarthurglen.com Florence and surroundings- http://www.outletmagazine.it/spaccio/outlet/id-304/the-mall-outlet.html Verona and surroundings- http://www.fashiondistrict.it/it/fashion-district On the website http://www.outletmagazine.it/regione-outlet.html - you can see outlets in different regions of Italy.

On the topic of shopping and saving, I would like to include returns Tax- Refund.
If you are not a citizen of Italy and do not have a residence permit, then when you export purchases worth more than 150 Euros from the country at a time, i.e. in one store, you can return a partial amount spent - somewhere around 10-15% from the amount indicated on the check.

How is this possible?
You buy goods for the above amount or more in one store (or several purchases in different stores from 150 Euros). If the store participates in a money-back scheme, then Tax-Refund will be written at the checkout - look for such a sign in advance. After receiving the check, you ask the seller to issue a Tax-Refund check form. With this receipt and purchases in boxes and packages, on your way back, passing through customs at the Italian airport, you ask the customs officers to put a customs stamp on these forms. Customs officers check the presence of the items indicated on the check and give the go-ahead. After this, you contact the Tax-Refund service at the airport, where you present stamped checks, a return ticket and a passport. Refunds are processed either immediately in cash or to your credit card within a month. Why not real savings?
Attractions

Of course, it’s impossible to embrace the immensity in a week of vacation, and it’s probably not worth it. But there are places that are worth seeing: the square and the Cathedral of San Marco and the Doge's Palace - in Venice; the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Colosseum in Rome or the Arena in Verona. In order not to waste time and avoid waste, you can purchase subscriptions. Each of the major cities has so-called Cards - passes to visit the main attractions. The cost of the subscription often pays for itself after you visit two of the 10-15 possible attractions.

Where to buy a subscription? As a rule, passes are sold in main squares or train stations at information kiosks. But the Internet also makes it possible to buy tickets in advance. Here is information for some cities: Venice- http://www.hellovenezia.com - can be purchased using a credit card. The price of a subscription for adults over 30 years old for 7 days is 39.90 €; from 6 to 29 years old - 29.90 € Verona- http://www.veronacard.it - ​​a list of places where subscriptions are distributed is on the website Price for a 2-day subscription - 15 € for 5 days - 20 € Padua- http://www.padovacard.it - ​​a list of places where subscriptions are distributed is on the website Price for a 2-day subscription - 16 € for 3 days - 21 € Rome- http://www.romapass.it - ​​can be purchased using a credit card. Price for a 3-day subscription - 30€ Florence- http://www.firenzecard.it Price for a 3-day subscription - 50 € Milan- http://www.milanocard.it - ​​can be purchased with a credit card Price for a 3-day subscription - 13€
Transport

There are many ways to get around Italy. It all depends on what you want to save: time or money. In both cases, it is worth arming yourself with information in advance.
- Buses
Bus service in Italy is quite well developed. Again, all information on schedules and costs is available on the Internet. Often these sites are only in Italian, but Google will come to the rescue and you can calmly (in advance) figure everything out. Each city has its own city bus service; buses in cities run strictly according to the schedule indicated on the websites of bus companies and at each stop.
There is a small nuance: if you buy tickets at distribution points - Tabacceria , then the price is usually a couple of tens of eurocents lower than what you will pay directly on the bus. On this website http://www.italybus.it/default.asp you can find out the schedule, cost and even buy tickets for intercity buses and buses running to other EU countries.
- Trains
Trains in Italy are one of the most convenient means of transport. Firstly, they run very often in different directions, and secondly, there are both inexpensive electric trains that stop at every stop, and more expensive Eurostar trains. All of Italy is crossed by railways and it is often convenient to stop, for example, in Milan, and travel by train to nearby cities: Verona, Venice, Florence, Siena. And at the same time, budget options are possible, which take a little longer, and high-speed, more expensive trains.
Websites of railway companies that have schedules, prices, and the opportunity to buy tickets in advance at more favorable rates: Economy option - http://www.trenitalia.com/trenitalia.html Eurostar Express - http://www.fsitaliane.it
- Car rent
It is very convenient to travel around Italy in a rented car. The road surface is of good quality, there are toll highways and free roads. When choosing this type of transport, Italy will open up to you faster. This is beneficial if you are traveling with at least four people - by renting a car, you will save more, even compared to inexpensive train tickets, and you will be able to visit the most remote corners of this beautiful country. By renting a car, you can create your own individual route in advance, which will be ideal for you and your companions.
A few tips for renting a car in Italy: - when ordering online, an amount of about 10% of the rental cost is blocked on your card - you must have an international driver's license - with an old license you may not be given a car - at the time of renting, your card will usually be charged a franchise is booked - from 400 to 1500 Euros, depending on the class of the car. After returning the car, this amount will be released within a month (provided that you didn’t break or scratch anything...) - if you violated traffic rules and the camera recorded the violation, wait within a month for a fine that will be sent to you by mail . The police will receive information about your place of residence from the rental car, but for transmitting this information to the police, the rental car will try to write off from 25 to 40 Euros from your card. Block the card immediately after returning home from online payments. The fines in Italy are draconian, you shouldn’t violate them, and if this does happen, decide for yourself what is more important to you - to stay with the money, or to calmly get the next Schengen. - the rental price usually includes insurance - something like our auto insurance. If you want to insure your car more seriously, it will cost a significant amount, about 35 euros per day. You can save money by insuring yourself with an international insurance company rather than with a rental car. For example, at www.worldwideinsure.com, full insurance cost us 45 pounds, or 57 Euros.
You can rent a car either from the “monsters”: http://www.hertz.com/ or http://www.sixt.com/, or from local Italian rental cars, for example http://www.maggiore.it/. The latter offered us low rental prices, the ability to book a car via the Internet without prepayment, and adequate service.
The article http://up2you.ru/reviews/money/artid308 was very useful for me when ordering a car.
- Transport in Venice
A separate topic is transport in Venice. Everyone knows that this city literally stands on the water, so instead of streets there are canals, and the main public means of transport is the vaporetto - motor ships that run on a schedule, both along the canals of the city and along the islands of the Venice lagoon. The tariff system is quite complex, for example, travel along the Grand Canal costs 5 € and is equivalent to an excursion. Different lines have separate tariffs. If you pay for each vaporetto ride, it turns out to be quite expensive. But you can buy a ticket for 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 hours or 7 days. In order not to burden yourself with constant calculations, and at the same time, to manage your funds economically, it is worth buying a travel ticket. Choose the period of time that is convenient for you and ride along the Venetian Lagoon for as long as you want. There is one more nuance that few people know about: for people from 14 to 29 years old, the Rolling Venice card is sold, which allows you to save on both transport and visits to museums. By presenting your Rolling Venice Card when purchasing tickets and season passes, you receive an additional discount.
Where to buy and how much tickets cost: You can buy travel tickets in the following places: Marco Polo Airport, Santa Lucia train station, Piazzale Roma - the point of arrival of buses in Venice, at vaporetto stops: Accademia, Rialto, Fond.Nuove, Murano, Can Marco, Lido More detailed information on the website http://www.hellovenezia.com By purchasing online in advance, you will also save a little. Here on this site you can purchase any travel tickets at a discount http://www.veniceconnected.com/
Vaporetto prices: 18,00 € - 12-hour pass 20,00 € - 24-hour pass 25,00 € - 36-hour pass 30,00 € - 48-hour pass 35,00 € - 72-hour pass 50,00 € - 7-day pass Of course, you shouldn’t go to Italy with only one thought - to save money and not spend too much. This will only spoil the impression of the trip. Think of saving as a game: you'll save somewhere so you can spend more on the things you like best. Everyone has their own preferences, some really need to taste different types of wine and try all types of pasta and risotto, while others need to visit all kinds of museums and cathedrals, touching ancient stones and walking through the narrow streets where the great Italians roamed. Or maybe the most impressive moment of your trip will be communicating with a local old lady who doesn’t speak a word of English, but will explain to you how and where to eat tastier and what to see in her hometown. And all this in her native Italian and sign language.

