Italy is such a beautiful country and to be able to enjoy it you must plan your trip carefully. You must know what you should have in hands and what you should know about the country. I learned it the hard way as I was not prepared. So here are some Italy travel tips based on my experience that I would like to share with you. It might not be as concise but I hope it helps you plan your trip.

Get a Travel Italy Guidebook

I did a mistake that no one should. I didn’t have anything on me about Italy not even a map. And for that I had tough time finding my way around. Get a travel book/guide on Italy and make sure you buy one with information such as maps of cities and accompanying metros (subways). Also, many travel guidebooks offer advice on where to go, how to get there and what to do when you arrive.

Learn the Language

Without some basic knowledge of Italian, you may find simple tasks cumbersome and frustrating.

Pack light

Ideally a carry on bag should be sufficient. If you can’t carry your own bags on and off trains and up and down stairs (not all hotels or B&Bs have elevators), you will have problems as porters are not common particularly on trains. I had tough time carrying two luggage up and down the stairs of train stations.

Money

Do carry some Euro money. Taxis from airports hardly take money in other currencies, so you may face problems, if you’re not carrying Euro change. Nevertheless, almost all major stations and airports in Italy possess the facility for foreign exchange.

Stamp your train tickets

Do not forget to stamp your train/bus ticket or else you will have to get down when the inspector get on board. You’ll stamp your ticket by aligning an arrows labeled “convalida” with the slot provided and pushing until you hear the mechanical whine of the stamp. Then you’re set to board your train/bus. I was lucky that I did not get thrown out of the train, the ticket inspector did warned me to not forget to validate.

Hotel tariffs

Be mindful that during the peak holiday season or in conjunction with international events, you’ll be faced with more expensive hotel tariffs as Italian holiday-makers and international tourists compete for accommodation. I found out that my publisher had to pay 50% higher than the normal tariffs for our rooms during the International Children’s Book Fair.

Don’t walk alone

Walk away when approached by strange men. I had an experience being approached by two men (in Rome) who claimed they were the police. I managed to get away. I did however, walk alone safely on other occasions.

Taxi fare

A taxi fare from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport into the central city costs more than 6o Euro and a Leonardo Express train trip are 5 times cheaper. So take the train, if you can.

Travelling to Florence

If you are going to Florence using EuroStar, then you have no problem reaching at the right station,which is Florence Santa Maria Novella. If you take the cheaper intercity train, you have to get down at Firenze Rifredi (or Florence Rifredi) and take another train to Florence SMN.

That is all I can think right now. Have a safe trip and have fun if you’re going Italy!