Tourist Information
Communicating
Hurdling the Language Barrier
Telephones
Internet Access
Mail
Transportation
By Car or Public Transportation?
Public Transportation
Map: Italy’s Public Transportation
Map: Train Costs in Italy
Renting a Car
Driving
Map: Driving in Tuscany: Distance & Time
Cheap Flights
Resources
Resources from Rick Steves
Maps
Other Guidebooks
Recommended Books and Movies
Holidays and Festivals
Conversions and Climate
Numbers and Stumblers
Roman Numerals
Metric Conversions
Clothing Sizes
Florence’s Climate
Temperature Conversion: Fahrenheit and Celsius
The Italian national tourist offices in the US are a wealth of information. Before your trip, scan their website (www.italia.it) or contact the nearest branch to briefly describe your trip and request information. You can download many brochures free of charge or call to order a free, general Italy guide. If you have a specific problem, they’re a good source of sympathy.
In New York: Tel. 212/245-5618, newyork@enit.it
In Chicago: Tel. 312/644-0996, chicago@enit.it
In Los Angeles: Tel. 310/820-1898, losangeles@enit.it
In Italy, your best first stop in every town is generally the tourist information office (abbreviated TI in this book); for TIs in Florence, see here (www.firenzeturismo.it). While Italian TIs are about half as helpful as those in other countries, their information is twice as important. Prepare a list of questions and a proposed plan to double-check.
TIs are good places to get a city map and information on public transit (including bus and train schedules), walking tours, special events, and nightlife. Many TIs have information on the entire country or at least the region, so try to pick up maps for destinations you’ll be visiting later in your trip. If you’re arriving in a town after the TI closes, call ahead or pick up a map in a neighboring town.
Be wary of the travel agencies or special information services that masquerade as TIs but serve fancy hotels and tour companies. They’re in the business of selling things you don’t need.
While TIs are eager to book you a room, use their room-finding service only as a last resort. They are unable to give hard opinions on the relative value of one place over another. The accommodations stakes are too high to go potluck through the TI. Even if there’s no “fee,” you’ll save yourself and your host money by going direct with the listings in this book.
Many Italians—especially those in the tourist trade and in big cities such as Florence—speak English. Still, you’ll get better treatment if you learn and use Italian pleasantries. In smaller, non-touristy towns, Italian is the norm. Italians have an endearing habit of talking to you even if they know you don’t speak their language—and yet, thanks to gestures and thoughtfully simplified words, it somehow works. Don’t stop them to tell them you don’t understand every word—just go along for the ride. For a list of survival phrases, see here.
Note that Italian is pronounced much like English, with a few exceptions, such as: c followed by e or i is pronounced ch (to ask, “Per centro?”—To the center?—you say, pehr CHEHN-troh). In Italian, ch is pronounced like the hard c in Chianti (chiesa—church—is pronounced kee-AY-zah). Give it your best shot. Italians appreciate your efforts.
Smart travelers use the telephone to reserve or reconfirm rooms, get tourist information, reserve restaurants, confirm tour times, or phone home. This section covers dialing instructions, phone cards, and types of phones (for more in-depth information, see www.ricksteves.com/phoning).
How to Dial
Calling from the US to Italy, or vice versa, is simple—once you break the code. The European calling chart later in this chapter will walk you through it.
Dialing Domestically Within Italy
The following instructions apply whether you’re dialing from a landline (such as a pay phone or your hotel-room phone) or an Italian mobile phone.
Italy has a direct-dial phone system (no area codes). To call anywhere within Italy, just dial the number. For example, the number of one of my recommended Florence hotels is 055-289-592. That’s the number you dial whether you’re calling it from Florence’s train station or from Milan.
Italy’s land lines start with 0 and mobile lines start with 3. The country’s toll-free lines begin with 80. These 80 numbers—called freephone or numero verde (green number)—can be dialed free from any phone without using a phone card. Note that you can’t call Italy’s toll-free numbers from the US, nor can you count on reaching American toll-free numbers from Italy. Any Italian phone number that starts with 8 but isn’t followed by a 0 is a toll call, generally costing €0.10-0.50 per minute.