The main thing is that Italy will leave only the most pleasant impressions in your soul - it can afford it, believe me!

So I have returned from a trip to Italy and now I will tell you how you need to organize your acquaintance with this country so that everything goes “like clockwork”. My independent trip to Italy lasted 24 days. During this time I managed to visit so many attractions that on the last day I could already work as a guide :) . Of the cities I remember most are Venice, Milan and Rome. They are a must visit.

What to do in Italy? Yes, there is a huge space for relaxation. Beaches, wines, walks along the embankments, meeting the passionate local population :), a huge number of attractions, and just enjoying life. I rode my bike through the cobbled streets of Florence, crossed Italy from north to south by train, walked at night with Italian girls along the sparkling streets of Milan :) . Moreover, as always, my knowledge of saving while traveling helped reduce expenses several times. And now to the specifics.

Travel route

My route

According to the already established tradition, I began my independent journey through Italy from Novosibirsk. The flight was morning - Novosibirsk - Milan, with a transfer in Moscow. 10 o'clock and I'm there (I slept on the plane, so time flew by :)). The plan that I had under the code name :) “Trip through the cities of Italy” consisted of visiting the following cities: Milan -> Venice -> Bologna -> Florence -> Rome -> Naples -> Palermo. From north to south in 24 days, and in cities such as Bologna and Naples I only stayed for 3 days, they were just on my way, so I decided to visit them too.

What guided me when choosing these particular places. I wanted to see the peculiarities of life in all parts of Italy, visit many attractions that belong to different cultures and eras (in the place of modern Italy, for many centuries there were independent states, such as the Venetian Republic, the Florentine Republic, the Kingdom of Sicily and others, each with its own characteristics and history). Therefore, I put together a route that would include most of the most significant cities in history for cultural enlightenment, but would also allow me to swim, sunbathe on the beach, and leisurely enjoy a seaside holiday. Sights + sea = perfect holiday in Italy;) .

Because inexpensive air tickets from Russia to Italy imply landing in one of the largest cities, and, most often, these are Rome (the capital), Milan, Venice (the northern part of Italy, some of the cheapest plane tickets are sold here), then I decided that I will begin my journey in Italy precisely from its northern part, namely from Milan, and will gradually move south. Because Since my trip began in mid-June, I was not limited by weather conditions: the weather was good, there was very little rain, the sea had already warmed up well, in general, the perfect time.

Additional routes

I have compiled alternative routes around Italy for website visitors so that everyone can choose the most suitable one for them. Some people want to focus on sightseeing, some like to spend their entire holiday on the beach in the sun, swimming and enjoying every moment of the sea holiday, and others (including me) want to combine a beach holiday and sightseeing. In addition, the number of days allocated for vacation in Italy varies from person to person.

Up to 5 days

It makes no sense to include visiting 5-10 cities into a 5-day trip; such a vacation will only make you tired and you won’t really see anything; it’s better to savor your stay in each city. Only have 5 days to rest? Then it’s better to visit 1, maximum 2 cities (for me, it should be a city with a large number of attractions, and a beach resort city, sometimes these concepts characterize the same city, for example, Naples, Genoa, but most often change your vacation spot to find better conditions and more comfort). If you don’t want to move somewhere, then it’s better to choose a good beach resort, like Rimini or Bari. A seaside holiday gives the recharge of vitality much needed by most people, so you shouldn’t neglect it.

6-10 days

If you have 6-10 days for a vacation in Italy, and you want to visit several places, then choose cities according to the logic described above: city-attraction + seaside resort, the only thing is that you can increase their number, because there is more time. A good option for this type of holiday would be the route Rome->Florence->Genoa (in the vicinity of the latter there are several good beaches, and there are plenty of attractions there).

11-15 days

With an independent trip to Italy, designed for 11-15 days, you can further expand the area of ​​Italy you are exploring. Milan->Venice->Florence->Rome->Salerno (the last city is a seaside resort, located near Naples) - this is a good route for those who want to see as much as possible, but it is important to understand that such a vacation will be eventful, but not so much relaxed, because There will be a lot of places on the route, you will have to move often, this route is justified if you are traveling around Italy by car, because in this case, the time spent on travel is reduced, and there is more comfort, especially since you will always be free to stop in the place you like as much as you want, without even completing your route. I like it better when the ultimate vacation spot is a seaside resort, because... A good swim before returning home has a positive effect on the overall holiday experience.

From 15 days

If you want to become well acquainted with Italian culture, see as many places as possible, without being in the state of a cornered horse, then set aside more than 15 days for an independent trip to Italy. During this time, you can travel along the following route: Genoa-> Milan -> Venice -> Florence -> Rome -> Naples -> Palermo. This is a kind of alternative to my route; it begins and ends in seaside resort towns. So you can see the sights and swim to your heart's content.

When you plan your trip to Italy, then stick to the following:

• Get to know your new city thoroughly. There is no need to visit 10 cities in 2 weeks, such a rush is very tiring. It’s better to be in a new city for at least 3 days, then you will learn a lot about this place and enjoy your vacation, and not compete with time.
• Don't plan your trip in detail. It’s better to indicate the main points of the trip (for example, cities or beaches), and already “on the spot” you can figure out where you want to go and what to visit. With this form of travel you will have more freedom of action, which will give you more impressions and more positive emotions.
• Decide how you will move in Italy. Different modes of transport have different advantages and disadvantages. By plane you can quickly move from place to place, on train trips you can see amazing landscapes, when traveling in a rented car you have enormous freedom of action. If you buy tickets in advance (at least 2 months in advance), you can save up to 70% of their cost.
• Visit “non-touristy” places. Tourists are shown only certain places, and to learn interesting details about the country, you need to get acquainted with the daily life of the local population. This way you will get much more pleasure from your trip.

Cheap tickets

A ticket to Moscow from Novosibirsk cost me 4,500 rubles, and from Moscow to Milan – 5,000 rubles, I booked it in advance, which I advise you to do, it’s cheaper. Of course, you can still wait for airline ticket sales, but, unfortunately, they are very rare, and the number of tickets is limited, they are sold out in a few minutes, so you can miss out on low ticket prices while waiting for sales simply by early booking (it’s better to buy air tickets 3-4 months before travel), because the closer the departure date, the higher the prices.

