Avoid these common tourist mistakes in Italy
Italy is one of the most visited destinations in the world, making it both very accessible but also teeming with tourists at certain times of year. While most of Italy’s cities and towns are visitor-friendly, there are still some pitfalls that tourists commonly find themselves stumbling into.
Avoid these common travel-planning mistakes to make your next trip to Italy as enjoyable as possible.
Trying to see it all
It’s tempting to want to see everything on a vacation. Many tourists visiting Italy try to see a long list of cities in just one or two weeks, many rushing along the main tourist corridor that includes Milan, Venice, Florence (and Pisa!), and Rome. While this may be possible, it’s best to focus on just a couple destinations and really enjoy them, rather than rush through a long list, spending more time in your rental car than hanging out in cafes or museums.
If you have limited time, think about simplifying things, visiting a pair, like Rome and Florence or Venice and Milan, instead of going for all four! And you can shake these up with day trips on the side.
If you overbook your trip to Italy, you’ll end up missing out on the little things that make each city unique, and you won’t get to enjoy the relaxed lifestyle the country is famous for. Over-scheduling also puts you at risk for more delays and other inconveniences, which can cut into your time and disrupt a tight schedule. For a 7- to 10-day vacation, focus on two cities and spend the time to see all they have to offer.
Following other tourists
Italy is full of “must-see” sights like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum. These places are famous for a reason, but that means they’re also crowded and hectic. While you should absolutely plan to visit a few iconic sights during your trip, balance these tourist hot-spots with more local (and more relaxed) destinations.
It’s a good idea to schedule free time (even just an hour or two) each day to wander the streets, open to whatever you might come across, and to fit in food, shopping, and sightseeing recommendations you get from locals along the way. You’ll probably find that your cafe barista, hotel clerk, or market vendor can offer up some gems that you won’t find in your Lonely Planet.
Not keeping an eye on your valuables
Overall, Italy is a very safe country for travel. There is very little violent crime and tourists are treated well. That said, pickpocketing is not uncommon, especially in areas bustling with tourists, like those surrounding famous sights and busy train stations. Make sure to keep track of your valuables and possessions, especially when passing through or around big groups of tourists.
Keep your wallet in your front pocket and a hand on your purse at all times, and always leave your passport and some of your money in your hotel, just in case.
Many small businesses only take cash, so prepare to pay up in euros to local merchants like this one at a butcher shop in Florence. Photo: Frank Kovalchek
Not carrying enough cash
Italy is antiquated when it comes to payment methods, but that’s part of its charm. Cash is the preferred method of payment at most shops, and smaller bills are especially appreciated for inexpensive purchases. From panini shops in Florence to vintage clothing stores in Rome, vendors often don’t have change, and will ask you for coins, so try to use exact change whenever possible.
Major credit cards are accepted at larger stores and most restaurants, but make sure to check your bank’s foreign transaction rate so you’re not surprised by large fees when you return home. Traveler’s checks are rarely, if ever accepted in Italy, so stick to your credit cards and withdrawing cash from an ATM on arrival.
Your mistakes?
What mistakes did you make on your first visit to Italy? We want to hear your stories!
About the author
what not to do in Italy—be very careful when renting a car, especially from local or smaller agencies. we rented a diesel Audi from Sixt. very nice car and no problems except a gas station put gas in instead of diesel. i called the “help” number at Sixt and got NO help. we were outside of Naples and had to be in Rome for our flt home. They had no repllacement car that would accommodate 4 adults and luggage. They couldn’t locate another car for at least 2 days. They advised us to take a taxi–250Euros, to Rome. Which is what we had to do. And we had to pay and got no reimbursement. Needless to say we’ll NEVER rent or recommend Sixt. And those “help” numbers in Italy are rarely staffed with people who have a command of English.
Hi All,
Thanks for sharing your rental car story. Sorry to hear it was such a misadventure. This is really helpful information for our readers.
The most costly mistake we made on our first trip to Italy was failing to validate train tickets/passes–we’d jumped on a train at the last minute without stopping at the yellow box or (in the case of the passes) signing the back, and the conductor made us pay a large fine on the spot when he came through. Even on subsequent visits, we’ve had the occasional problem with the trains when we bought them from the machines.
We recommend buying at the wicket, despite the lines, unless you’re absolutely sure you’re getting what you want (we bought tickets at the machine in one station without realizing that we were purchasing tickets for a train that left from a different station, and by the time we realized it, we’d nearly missed our train; it was late, as trains often are in Italy, so we didn’t, but we had to scramble). We speak fairly good Italian, so I have to think that the rules and the ticketing procedure are just a little more confusing than you might think.
One last tip: watch out for jumping onto an Italo Tren (it’s a fairly new line) when you’ve bought a ticket for a Trenitalia train. They’re not identical, but if you’re rushing and you see a train on your track going to your destination, you actually CAN make that mistake. We did, and it cost us both a fine AND the price of two sets of tickets.