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MONEY
~The money used here is the Euro (€). The Euro is worth 1.2 to 1 US Dollar. So in other words, just changing money is expensive! Not to mention unless you find ATM's that are in associate with your bank, you have to be a standard service fee (around $10).
-Using a typical foreign credit card racks up fees for every use, while a travel credit card does not require a conversion fee.
-Everything here is pricy. Water is never free at restaurants, a typical Sprite bottle averages 3 € and even knock-off purses are sold at 45 Euro.
-To go to a public restroom, whether at McDonald's or a train station, can cost .60-1€!! Talk about culture shock.
-There are no sales taxes, if listed at a price it is guaranteed, which is a nice change.
-We only found one location, a Venetian supermarket, who used .01 or .02 coins, everyone else rounds to the nearest .50.
RESTAURANTS
-Most cafe shops require extra if you wish to sit down. For instance, a cannoli was sold for 4 Euro to go or either 8 Euro to sit.
-Never tip at restaurants, the receipt will show a "coperto/service" charge which will automatically pay the waiter. We have averaged 2-3 Euro per person at mid-sized restaurants.
-They refer to "to go" as "take away," most shops have lots of signs written in English saying that phrase.
-Music in most Italian shops are the Top 20 ones, sung entirely in English.
-Fettuccine Alfredo is strictly American :( But we did find one place in Venice who served it!
-There are just as many gelato shops as there are restaurants! They generally don't allow taste testing.
TRANSPORTATION
-There is a wide variety of great transport here! Trains, Metro, Buses, Trams, Watertaxis.
-Beware, if you're relying entirely on your English you need to prepare for the inevitable: most workers know FEW English words in the Metro. The majority is a lot of hand motions and slow Italian pronunciations.
-There are a few classes of trains, super slow regional ones or very efficient slightly-less-than-luxury ones, depending on a budget, the latter is so much more spacious.
-To buy Metro tickets you must either have no more than 6€ in change or buy a pass from a Tobacco shop. Our 20€ and 50€ kept spitting out until someone finally translated. And if you go to a Tobacco shop, they require an additional purchase before selling the Metro pass! It's jumping through hoops for sure.
-I would never suggest renting a car. The lanes are very difficult to understand, and it isn't necessary with so many other cheaper options. Also, we have seen approximately 0 gas stations!
-Trains are absolutely on time! If it says it's pulling out at 1:32, it will depart precisely then. Arrive with plenty of time to find which platform and to see if there are any changes.
-There are WAY more mopeds than cars here, with fearless drivers. They have perplexed us since we arrived. They weave between cars (as in like 3 feet of space), then they jet out in front of buses. These drivers seem follow both pedestrian AND vehicle rules, but won't hesitate to break them either. They do not think twice to slam on their small horns.
-Some of the best views come from the trains! Try to books a window seat and have the camera ready.
-Gondola rides are very expensive, but gondoliers are willing to bargain during low seasons. It's also a great way to travel through the smaller canals and see the Grand Canal.
WALKING
-If you're walking, go straight to the Tobacco shop in the station and BUY A MAP. I (stupidly) thought step by step directions would suffice but nope! Get a map the moment you arrive.
-Streets are set up much differently than in the US. Some may be 6 lanes and bustling with traffic, others are small enough to only allow a single car.
-Street signs are put on marble plaques on one side of the wall. The frustrating part is that it isn't always located at the beginning of every street. Sometimes you have to walk to the end of that street or the next street over to find where you are.
-An iPhone GPS won't work in Venice! The streets are way too small and connected. Plan on getting lost here several times a day!
-Also, big point of references! The conjunction of streets that forms a
big square are called "Piazzale" and streets are signified by the first term being "Via" or "Calle." Unless you're in Venice where "Donte" refers to the bridge, "Sestiere" is a neighborhood and "Rio" a river.
SCAM ARTISTS
-Pickpockets are notorious here, many locals and other tourists warned us to be aware, particularly at train stations/metros.
-There are many people who will try to sell you a free ticket to speak with Information (there are usually waits though) or used Metro passes- remember you are responsible for looking out for your own best interest, not everyone else.
-Outside of EVERY tourist location there is a large amount of people trying to sell: extended camera holders, umbrellas (when raining), enlarged pictures, caricatures, books or flowers. There are usually about 10 people competing within each item at every location. It can be so overwhelmingly annoying to repeatedly reject each person when trying to enjoy yourself.
-The streets are full of beggars who definitely are working the system. Generally they are located in the tourist spots, very near churches. We offered an old man with 2 small coins in his hat just a little bit of our change, walked by him an hour later with just the 2 small coins still in there, so he had been pocketing all of the gains he had made, and was still showing his original 2 coins.
-Also if you innocently try to take your picture beware of people offering to "help." We thought it was another kind tourist taking our picture by the Grand Canal but no! About two photos in I realized he wanted money. Oh well, that well-spent.
BUILDINGS
-The number of apartments far outweighs the number of homes. For an entire week we didn't see any noticeable houses until we passed through the countryside.
-The people have great views because they build many places on upward hills and mountains. These are always exceptionally beautiful!
-The main color on buildings is a mixture between a cream and a yellow, but some coastal areas are filled with color! One of the reasons we loved Cinque Terre so much is because all of the buildings touching were painted a different shade of yellow, pink, red, orange, green and blue.
-Once again, Venice needs a category all on its own because it is just so unique. There are so many buildings crammed together, the streets may be spacious and long or five feet wide alleyways.
U.S. CONVENIENCES
-Some days we just wanted to snack instead of buying big meals, where back home we would have just relied on gas stations to purchase things. Here, the best places to stop are Tobacco shops, for smaller priced items.
-The only fast-food chains we have seen are McDonald's (sans dollar menu), found in every main train station, and an occasional Burger King. Instead, they have a variety of sandwich shops.
-Police and Ambulances are heard ALL the time with a very high pitch wailing, a siren, the sound is much different from America's.
-After going up thousands (!!!) of steps, we only took 1 elevator the entire trip! There is a big shortage of those things.
PEOPLE
-The younger generation speak either very good or broken English, as it is a requirement in school. In need we have used them! Although, be prepared, all know the F word!
-There is a lot of turmoil and unrest between the government and the people. We arrived in Milan during a large protest and in Cinque Terre we stayed during a train strike. The causes were due to the lack of jobs, according to those we asked.
-The same as anywhere, there are some very helpful individuals and very rude ones. The more they try to sell to you, the more complementary they become! "Bella! Bella!"
-Again, if asking for directions, don't expect everyone to respond in English. It's just ain't happening. Use a map and expect hand signals, as well as minimal understanding.
-Smokers are everywhere! Outside, in shops, standing exceptionally close to your face. No Surgeon General warnings here, there must be some sort of ties from the government to Tobacco shops, which are a hub for many things.
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