Tickets on the route Moscow->Rome->Moscow in the summer will cost 10,500-14,000 rubles. For those who live in Moscow, it is much cheaper to fly to Europe.

Calendar of low prices for air tickets

Check airfare prices:

Hotels

I lived in comfortable hotels that cost me quite cheap (for example, in Rome, the capital of Italy, I paid only 17,000 rubles for 7 nights in a 3* hotel almost in the city center; in the same hotel you could book a double bed room for 19,500 rubles, let me clarify that I booked in advance). Naturally, I used my knowledge of . In short, I used the site, which itself finds the best options in terms of price/quality, so I recommend it to you. On this site you can find excellent hotels in any country. It is convenient that photographs and descriptions are added to each hotel, and tourists who have already visited the hotel leave reviews, which makes it much easier to choose accommodation when traveling.

Some tourists look for hotels only on, and this is not entirely true from the point of view of efficient spending of money, because... You can often find exactly the same hotel room as on Booking, but much cheaper on another site that is equally safe and trusted. After all, there are many other hotel booking sites that have sales, and sometimes prices are reduced, which is why it turns out that prices on Booking are often higher. In order not to check all sites separately, while spending several hours or even days searching for a suitable hotel at the lowest price, the RoomGuru service was invented - it itself compares prices on several dozen hotel sites, including Booking, and offers you to book hotel room at the lowest price. The service is free, very convenient and reliable, I recommend using it, you will save a lot of money and time.

Here is a clear example, 3* hotel, 2 adults, 7 nights. Please note that the lowest price is not on Booking (315€), but on Amoma (273€).

And here is another example for two in a 4* hotel.

In addition to the fact that the price for the room itself is low (252€), in this particular case you can also save 122€ (price on Booking 374€, price on Agoda 252€). As you can see, the price for the same hotel room can vary significantly on different sites, which is why it is very profitable to use the RoomGuru service, which will compare everything for you and offer the lowest price for the room (this is exactly what is shown in the screenshot).

There is an alternative service, but it’s still better to use RoomGuru - it’s more reliable, convenient and efficient. As for the search itself, if you want to save as much as possible, then choose accommodation away from famous attractions and the city center; of course, you will lose a little in comfort, because... It will take longer to get to the right places by public transport, but the savings can be significant, and it’s up to you to decide what is more priority – comfort or savings. I try to choose accommodation either in the center or close to it, if there are good hotels at low prices (they are always available when booking early), transport costs sometimes “eat up” most of the money saved on a cheap hotel far from the center, so, Ultimately, it is still preferable to choose those hotel options that provide convenient access to the main attractions.

The most expensive place to live is in Venice. I would even say not more expensive, but very expensive. Here I had to pay 90 euros per night in a hotel. I was in Venice for 5 days, paid a total of 450 euros, for comparison, I could live on this money for a month and a half!!! in Thailand. But I must say that this was not the cheapest hotel, there were cheaper options, I just liked the view from the window of this hotel, so I booked it :).
It is important for me that when booking there is a 100% guarantee that I will arrive at a comfortable hotel that matches the photographs, the building is located in a convenient area of ​​the city for me, and that there are no problems when checking in like “wait another hour, we’ll forgot to clean the room” or “there was a mistake, we moved another person into this room 5 minutes ago, look for another hotel.” Is this important to you too? Then use it.

I have selected hotels in Italy with the best price/quality ratio (in my opinion), based on my travel experience, tourist reviews, convenience of location, reliability (reliability and safety), and, of course, attractive prices (hotels are listed in order of increasing comfort, from hotels with the lowest price to more expensive hotels). If you want to find a comfortable hotel, accommodation in which will not force you to drag across the city to attractions in crowded public transport or look for a long time for a place to park your car, with good service (clean bed linen, convenience and hassle-free check-in, good Wi-Fi, allowing you to seamlessly use social networks and immediately publish stunning photos from your vacation, communicate with relatives, search for the information you need), at a low cost of accommodation, then choose a hotel from this list and book as early as possible (these hotels are in great demand for rooms). there is often not enough for everyone, and if you book in advance, you will certainly ensure that you stay in one of the best hotels, and the price will be even lower).

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Rental of property

As an alternative to staying in hotels, it is possible to rent accommodation from the Italians themselves. Among the advantages of this method of finding a place to stay, we can only note that it is an acceptable cost for a large company or for a large family (if 6 or more people are going on vacation), because a large apartment can accommodate a large number of people (but you still need to look for a large apartment at a good price; as a rule, such options are already booked 6-8 months before the summer months), and in terms of per person, the cost of a night’s stay in Italy is somewhat lower. But this plus, in my opinion, becomes insignificant when taking into account the many disadvantages of renting housing, such as insecurity, the risk of being deceived by the owner of the property, the lack of even basic tourist services, and additional inconvenience when checking in and out.

Because Renting housing abroad has some difficulties, so you have to use the services of intermediaries who charge a hefty commission and, in some cases, include additional payments in the cost of living, which makes renting not very profitable.

One of the most famous rental services is Airbnb. If you decide to rent a home rather than book hotel rooms, you can use it for a discount to save money.

It is important to note that renting housing from owners is a rather risky business. Increasingly, there are cases when housing does not correspond to the photographs presented on the service (especially true for cheap options with a small number of reviews). It is also possible that noisy neighbors live in the next apartment, which will cause a lot of inconvenience (if in a hotel, for the most part, you are protected from the bad behavior of your neighbors by a concierge or security, then in a rented apartment you will need to call the owner of the property or the police, which will require additional time and nerves). Several of my friends have found themselves in a very unpleasant situation when landlords simply canceled a reservation a few days before arrival (relatives may come to visit him, or he will be offered a higher price, or his plans will change - anything can happen), and travelers urgently have to look for other housing, but the time for early booking has already passed, which means that the new housing was much more expensive than the previous option, additional expenses appeared that spoiled the planned vacation. Therefore, I recommend not renting housing, but booking hotel rooms, it is safer, more reliable and, in the vast majority of cases, cheaper.

Documentation

The required documents, as in almost all of Europe, are the following: passport, visa and insurance. I have had a foreign passport for a long time, and for those who don’t have one, I recommend applying for one as early as possible, they take 1-4 months to get it (through the State Services website you can get a passport in about a month if you live at the place of registration). I wrote a whole article about it, so I recommend that you read it. In short, the best insurance at low prices can be bought on the website.

Italy is part of the Schengen zone, which is why I received it. Here is a list of documents required to obtain it:

1. Round-trip air tickets (you can book, or you can already purchased)
2. Confirmation of accommodation (confirmation from the hotel, as a rule, it is automatically sent to your email when booking a hotel)
3. Medical insurance (coverage amount over 30,000 euros)
4. Completed application form (can be downloaded from the Italian Visa Application Center website)
5. Photo (1 piece, no frames, color)
6. International passport valid for more than 3 months on the date of return from the trip
7. A copy of the main page of the international passport (where the photo and personal data are)
8. Financial guarantee (account statement with a sufficient amount of money (the amount depends on the number of people going on the trip and the number of days in Italy)
9. Confirmation of employment (certificate from work, or a copy of the certificate of inclusion in the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (for individual entrepreneurs), or a certificate from the place of study, or a pension certificate)
10. Receipt for payment of the consular fee (it must be paid after concluding the contract if you submit documents through the visa center))
11. Russian passport (original and copy of pages with photo and registration)
12. Consent to the processing of personal data (can be downloaded from the visa center website)

A Schengen visa to Italy will cost 35 euros (consular fee) + 2200 rubles visa center service fee. If you live in Moscow, you can save on the visa fee by submitting documents directly to the Italian Embassy. It is important to note that if your visa is denied, the consular and service fees will not be refunded.