Italian phone numbers vary in length; a hotel can have, say, an eight-digit phone number and a nine-digit fax number.
If you’re dialing within Italy using your US mobile phone, you may need to dial as if it’s a domestic call, or you may need to dial as if you’re calling from the US (described next). Try it one way, and if it doesn’t work, try it the other way.
Dialing Internationally to or from Italy
If you want to make an international call, follow these steps:
• Dial the international access code (00 if you’re calling from Europe, 011 from the US or Canada). If you’re dialing from a mobile phone, you can replace the international access code with +, which works regardless of where you’re calling from. (On many mobile phones, you can insert a + by pressing and holding the 0 key.)
• Dial the country code of the country you’re calling (39 for Italy, or 1 for the US or Canada).
• Dial the local number. Note that in most European countries, you have to drop the zero at the beginning of the local number—but in Italy, you dial it. (For specifics per country, see the European calling chart in this chapter.)
Calling from the US to Italy: To call the Florence hotel from the US, dial 011 (US access code), 39 (Italy’s country code), then 055-289-592.
Calling from any European country to the US: To call my office in Edmonds, Washington, from anywhere in Europe, I dial 00 (Europe’s access code), 1 (US country code), 425 (Edmonds’ area code), and 771-8303.
Mobile Phones
Traveling with a mobile phone is handy and practical. There are two basic options: roaming with your own phone (expensive but easy) or buying and using SIM cards with an unlocked phone (a bit more hassle, but potentially much cheaper).
Roaming with Your US Mobile Phone: This pricier option can be worthwhile if you won’t be making or receiving many calls, don’t want to bother with SIM cards, or want to stay reachable at your US number. Start by calling your mobile-phone service provider to ask whether your phone works in Europe and what the rates are (likely $1.29-1.99 per minute to make or receive calls, and 20–50 cents to send or receive text messages). Tell them to enable international calling on your account, and if you know you’ll be making multiple calls, ask your carrier about any global calling deals to lower the per-minute costs. When you land in Europe, turn on your phone and—bingo!—you have service. Because you’ll pay for receiving calls and texts, be sure your family knows to call only in an emergency. Note that Verizon and Sprint use a different technology than European providers, so their phones are less likely to work abroad; if yours doesn’t, your provider may be able to send you a loaner phone.
Buying and Using SIM Cards in Europe: If you’re comfortable with mobile-phone technology, will be making lots of calls, and want to save some serious money, consider this very affordable alternative: Carry an unlocked mobile phone, and use it with a European SIM card to get much cheaper rates.
Getting an unlocked phone may be easier than you think. You may already have an old, unused mobile phone in a drawer somewhere. When you got the phone, it was probably “locked” to work only with one company—but if your contract is now up, your provider may be willing to send you a code to unlock it. Just call and ask. Otherwise, you can simply buy an unlocked phone: Search your favorite online shopping site for an “unlocked quad-band phone” before you go, or wait until you get to Europe and buy one at a mobile-phone shop there. Either way, a basic model costs less than $50.
Once in Europe, buy a SIM card—the little chip that inserts into your phone (either under the battery or in a slot on the side)—to equip the phone with a European number. (Note that smaller “micro-SIM” or “nano-SIM” cards—used in some iPhones—are less widely available.) SIM cards are sold at mobile-phone shops, department-store electronics counters, and some newsstand kiosks for $5-10, and usually include about that much prepaid calling credit. Because SIM cards are prepaid, there’s no contract and no commitment (in fact, they expire after just a few months of disuse); I buy one even if I’m in a country for only a few days.
In Italy, the major providers are Wind, TIM, Vodafone, and 3 (“Tre”). The vendor will make a copy of your passport to register the SIM card with the service provider. You’ll receive a Benvenuti! text message once your service is activated (it can take a few hours).
When using a SIM card in its “home” country, it’s free to receive calls and texts; in Italy, domestic and international calls average 20-30 cents per minute. Rates are higher if you’re roaming in another country, but as long as you stay within the European Union, these fees are capped (about 30 cents per minute for making calls or 10 cents per minute for receiving calls). Texting is cheap even if roaming in another country.
