7 Travel Hacks For Your Holiday in Italy

By Valerie Quintanilla

So, you want to visit the land of pizza, pasta, and wine? Well, it’s not all ragú and Sangiovese. Use these 7 simple travel tips to make your holiday in Italy la bella vita indeed!

Italy is an orchestra of the senses; from tastes to smells and sights to sounds you will rarely be bored and certainly won’t go hungry!

“Italy & Australia tied as the top global wish list destinations in TripAdvisor’s April 2014 Bi-Annual TripBarometer”

Even in the land of dolce vita frustrations occur. So, before you get your passport stamped, acquaint yourself with some simple Italy travel hacks to make your adventures truly bellissima!

7 Travel Tips For Your Holiday in Italy

1. Italian Language Crash Course

Here are some basic language skills to get you started. While it’s impossible to list all the essential travel phrases, here is a good resource with Italian travel phrases that will have you ready for your trip.

• Ciao (chow): Hi / Hello / Bye, use pretty much anytime, anywhere to acknowledge someone.

• Buongiorno (bwon zhor-no): Hello / Good morning / afternoon, use it before 3 p.m.

• Buonasera (bwoh-nah seh-rah): Good evening, use it after 3 p.m.

• Permesso (pair meh so): Excuse me, use it to get past people. Bonus: Traditionally Italians say “permesso” before entering a home. Give it a test drive to really impress the locals.

• Parla inglese? (par-la een-gleh-zeh): Do you speak English?

• Dové il bagno (doh vay eel bahn yoh): Where is the bathroom?

• Grazie (mille) graht-zee-eh (mee-leh): Thank you (very much)

• Quanto costa questo (qwan toe kohs tuh kwes toe?): How much is this?

2. Train Travel in Italy

Next, let’s get you ready for train travel. It can seem intimidating, but once you have it down you’ll feel like an old pro.
The following step-by-step guide helps you buy and use train tickets during your holiday in Italy.

Step 1: Use a Ticket Kiosk – Skip the ticket line. Yes, you might feel more assured because you can actually talk to someone, but in truth it can prove frustrating because it takes FOREVER to reach the front (no matter the length), and most agents don’t (or won’t) speak in English. It is also possible to book the tickets online with Trenitalia or Italo.

Step 2: Find Your Route – Take a picture of the screen with your complete route – this is especially important if you have a train change.

Step 3: Pay – You can generally pay with either credit card or cash, but make sure to pick a machine that offers your preferred method of payment. It’s easy to identify as they have pictures with cash and / or card.

Step 4: Validate Your Ticket – Before you board the train, validate your ticket. If you miss this step you risk a hefty fine should a conductor check your ticket.

Step 4: Find Your Platform – Look for “bin” or “binario”, “platform” in Italian. Bonus: If you are at a train station with digital signage and see “in ritardo” that means the train is late.

Step 5: Board – Find a seat and if you have a reserved seat, make sure to find your seat in the correct car.

Step 6: Finding Your Stop – Keep an eye on the time for your stop. Announcements are often made so also keep an ear out for when your destination is mentioned. Unless your destination is the end of the line, you will only have a few moments to disembark, so it’s a good idea to stand near the door around your scheduled arrival time so you can see the station signs.

This is important because the signs for smaller stations, like in places like the Cinque Terre, are not always easy to see. By waiting near the door you are less likely to get off at the wrong stop or miss your stop altogether.

3. Paying at bars (cafes) in gas stations, airports, train stations

Now, let’s make sure you know how to pay for food at the bars – you’ll find the following payment method primarily at transportation hubs.

Step 1: Place your order and pay at the register.

Step 2: Take your receipt to the counter and hand it to staff.

Step 3: Wait for food.

Step 4: Buon appetito!

4. Paying for meals in Italy

Let’s also go through how to pay for drinks and food without losing sightseeing time.

One of the most frustrating things for many visitors on holiday in Italy is the time it takes to get and pay for their bill after drinks or a meal. Once you’ve finished simply go to the register to request “il conto” (the bill), pay right then and there, and away you go!

5. Eating in Italy

Okay, so we’ve covered how to pay, but what about getting the right food?

There are a few things that are important to know about eating in Italy so you don’t end up with fries on your pizza. Mangia, mangia (eat up!)

Pizza: Just a couple notes on a food we all associate with Italy. First, if you order a “Pizza Americana” you will get fries on top. True story. Also, if you are looking for the delish slices of salumi, known as “pepperoni” in the States, don’t order “peperoni”. Notice the missing “p” in the second version, that gets you get a pizza with peppers.

Water: If you don’t do sparkling water make sure to request “naturale” (and, pronounce the “e” at the end).

Oil & Vinegar. Not to shatter any dreams, but in Italy it’s not traditional to have a bottle of oil and vinegar at the table. If you want to make the western oil and vinegar dipping mix for your bread, you’ll have to ask for a bottle of each.

Bread: Garlic bread is not a thing in Italy. That is all.

Gelato: In Italy you get two to three flavor choices for your cup or cone. For a real palate pleaser, try con “panna”, Italy’s version of whip cream. You won’t be sorry.

6. Save Some Money With Aperitivo

And, finally, let’s save you some money on food with Italy’s wonderful tradition of aperitivo. By definition aperitivo is a pre-meal drink that is meant to open the palate. Customarily the drinks were apertifs, fortified or sparkling wines; today spritz is the popular drink of choice (Aperol, Campari and Prosecco).

Tradition varies across The Boot, but generally a complimentary plate of food accompanies these drinks, making the tradition a good way to save money. To get more savings when dining at enotecas or bars order your drink and then get your plate of goodies.

Here’s a tip: Do this before ordering food off the menu as you won’t get both if you order food first. Also, be on the lookout for full buffets in places like Milan, Turin, and Rome; they add a couple euros to your drinks, but you can eat as much as you like.

7. Getting Wi-Fi in Italy

Online access makes everything better. You are in Italy after all – your Instagram followers would be so mad if you weren’t sharing!

Seems simple enough to ask for Wi-Fi in Italy once you see that comforting universal symbol, no? Don’t be surprised if you get a funny look when requesting “Why-FI”. Try pronouncing it “WeeFee” or “Wiffy”. Then, prepare to spend at least 20 minutes trying to correctly enter that extra long, and often difficult to read password (sorry, folks – some things are simply unhackable).

So, there you have it – travel tips to make your holiday in Italy just a little more functional. Stay tuned for the next in our Italy Travel Hack series on wine travel and tasting Italy.

What are your favorite Italy travel hacks? Share them with us in the comments below.

A presto, tutti!

Author’s Bio: Valerie Quintanilla is an American travel and wine writer living in the Northern Italy’s Langhe region. Follow her expat chronicles on her blog, www.GirlsGottaDrink.com, Twitter, and Instagram. While marketing is her official trade, she is also a travel planner and wine tour guide.