Around Italy by car

Traveling independently in Italy by car has its pros and cons. Whether you should choose this type of travel depends on several answers to questions that you need to ask yourself: I really want to be free in choosing a route, I really want to see the ordinary life of Italians, I can pay 20-40% more money ( compared to traveling using public transport) for the opportunity to travel around Italy, I am ready to solve problems with parking, I do not want to use public transport? If you answered “Yes” to all these questions, then indeed, traveling by car can turn your vacation into something completely different, very eventful, varied, and unusual.

In short, traveling around Italy by car is super interesting, but expensive, and, in some cases, problematic.

It will be more comfortable and cheaper not to travel from Russia in your own car, but to fly by plane to some large Italian city, pick up a rented car (you need to rent it in advance, on special, trusted sites) and go driving around Italy.

Some points about traveling by car:

• The cheapest and safest way is to rent a car on the website. Book a car in advance, several months in advance, so the price will be much lower
• Be sure to purchase comprehensive car insurance. In Italy, the streets are narrow, and there is a very high chance of scratching or damaging your car.
• For the duration of your trip, you will need a navigator with up-to-date maps (if you travel by car often, you can buy yourself a navigator instead of paying extra for it every time you rent)
• Some large cities have special rules for entering the central part; sometimes you need to buy an additional entry permit, sometimes entry is prohibited at certain hours.
• In roadside cafes and shops, prices are significantly higher; to save money, you can stock up in advance in city supermarkets
• It's cheaper to refuel in cities rather than on highways. Gasoline on toll roads is more expensive.
• In Italy, there are two types of filling at gas stations: Self (you refuel and pay for gasoline yourself) and SerV (accepts payment and is filled by a gas station attendant, the price for each liter of gasoline is 10-20 euro cents higher here).
• Most of the good roads north of Naples are toll roads. To travel from north to south on a toll road you will have to pay 70-90 euros.
• To avoid the hassle of finding parking, book a hotel with its own parking.
• The crossing to Sicily will cost 50 euros.
• 1 liter of 95 gasoline costs 1.6-2.1 €.

Popular resorts and cities in Italy

Where exactly to go in Italy depends on your preferences. I have already given some recommendations in the “Routes” section of this article. In short, if you have a very limited budget, choose a seaside resort that also has attractions, for example, Rimini, Genoa, Naples (with the latter - be careful, thefts happen there very often, but there are attractions and the sea, which is a big plus). If you want to see the life of Italians, then plan a route from north to south. For brand shopping you should go to Milan, Rome, Florence. If you only need a beach holiday, and the best one in Italy, then it is better to choose the islands - Sicily, Ischia, Elba. Well, for the sights, go to Rome, Venice, Florence. The choice is huge, each city has its own merits, decide based on your vacation goals and budget.

I will give a list of the most popular places where you can relax in Italy. For convenience, I have indicated the main distinctive features of the holiday for each resort (each has attractions in one form or another, it’s just that somewhere there are more of them, and they are world famous):

• Turin - attractions
• Genoa – attractions, sea
• Milan - sights, shopping
• Venice - attractions, sea (in the vicinity)
• Bologna - attractions
• Pisa – attractions
• Florence – attractions, shopping
• Rimini – attractions (few), sea
• Rome – sights, shopping
• Naples - attractions, sea (in the vicinity)
• Salerno - sea
• Bari – attractions (few), sea
• Palermo (Sicily) - sea (in the vicinity)
• Syracuse (Sicily) – attractions (few), sea
• Olbia (Sardinia) – sea

Money

What money to take on a trip to Italy? Take euros. Moreover, do not carry all your savings in cash, put the bulk of the money on a card, ruble or euro - this does not play a special role when paying (payment will go through in both cases), because Even if you have a ruble card, then when paying for a purchase in Italy, rubles will be automatically converted into euros and no problems will arise.

If you often travel to Europe (several times a year), then in some cases it is beneficial to get a bank card with an account in euros, top up your account, and pay for purchases in Italy using it, so you will not be charged for converting rubles into euros. Just choose so that everything is really good.

Attractions

There are more than enough attractions in Italy. There was no plan for visiting attractions, museums and exhibitions. I simply bought guides to the cities from my route, and when I was already there, in 5 minutes I figured out where I should go today and what to visit. Without a plan, you can act according to your momentary desire, which when traveling gives you freedom of action, “flight of imagination” and more positive emotions, there is no need to rush anywhere, you are not late for anything, but simply enjoy your vacation.

The only thing I did as soon as I arrived in a new city was buy a discount tourist card, which gave me up to 50% discount on attractions, public transport, and skip-the-line access to some museums. Traveling around Italy on your own, visiting many attractions, actively using public transport - such cards for tourists will help you save money.

For Rome - this is the Roma Pass card, for 3 days it costs 36 €, for 2 days - 28 euros, allows you to visit 2 (for a 3-day card) or 1 attraction (for a 2-day card) free of charge and without a queue, free use of public transport and receive discounts on visiting other attractions. It is best used to visit the Colosseum and the Borghese Gallery, because... The queues are the longest there, and with a tourist card you can bypass them by going through a special entrance.

Using your card data, you can avoid standing in long lines at museums and exhibitions and pass through as a VIP visitor. These cards are inexpensive, you can buy them on the official websites of cities, at airports, train stations, and tourist centers. I wrote about how to save money while traveling.

Most of all I remember such places as the Duomo (cathedral) in Milan, the Colosseum in Rome, La Scala (opera house) in Milan, Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Pompeii near Naples. I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the list.

If you want to see the sights as part of an organized excursion group, learn much more interesting facts about memorable places in Italy from an individual guide, book unusual excursions from local residents, then use the website. Select a few excursions you like, read reviews about them and feel free to book them to diversify your independent holiday in Italy.

Transport in Italy

It is more convenient and, most often, cheaper to travel between Italian cities by train. A developed railway network and the presence of high-speed trains (except in the southern part of the country) allow you to quickly get to the desired city. You can buy tickets for the desired route on the official website of the Italian railways Trenitalia.com (the earlier you buy tickets, the lower the prices).

There are several types of trains in Italy:

• "Arrows" (high-speed) - FrecciaRossa (the fastest and with a relatively high ticket price), Frecciargento (average in price and speed), Frecciabianca (the slowest of the "arrows", but also with the lowest price). Choose these trains for long distances to save time, for example Rome-Milan, or for better comfort.
• Regular intercity ones are Intercity (they travel slower than “arrows”, but connect more cities, and the prices are lower). You have a lot of time, but if you want to save money, choose them, but for long distances it is more convenient to use “arrows”.
• Intercity overnight - InterCityNotte (like the previous ones, only conditions have been created for a comfortable night trip). A good option for a trip to Sicily, because... It’s a long drive, but the “arrows” don’t go there.
• Electric trains – Regionale. A good, very inexpensive option for traveling to the suburbs and neighboring cities. There are a lot of stops, so be patient.