When purchasing a SIM card, besides confirming fees for domestic and international calls, ask about roaming charges, how to check your credit balance, and how to buy more time. If text or voice prompts are in another language, ask the clerk whether they can be switched to English.
Mobile-Phone Calling Apps: If you have a smartphone, you can use it to make free or cheap calls in Europe by using a calling app such as Skype or FaceTime when you’re on Wi-Fi; for details, see the next section.
Calling over the Internet
Some things that seem too good to be true...actually are true. If you’re traveling with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you can make free calls over the Internet to another wireless device, anywhere in the world, for free. (Or you can pay a few cents to call from your computer or smartphone to a telephone). The major providers are Skype, Google Talk, and (on Apple devices) FaceTime. You can get online at a Wi-Fi hotspot and use these apps to make calls without ringing up expensive roaming charges (though call quality can be spotty on slow connections). You can make Internet calls even if you’re traveling without your own mobile device: Many European Internet cafés have Skype, as well as microphones and webcams, on their terminals—just log on and chat away.
Landline Telephones
As in the US, these days most Europeans make the majority of their calls on mobile phones. But you’ll still encounter landlines in hotel rooms and at pay phones.
Hotel-Room Phones: Calling from your hotel room can be great for local calls and for international calls if you have an international phone card (described later). Otherwise, hotel-room phones can be an almost criminal rip-off for long-distance or international calls. Many hotels charge a fee for local and sometimes even “toll-free” numbers—always ask for the rates before you dial.
Public Pay Phones: Coin-op phones are becoming extinct in Europe. To make calls from public phones, you’ll need a prepaid phone card, described below.
Metered Phones: In Italy, some call shops have phones with meters. You can talk all you want, then pay the bill when you leave—but be sure you know the rates before you have a lengthy conversation. Note that charges can be “per unit” rather than per minute; find out the length of a unit.
Telephone Cards
There are two types of phone cards: insertable (for pay phones) and international (cheap for overseas calls and usable from any type of phone). A phone card works only in the country where you bought it, so if you have a live card at the end of your trip, give it to another traveler to use—most cards expire three to six months after the first use.
Insertable Phone Cards: This type of card, which works only at pay phones, is sold by Italy’s largest phone company, Telecom Italia. They give you the best deal for calls within Italy and are reasonable for international calls. You can buy Telecom cards (in €5 or €10 denominations) at tobacco shops, post offices, and machines near phone booths (many phone booths have signs indicating where the nearest phone-card sales outlet is located).
Rip off the perforated corner to “activate” the card, and then physically insert it into a slot in the pay phone. It displays how much money you have remaining on the card. Then just dial away. The price of the call is automatically deducted while you talk.
International Phone Cards: With these cards, phone calls from Italy to the US can cost less than a nickel a minute. The cards can also be used to make local calls, and they work from any type of phone, including your hotel-room phone or a mobile phone with a European SIM card. To use the card, dial a local or toll-free access number, then enter your scratch-to-reveal PIN code. If you’re calling from a hotel, be sure to dial the freephone number (starts with “80”) provided on the card rather than the “local access” number (which would incur a charge). Some hotels block their phones from accepting these access numbers. (Ask your hotelier about access and rates before you call.)
You can buy the cards at small newsstand kiosks, tobacco shops, Internet cafés, hostels, and hole-in-the-wall long-distance phone shops. Buy a lower denomination in case the card is a dud. Because there are so many brand names, ask for an international phone card (carta telefonica prepagata internazionale, KAR-tah teh-leh-FOHN-ee-kah pray-pah-GAH-tah in-ter-naht-zee-oh-NAH-lay). Tell the vendor where you’ll be making most calls (“per Stati Uniti”—to America), and he’ll select the brand with the best deal. I’ve had good luck with the Europa card, which offers up to 350 minutes from Italy to the US for €5. Some shops also sell cardless codes, printed right on the receipt.
US Calling Cards: These cards, such as the ones offered by AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, are a rotten value, and are being phased out. Try any of the options outlined earlier.
