My Top 10 Tips for Navigating Italy Like a Local

From bruschetta to frizzante, here’s what you need to know.

I’ve been back from Italy for exactly two weeks.

I’ve had a few requests for travel tips. Some have come from people with Italian getaways coming up this summer; others are planning an escape with no real date in mind.

Certainly these points I’ve gathered are not an exhaustive list, but what I noticed most. If you have any tips to add, please do so, I’m sure we would all benefit from the collective experience.

Hey – did you know if you check the little heart at the top or bottom of this post, the magic internet fairies will bless it with algorithmic love and show it to more people? Plus, seeing the little hearts light up, also alights mine.

1. Make Reservations

As dedicated as Italians are to le dolce vita, they’re weirdly uptight about resos. If you don’t have one, you very likely will be turned away – at least at the smaller places. You will probably be ok to drop in at the larger restaurants in bigger cities, but that’s not necessarily a guarantee.

2. Find Out About Holidays

Italians love a holiday and seemingly have a reason to celebrate on the regular.

While I was there, there were three holidays in two weeks: a Rome-specific holiday marking the city’s birthday with a parade and marathon that snarled the already snarly traffic and burst the restaurants and bars at the seams (see Tip 1); a country-wide Labour Day type of holiday which closed most stores and restaurants in non-touristy areas; and a day-long celebration of the Italy’s unification, which caught us unaware and left us without a place to eat.

There was also a transit strike in Rome, which also happens frequently. Though strikes aren’t a holiday, they happen often enough that it’s worth a mention.

Whether you love the frenetic energy of a celebratory crowd, or you actively avoid the shoulder-to-shoulder revelry at all costs (hi, it’s me), winging it is not a good plan for Italian vacations. It’s advisable to know what is happening during your stay so you can organize your schedule accordingly. Know that already-busy monuments like museums, churches, and historical sites will be absolutely swarming with people, and stores (including grocery) and restaurants may be open or closed. As already mentioned, the restaurants that are open will be jammed, so you better make a reservation – and not be late.

Me, in Parma, enjoying a caffè con aqua calda.

3. Coffee

Coffee/caffè is an espresso.

Caffè con acqua calda gets you an espresso in a large(r) cup with hot water on the side, that you can mix yourself to your own strength preferences.

Americano – which isn’t always understood by many baristas – is espresso mixed with hot water in the same cup. No, they don’t ask the size you would like. No, they don’t have coffee to go. Drink it standing at the bar, or perhaps at a small table if you’re at the right place, like a real Italian.

And while common lore suggests no Italian would ever order a cappuccino after 11am, I’ve never seen an Italian drinking cappuccino at all.

4. Driving in Rome is for Maniacs.

5. Toilet

Formally called a “Bagno,” I’ve only ever heard Italians call the restroom the “toilet.”

Either way, if you use it, and find there is no water to wash your hands, look on the floor. Quite a number of places have foot pedals or a button to step on to start the water.

6. The Frizzante Debate is a Real Thing

We noticed the sparkling water – and even the tonic water for our gins – decidedly lacked bubbles. The fizz actually tasted flat.

We finally asked a waiter about it in Rome, and he told us most Italians – at least those living central and south – prefer soft bubbles, leggermente frizzante – “slightly” bubbly. It had something to do with the Italian belief that strong bubbles are bad for the tummy. Our waiter advised us that if we want the firm bubble to order frizzante frizzante, (which generally means you’re getting a bottle of San Pellegrino). However, we tried that at a deeply Italian, non-touristy, Roman trattoria and our server said they simply don’t carry any water stronger than leggermente.

7. Sundays

A lot of shops, at least in small and medium cities, are closed on Sunday and sometimes even Monday. Even in Rome, one of our favourite wine bars, located only steps from the bustling Colosseum, was closed on Monday.

8. Non Toccare!

Don’t Touch!

In markets – whether farmer’s, flea, or sidewalk – it’s non autorizzato to handle the merchandise. To do so, could end up in a very public scolding from a very miffed vendor. If you want a bag of peas, a sparkly necklace, or a close up on a candle holder, it’s best to ask the shopkeeper to do the honours.

9. Bruschetta

In Canada, we mostly consider bruschetta to be the tomato-topped toast. In Italy, bruschetta is simply grilled bread topped with something – artichoke, fava bean, pork jowl, sweet pea… whatever the chef’s heart desires. If it’s topped with tomatoes, it will be called bruschetta al pomodoro, so be sure you understand the topping before ordering it. (If you missed my Mother’s Day post with the recipe for a fabulous fava bean bruschetta, I’ve linked it here.)

10. Go Off. Off-Season, Off-Hours.

I’ve had the good fortune to have visited Italy four or five times now. But I hadn’t been back to Rome in over a decade. I was genuinely shocked, and definitely overwhelmed, by the swarming crowds.

I have photos of me sitting on the edge of the Trevi fountain in June 2009. Sure, people were around, but it was nothing close to what I experienced this time. Now, the entire square in front of the fountain was choked with hundreds of tourists all clamouring for a photo. Sitting on shoulders, selfie sticks wagging in the air, pushing to angle in front. Same with the Colosseum, same with the Pantheon.

And this was early May (not even high season for tourists) on a Monday afternoon!

However, by 6pm, the crowds magically quelled. We were told by a local that the cruise ships and bus tours were done their day excursions, so the hordes thin out to a manageable level.

If you already have your trip to Italy booked for the summer months, be prepared for huge mobs. It might be a better idea to try to see the sights in the evening or very early morning, if possible (and it would certainly be a more comfortable temperature, as well.)

If you’re in the planning stages of an Italian getaway, aim for the off-season if you can. I really like Italy at the end of September, beginning of October. The weather is still warm but not dangerously hot, and the rabble has left.

Do you have any insights to travelling like a local? I’m sure we could all benefit from any and all ideas. Please leave them below so we can all be better travellers.

NB

If this has made you crave Italy, join me this Thursday, May 23 at La Cucina in Toronto. I’m hosting a wine tasting on the wines of southern Italy and there will be good snacks too. You can learn more and get tickets here.

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