Domestic flights in Italy are also developed and inexpensive, but, in my opinion, this type of transport is not always convenient. It is worth flying by plane if you are going to get to another part of Italy, for example, you can fly to Sicily from Rome or Milan. Although prices for air travel are low due to the presence of low-cost airlines (Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet; low-cost airlines also have sales several times a year where you can buy air tickets for 10-15 euros one way without luggage, for luggage you usually need to pay an additional 15- 30 euros, but such sales are rare; while you wait for them, you can miss out on low prices for regular tickets), but the time it takes to check in for a flight, travel to/from the airport, and frequent delays on domestic flights make airplanes not a very tempting means of transport.

You can also use intercity buses, but this is not very convenient, although it is the cheapest option in most cases. In the hot summer months, the buses are stuffy, air conditioning is not always a help, and the comfort level on the buses is at a minimum. Better use the trains.

Buy a tour or go to Italy on your own

I decided to travel around Italy on my own, without the help of travel agencies, and will continue to do so. But some tourists still choose the tour. The fact is that in rare cases, with special offers from tour operators, you can relax at the most popular resorts at relatively low prices. Such last-minute tours need to be carefully monitored and purchased immediately (if you are completely satisfied with this type of vacation), because the most attractive options in terms of cost can be sorted out in literally 5-10 minutes. This specificity of cheap tours makes them elusive, because... you have to constantly monitor the offers of tour operators, most often for several months in a row, and, most often, such offers become available during business hours, which means that it is not always possible to purchase it even if there is a cheap tour, because this takes time, you need to interrupt your work (which is not always possible), you need to have access to the Internet and a bank card at hand.

Those who still decide to choose offers from tour operators do so on or on. The services are time-tested, there are convenient filters for searching, and there are many options available for various resorts. Just don’t forget that the cost of most cheap tours only includes hotel accommodation (and not always good, only with breakfast or no meals at all) and air travel, and does not take into account expenses for food/cafes/restaurants, insurance, travel around Italy itself ( between cities and in the cities themselves), the purchase of souvenirs and other standard expenses on vacation, so if these expenses are added to the cost of the tour (to see the real required budget), then offers from tour operators are often not profitable.

The main reason why I don’t buy tours, but travel around Italy on my own is the constraint of choosing an interesting route, limiting myself to the rigid framework of specific arrival and departure dates (last minute tours with low prices are often not convenient for dates, departure can be “tomorrow” “or vice versa, after a few months (which is less common), you have to change your plans, adapt to the tour operator, and the majority are given vacation only with a few weeks’ advance notice, or in general, annual vacation is assigned only on specific dates determined by management, which creates difficulties for rest according to the tour), a small number of days for rest (in a few days you will not be able to fully get acquainted with different parts of Italy, you will have to limit yourself to one or two cities, which will not bring so many positive emotions in comparison with flexible independent travel), not very comfortable hotels (most often, cheap tours include accommodation in low-level hotels, with poor food or no food at all, in an area remote from the city center).

If you want to see several cities, visit the best beaches, see the real Italy (and not just the part that is overrun by tourists), enjoy your vacation at a pace that is convenient for you, experience as many positive emotions as possible and get a lot of pleasant impressions (much more than a standard tour vacation provides), then choose an independent trip to Italy.

How to save money

Cost of a trip to Italy – prices and budget

How much it will cost to fly to Italy on your own is up to you to decide; this is a huge advantage of independent travel. Different travelers have different travel styles. Some people like to spend money left and right, live in 5-star hotels and rent a Cadillac to get around the city. The price of such a holiday will be several tens of thousands of euros. And someone uses advice, and. Such a trip can cost about 30,000 rubles per month of vacation. My independent trip to Italy, which lasted 24 days and included many cities in different parts of the country, cost 125,000 rubles (if I lived in the European part of the Russian Federation, this figure would decrease by 10,000), I’ll say right away that it was not super economical travel, I just sometimes bought what I wanted, I used to travel around Europe for 25,000 rubles a month (it was an interesting adventure :)). First you need to decide how you want to travel and only then calculate your approximate budget. An independent trip to Italy for 10 days for two requires an average of 95,000-125,000 rubles, but take into account the information provided in this section.

Expenditure

To create your own travel budget, you will need this table with approximate expenses:

The budget for your trip is greatly influenced by the number of cities you want to see, how many attractions you consider a must-see, how important shopping is for you, where you will eat (cafes, restaurants, or just buy food in supermarkets). If you have already traveled to any countries, then be guided by your previous experience with an eye to the prices in Italy, which are given in this article.

Prices in Italy

Housing prices

Prices are given for the cheapest options, which cannot boast of super service, fine cuisine, and, often, a convenient location. It is better to book accommodation slightly higher than the minimum price, based on the hotel rating, customer reviews, and location amenities. Hotels with the best price/quality ratio are listed.

Food prices in supermarkets

Prices in cafes/inexpensive restaurants

Transport prices

Solo travel to Italy - an 18-step plan

1. Decide on travel dates and number of days to rest
2. Think over the route and decide on places (cities) for vacation
3. Buy air tickets to Italy and back
4. Book your accommodation
5. Buy insurance
6. Get your visa
7. Decide what type of transport you will use when traveling between Italian cities
8. Buy tickets for intercity transport in Italy (early purchase/booking of tickets for trains, buses, planes, car rentals can significantly reduce your expenses)
9. Select and pay for excursions in advance if you need them (early booking is cheaper and guarantees that there will be free places in the group with the guide; for individual excursions this is especially important, because popular guides have all excursions planned for several in the high season weeks in advance)
10. You can make a rough list of attractions that you want to visit (optional, but it saves time “on the spot”)
11. Download maps to your smartphone so as not to get lost and to navigate well in unfamiliar cities (it is advisable to download applications with maps that work without the Internet, for example, Maps.me)
12. Write down (or remember, if you have a good memory, but it’s better to write down) important information about each city from the route (how to get from the airport, which metro or other public transport station is near your hotel, the very name and address of your hotel)
13. Exchange some of the money for euros, take the necessary bank cards (and a credit card if you rent a car)
14. Pack your suitcases/backpacks (documents, first aid kit, equipment, clothes, Power Bank (external battery, needed to recharge your electronic devices, often required when traveling), etc.)
15. Set an alarm in advance that will remind you at the right time that it is time to go to the airport
16. Check in for your flight in advance (online check-in usually opens 24 hours before departure (sometimes earlier, check on the airline’s website)) to get the most comfortable seats with a good view, and also to avoid the hassle of possible overbooking (when the airline sells more tickets for a flight than there are seats on the plane)
17. A little time has passed since you packed your suitcases, and you remembered what you forgot to put in - take the missing things with you (just don’t take everything in a row, there’s no need for extra cargo)
18. The alarm clock rang. Go to the airport. Have a great trip!

Now you can go on your independent trip to Italy cheaply and comfortably. Italy will give you a lot of positive emotions. After my trip to this country, I was very happy, and I wish the same for you. Visit SpiritRelax often and relax anywhere in the world. All the best!

Safety

The security situation in Italy is quite ambiguous. On the one hand, it is one of the most criminalized states in the European Union, with a high crime rate for such a developed country. In large cities, one should constantly be wary of pickpockets and petty thieves; cases of fraud on transport and in restaurants are not uncommon. You should not carry large amounts of cash with you or withdraw them from an ATM in front of everyone. It is recommended to store documents and money in hotel safes, or, if necessary, place them in the most inaccessible place. It is better to carry something valuable in a belt bag or backpack - local “schipattori” (robbers) open purses, bags and handbags with grace worthy of better use, and often simply snatch them out of their hands using scooters or motorcycles.

It is not recommended to leave anything valuable in the car, and it is better to park the car itself in guarded parking lots or on well-lit streets. In the event of direct contact with a robber, it is recommended to comply with all his demands and not engage in direct confrontation. It is not recommended to run away from robbers, scream or confront them (although this is not excluded - the law will be on the side of the victim in any case), however, most local residents prefer to give money in such cases and then call the police.

The biggest concern for most travelers is usually the violent robberies that are common in many "ethnic" neighborhoods, but there are a number of long-established rules regarding this danger, such as preparing a small amount of cash (usually 20-50 euros) that can be given to the robbers without the risk of entering into conflict with them, and refraining from openly wearing luxury items and expensive samples of photographic or video equipment. Also, you should not show the contents of your wallet, often check the map of the area (a clear sign of a foreigner or stranger in the area), get into unfamiliar cars (for travel there is a developed and quite safe, albeit flawed, taxi system), etc.

On the other hand, in provincial Italy, far from noisy cities, there is almost complete idyll. Here it is quite enough to follow the usual safety measures. Cases of petty theft or fraud are extremely rare (usually teenagers are guilty of this) and are quite easily detected by the police. The notorious mafia minds its own business and is unlikely to pay attention to tourists - this threat, circulated in newspapers, is considered greatly exaggerated even by the Italians themselves.

Police

Italy has a fairly extensive and multi-level public security system. The Carabinieri are the largest unit of the Italian criminal police, with fairly broad powers. The characteristic uniform of the Carabinieri - a paramilitary cut with a white sword belt - catches the eye of all guests of the country. Their powers include fighting crime, maintaining public order and monitoring the non-proliferation of drugs. They must also be contacted in case of robbery. To do this, you should find the address of the police department (Questura, in small towns - Сommissariato) in the local telephone directory and call an investigator to the crime scene or apply directly. In some cases (Italian justice is slow) you will need to obtain permesso di soggiorno (permission to extend your stay in the country).

The city police (Vigili Urbani) mainly controls the situation on the roads. There is another unit with similar functions - the traffic police (Polizia Stradale), but its officers only patrol highways.

Operating mode

The national tradition of Italy is siesta. From 12.00-13.00 to 15.00-16.00 many institutions are closed. In fact, only street cafes, restaurants and transport are open, and even those are switching to a special operating mode. In the afternoon, it is simply impossible to catch a taxi or get on a bus or train on time; there are certain problems with choosing a place to eat - many cafes and bars are also closed.

The whole country goes on long holidays in July-August, so during this period there are also problems with both transport and catering establishments - there are simply not enough of them for everyone. To this should be added the crowds of Italians traveling to all the popular resorts, where many foreigners already vacation. Therefore, it is strongly not recommended to plan a trip for this period - June is much calmer here.

Opening hours of religious institutions

Churches are usually open from early morning until 12.00-12.30 and from 14.00-15.00 until 19.00-20.00. Major cathedrals and basilicas are open all day. It is not recommended to visit churches during religious ceremonies. It is necessary to prepare a sufficient number of 50-cent coins for the machines that include the lighting of church interiors. It is convenient to view the paintings on the ceilings and domes of churches through binoculars; photography is usually not allowed, especially using flash.

Museum opening hours

Museum opening hours vary in different regions of the country and depend on the time of year. Most of them are usually open from 9.00-10.00 to 13.00 and from 16.00 to 19.00 in summer, from 10.00 to 16.00-18.00 in winter. Many large congregations are free every last Friday of the month, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The day off for most museums is Monday. If museum employees show or explain something, it is customary to tip when leaving the museum.

Store opening hours

Shops are open from 8.00 to 13.00 and from 15.00-15.30 to 20.00. All shops are closed on Sundays, and most are closed on Thursday afternoons. Large supermarkets are open from Monday to Saturday from 9.00 to 21.00 (without lunch), on Monday they open at 14.00. On Saturdays, some shops are open only until lunch, but on pre-holiday days, large retail outlets are open even on Sundays. Small shops are open from 8.00 to 20.00 with a break for lunch (they also close on Thursday afternoons). Some even work without lunch on Saturday, since on this day the population usually buys food for the week and therefore there is a large influx of buyers everywhere. Bars and restaurants operate on individual schedules. Most retail outlets close for at least two weeks during the summer (usually in August).

Smoking

In Italy, there is a state monopoly on the sale of tobacco products - they can only be purchased at kiosks with a special emblem. Smoking is prohibited in public places (including train stations), on public transport, in taxis, in most theaters, cinemas, and in shops. Smoking is also prohibited in most bars and restaurants, the only exceptions being establishments with special rooms for smokers, as well as street cafes. Violators are subject to a fine of 250 to 500 euros (the latter for smoking in the presence of a pregnant woman or a child under 12 years of age). There are also penalties for owners of establishments that allow smoking on their premises, as well as (sic!) a fine for failure to report on the owners of such restaurants. But in Italy, as well as in Russia, the rigidity of the laws is compensated by the optionality of their implementation - many Italians have long found loopholes in the new rules. However, tourists are not recommended to take risks - it is much easier to simply find out from the staff where the smoking areas are.

On the territory of the Vatican, it is prohibited not only to smoke, but also to simply light cigarettes, for everyone without exception, regardless of citizenship, position and rank. They say that several times even archbishops and cardinals were fined 30 euros.

The legal age for buying wine and visiting bars in Italy is 16, although there has long been debate about raising this threshold to 18.

Toilets

All airports, railway stations, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels have toilets (designated as WC). If the restroom is not classified as public, it can still be used for an appropriate fee. Public toilets are located near many major attractions, but major cities have a distinct shortage of these facilities. When using them, the main thing is not to confuse them - men's rooms are indicated by the sign Signori, ladies' rooms - Signorie, that is, the difference is only one letter.

Electricity

The mains voltage is 220 V, 50 Hz. European-type sockets are used - round with two cylindrical pins (the familiar Type C) and its variety with two stampings on the sides of the plug for grounding contacts (Type F or Schuko), as well as rectangular connectors with three pins arranged in a line (Type L). Moreover, the appearance of the latter clearly indicates the permissible connection power - the smaller the pins and the closer they are located, the less the permissible current (usually 10 A, large plugs with thick connectors are designed for a current of more than 16 A). For better compatibility of Italian connectors with plugs of other standards, special cover plates with shaped holes are used.

Museums and attractions

It is not recommended to swim in the city fountains - the fine can reach 500 euros. Also, in many cities, the popular tourist entertainment of feeding pigeons in city squares is increasingly being restricted (in Venice, for example, it is completely prohibited).

According to the law, which came into force in Rome on July 12, 2008, it is prohibited to eat, drink alcoholic beverages, shout or sleep near historical monuments of the Italian capital. Violators will be fined 50 euros. Similar rules are already in place in Florence and Venice.

There are decent queues outside many popular museums and historical complexes. The wait to enter the Vatican Museums can take up to several hours! Therefore, with a clear focus on Italian museums and historical monuments, it is recommended to go in winter - the prices are lower and there are no queues. Entrance to the territory of almost all historical and archaeological monuments is paid. If there are several objects related to the same theme nearby (palace - museum - gallery, etc.), then a ticket to one of them is usually valid for the entire complex.

Beaches

Many beaches, even those that do not belong to resort complexes, are paid. Sun beds, umbrellas, and towels are also paid separately. You should pay attention to the same point in hotels, in most of which beach equipment is a separate service. Moreover, it is often necessary to pay for a sun lounger or towel by purchasing a subscription, which, by definition, cannot be valid for less than 3-4 days, which is extremely inconvenient in the case of short-term visits to several beach areas.

Hotels

The level of services in Italian hotels is a topic for another discussion. Almost anywhere you can find a good “three” with excellent service and a very expensive “five” with a full range of services of dubious quality. Often, in a hotel restaurant, the quality of food is much inferior to that of a neighboring trattoria at an incomparable price level.

Restaurants

If you want to have lunch or dinner, then it is better not to be led by guides or hotel workers, but to choose an establishment yourself. This is extremely simple - there are a great variety of restaurants and cafes of all kinds in Italian cities, and many of them have first-class cuisine. This is very easy to figure out - if a lot of Italians dine in an establishment, then it will be suitable for tourists too. However, during the day many restaurants are closed - siesta! Therefore, during this period it may be easier to have lunch at the hotel or find out in advance the opening hours of the restaurants you like most.

Guides and travel services

Often, guides use a proven technique, leading groups through “fed” restaurants and shops - this method has long been known to everyone, so it is not difficult to find resistance to it. You should avoid evening excursions - almost all more or less famous objects have lighting, but they turn it on either according to a schedule or turn it on half-heartedly, so it is almost impossible to see anything in the dark, and even more so, to take a photograph. Therefore, when choosing a hotel, route, method of transportation, etc., you should carefully study all the conditions - Italy lives on tourism, so there are plenty of people here who want to profit from it. It is characteristic that in the south of the country, especially in Sicily and Sardinia, there are usually no complaints about the honesty of local residents - there is a slightly different mentality and a completely different attitude towards methods of making money. It is much easier with service in the pre-Alpine regions, where in many establishments comparing them with the south will be considered a direct insult (and for the most part they will be right, although by “south” here we should still mean the central regions of the country). It is fundamentally wrong to classify all Italians as scammers - there are many more people here who sincerely want to introduce a foreigner to the culture and traditions of their country. The warmth and hospitality of many ordinary locals is what you really need to go to Italy for.

Large sums of money

Tips

Despite the widespread use of complex prices that include payment for all services, in case of good service it is customary to tip 10-15% of the order amount or simply round the amount up (the latter is common in bars and small street cafes). Italians themselves can leave a tip in a premium establishment, but never pay over the bill in a cafe, taxi or pizzeria. When serving at the counter, tips are not accepted, and in general this method of dining is noticeably cheaper, since when seated at a table an additional “restaurant fee” is automatically charged, which in the case of a small order can easily double or even triple its cost.

Taxi drivers are not required to tip, but doormen and porters are required to leave 1-2 euros.

Price level

Italy is the most expensive country in southern Europe, although on its territory there is clearly a noticeable difference in prices between the northern and southern regions, as well as between large cities and the provinces. Hotels of the highest category ask for their services over 200 euros per night (usually breakfast or lunch is included in such prices), hotels of the middle category - 40-120 euros. In low-level hotels (previously they were designated pension, or pensione, but are now usually classified as one- or two-star) you can spend the night for 14-40 euros, depending on the level of additional amenities and proximity to the city center. Private boarding houses and very popular private hotels in Italy in villages (designated as agriturismi) are also divided depending on the level of services according to the European “star” system.

Hotels include VAT (IVA, 20-21%) in room rates. The exception is expensive five-star hotels, where the IVA is 13% and is added as a separate item to the bill. According to local law, tourists are required to obtain an official receipt for the entire range of hotel services and keep it until leaving the country, but in practice this requirement is practically not observed (especially in relation to groups). The staff is also obliged to provide the guest with comprehensive information about the operation of local transport (including car rental offices) and other characteristic nuances of this place, however, this service is almost not in demand, since only employees of hotels of large international chains or tourist centers usually know foreign languages.

Many Italian hotels, especially those located in historical buildings in the city center, do not have their own restaurant, offering food in the nearest street establishment. However, even if there is a restaurant, meals on half board or full board are practically not found. Some hotels do not include breakfast in the stated price of rooms, adding its cost to the bill (often breakfast at a hotel can cost as much as a hearty dinner at a nearby city restaurant, so this point must be clarified before check-in). Another characteristic feature of most local hotels is the small size of many rooms, especially single rooms.

Camping is very popular in Italy, with over 1,700 official campsites scattered throughout the country. Any TCI (Italian Touring Club) tourist office will provide information and details of all nearby sites, as well as issue their Campeggi in Italia guide. Larger sites offer tents and "caravans" for rent and are usually equipped with restaurants, currency exchange offices and other infrastructure. Staying in places not designated for camping is prohibited - all land in the country is private, so a tourist in this way can not only violate road or environmental rules, but also face criminal prosecution for violating private property rights.

Food prices are also quite high. You can spend 40-45 euros per day if you have lunch and dinner in street cafes (without alcohol!). Lunch at the hotel restaurant will cost 40-60 euros, dinner can cost twice as much. At the same time, with some skill, you can always find pizzerias and cafes where you can spend 20-30 euros for lunch and 40-50 for dinner (wine can double this amount, although you can always find inexpensive ordinary varieties). A liter bottle of mineral water will cost 1-1.5 euros, a bottle of Peroni beer - 2-2.5 euros, a small pizza - 2-5 euros, a portion of pasta - 4-9 euros. However, in provincial restaurants and small city cafes (trattorie), prices are always somewhat lower, but so is the level of service. It should be borne in mind that almost all establishments in large cities consider themselves apologists for “author cuisine,” so the price of even a seemingly simple pizza or pasta here can reach up to 20 euros.

Despite the widespread use of complex prices that include payment for all services, in case of good service it is customary to tip 10-15% of the order amount or simply round the amount up (the latter is common in bars and small street cafes). When serving at the counter, tips are not accepted, and in general this method of dining is noticeably cheaper, since when seated at a table an additional “restaurant fee” is automatically charged, which in the case of a small order can easily double or even triple its cost. Taxi drivers are not required to tip, but doormen and porters are required to leave 1-2 euros.

When paying for any goods or services, the law for a long time obligated the buyer to require a tax receipt (ricevuta fiscale), without which the client had no right to leave the establishment. This rule was recently repealed, and now the buyer does not face a fine if the seller does not give him a receipt. But it’s better to still demand it, at least in order to check whether there is any deception in the seller’s actions. However, the staff will most often prepare all the documents themselves without additional requirements, since fiscal reporting in the country is quite strict.

The non-cash system of payments for goods and services is widespread - in any store the buyer will definitely be asked how he will pay. You should definitely find out the terms of payment - for some products and goods it is more profitable to pay with a credit card (less taxes), but in some cases it is easier to pay in cash.

The variation in prices for goods is very noticeable even within the same shopping area. You can get an idea of ​​the average price by going to a large supermarket, but in general it is recommended to go to several stores of the same type in order to be able to choose the appropriate option based on price - there are practically no problems with the assortment here, unless we are talking about some exclusive products. A system of seasonal discounts is widespread, especially in winter and spring - during the Christmas holidays, Easter and the eves of various local holidays, general sales are held, during which the cost of many goods from old collections is reduced by 30-40%. Discounts on sporting goods and equipment usually occur at the end of the season. There is also a whole network of stock stores where goods from last year's collections are sold at greatly reduced prices.

It is not customary to bargain in stores, although it is quite possible in markets, and in this way you can reduce the price of street sellers by 2-3 times.

When buying shoes, you should keep in mind that the Italian size designation system does not coincide with the European and Russian ones. As a rough guide, you can be 1 size larger - Russian 37 corresponds to Italian 38. Clothing sizes, on the contrary, are 6 units smaller than ours: 38 Italian corresponds to 44 Russian.

Serious fines are imposed on people who buy counterfeit goods, so you should always be careful about the authenticity of the items you buy, especially if they come with well-known brand labels. Since May 2005, for the purchase of counterfeit wallets, sunglasses, watches, belts, etc., you can be subject to criminal prosecution, which for a foreigner usually ends with a fine of up to 10 thousand euros! The only salvation in this case can be a cash receipt from the store where the item was purchased - the punishment will fall on the heads of the merchants, not the tourists. Therefore, it is not recommended to buy anything from dubious establishments or on street stalls.

Certain difficulties also arise for people importing such goods into the country, even if these are personal items in one copy. However, the most interesting thing is that in shopping arcades, usually concentrated near all popular attractions, there is no decrease in the share of Chinese or Albanian counterfeits.

Laws

If you are one of the tourists who are not very fond of group trips or organized tours. operator, then our advice is simply necessary. After all, when organizing your trip in person, you need to think about a lot. Today we’ll look at a trip to Italy: what an independent tourist who wants to get a lot of positive and pleasant emotions needs to know.

Italy is a tourist country, it is comfortable here, everything is done for travelers. But there are things that you should not forget about, especially considering that you are in another country. If you smoke, keep in mind that it is better to clarify whether smoking is allowed in the establishment where you came to dine or not. You are unlikely to be fined for throwing a cigarette butt by the guardians of the law, who, by the way, are at every turn in Rome... Although we advise you not to litter, it’s not nice. But as for smoking in public places, it’s worth clarifying. Otherwise, you can end up with a large sum for a tourist, 200 euros.

By the way, one more piece of advice for smoking tourists: it’s better to buy cigarettes in duty-free, it will be cheaper.

Now let's talk about travel. This is an important question for every traveler. If you will be walking and driving all day and the plan involves a lot of transfers, then it is more profitable to buy a ticket for the whole day. It is designed for 75 minutes, you can use it on any type of public transport and do not waste time buying a separate ticket for each trip. Please note that with this pass you can only travel on the metro once. If a day pass is not an option for you, buy single tickets. They are sold in Tabacchi tobacco stores, newsstands, ticket offices, and on the buses themselves. We advise you to buy a ticket in advance so that no problems arise and no one manages to ruin your mood.

The metro in Rome operates from 5 am to 12 midnight. By the way, this is the most convenient and fastest way to travel. When getting on public transport during rush hour, watch your belongings. It’s not uncommon for naive tourists to be “ruined” by pickpockets.

It is also equally important to know what clothes to choose for walking around Rome. In Italian cities it is often not very comfortable to walk in heels (due to the paving stones). And if you are going to explore the city all day, then leave uncomfortable shoes at home and put on something suitable (for example, sneakers, sandals). In addition, it is worth thinking about clothing: in the summer, do not try to wear things with long sleeves; it is better to choose outfits made from light natural fabrics. It would be a good idea to bring a hat/cap, sunglasses and cream. Be sure to always have a bottle of water and a light snack with you. By the way, stock up on groceries and fruits in the evening. And now you will find out why.

What do you need to know about restaurants, taxis, hotels?

We talked above about the fact that it is better to stock up on food. Especially for those who are used to not skipping breakfast. A packet of oatmeal, which can be prepared in a regular mug and poured boiling water over it, would not be superfluous. Also a good option for breakfast are fruits, yoghurts, and juices. Why are we focusing on this now? Because cafes and restaurants in Italy welcome guests from 12 noon to 15.30. At this time you can have lunch; there is no breakfast time. Moreover, if you are late for lunch, you will have to wait until 7 pm. It is at this time that restaurants begin to work again, and establishments are open until a maximum of 12 at night.

One more nuance that is worth mentioning. You should leave a tip in a restaurant if you are truly satisfied with the service. And they can account for no more than 7-10 percent of the order.

When going to Italy, take into account such a traditional feature of this country as the presence of a “siesta”. Lunch time for relaxation is from 12.30 to 15.30, many shops and other establishments close.

We talked about public transport, but it’s worth mentioning taxis. You can't just stop your car on the street. There are parking lots for taxis, and there is also the option of ordering a car by phone.

There are also some things that may surprise you at the hotel. First of all, be prepared that Italian sockets will not be suitable for your equipment, so we strongly advise you to buy an adapter at home. Secondly, check with the administrator whether you need to pay separately for the air conditioner. You will be surprised, but in some hotels the use of air conditioning is not included in the price of the entire room. Third, it would be a good idea to take with you or buy mosquito spray or raptor upon arrival. There can be trouble with livestock in cheaper hotels. Centipedes and mosquitoes are something to be prepared for.

It is better to leave air tickets and documents with the administrator against signature or in the hotel safe. Remember that pickpockets in Italy are very clever.

And also, if you notice strings in the bathroom near the shower, do not rush to pull them. Most likely, this is a way to communicate that you need help and an unusual situation has arisen.

And finally, always make sure that you have mobile communications and mobile Internet. We advise you to pay attention to one interesting option - Vodafone 19 (special tariff for Italy). The mobile operator offers mega favorable conditions:

Incoming calls are free.
Outgoing within Italy – 0.01 cents + per connection 0.19 cents.
Cheap calls to Russia – 8 cents + connection fee 0.19 cents.
Inexpensive mobile Internet (1 GB for 6 euros per day).

If you want to know more, read the website.