Useful Phone Numbers
Emergency Needs
English-Speaking Police Help: 113
Ambulance: 118
Road Service: 116
Embassies and Consulates
US Embassy: 24-hour emergency line—tel. 06-46741, non-emergency—tel. 06-4674-2406 (by appointment only, Via Vittorio Veneto 121, Rome, www.usembassy.it)
US Consulate: Tel. 055-266-951 (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30, closed Sat-Sun, Lungarno Vespucci 38, Florence, http://florence.usconsulate.gov)
Canadian Embassy: Tel. 06-854-441 (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00, closed Sat-Sun, Via Zara 30, Rome, www.italy.gc.ca)
Travel Advisories
US Department of State: Tel. 888-407-4747, from outside US tel. 1-202-501-4444, www.travel.state.gov
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs: Canadian tel. 800-387-3124, from outside Canada tel. 1-613-996-8885, www.travel.gc.ca
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tel. 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636), www.cdc.gov/travel
Directory Assistance
Telephone Help (in English; free directory assistance): 170
Directory Assistance (for €0.50, an Italian-speaking robot gives the number twice, very clearly): 12
Airports
Florence: Amerigo Vespucci Airport, also called Peretola Airport (airport code: FLR)—tel. 055-306-1300 (for flight info, tel. 055-306-1700), www.aeroporto.firenze.it
Pisa: Galileo Galilei Airport (airport code: PSA)—tel. 050-849-300, www.pisa-airport.com
It’s useful to get online periodically as you travel—to confirm trip plans, check train or bus schedules, get weather forecasts, catch up on email, blog or post photos from your trip, or call folks back home (explained earlier, under “Calling over the Internet”).
Your Mobile Device: The majority of accommodations in Italy offer Wi-Fi, as do many cafés, making it easy for you to get online with your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Access is often free, but sometimes there’s a fee. At hotels that charge for a certain number of hours, save money by logging in and out of your account on an as-needed basis. You should be able to stretch a two-hour Wi-Fi pass over a stay of a day or two.
Some hotel rooms and Internet cafés have high-speed Internet jacks that you can plug into with an Ethernet cable.
Public Internet Terminals: Many accommodations offer a guest computer in the lobby with Internet access. If you ask politely, smaller places may sometimes let you sit at their desk for a few minutes just to check your email. If your hotelier doesn’t have access, ask to be directed to the nearest place to get online. Italian keyboards are a little different from ours; to type an @ symbol, press the “Alt Gr” key and the key that shows the @ symbol.
Security: Whether you’re accessing the Internet with your own device or at a public terminal, using a shared network or computer comes with the potential for increased security risks. If you’re not convinced a connection is secure, avoid accessing any sites (such as online banking) that could be vulnerable to fraud.
You can mail one package per day to yourself worth up to $200 duty-free from Europe to the US (mark it “personal purchases”). If you’re sending a gift to someone, mark it “unsolicited gift.” For details, visit www.cbp.gov and search for “Know Before You Go.”
The Italian postal service works fine, but for quick transatlantic delivery (in either direction), consider services such as DHL (www.dhl.com).
If you’re debating between public transportation and car rental, consider these factors: Cars are best for three or more traveling together (especially families with small kids), those packing heavy, and those scouring the countryside. Trains and buses are best for solo travelers, blitz tourists, and city-to-city travelers. While a car gives you more freedom, trains and buses zip you effortlessly and scenically from city to city, usually dropping you in the center, often near a TI. Cars are an expensive headache in places like Florence, but if you want to stay in an out-of-the-way agriturismo and focus on isolated hill towns, having your own wheels will save you time and headaches.
To travel by train cheaply in Italy, you can simply buy tickets as you go. Ticket machines in stations are easy to use (see “Buying Tickets,” later), so you can usually avoid long lines at ticket windows. Pay all ticket costs in the station before you board or pay a penalty on the train.
Types of Trains: Most trains in Italy are operated by the state-run Trenitalia company (a.k.a. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, abbreviated FS or FSI). Since ticket prices depend on the speed of the train, it helps to know the different types of trains: pokey R or REG (regionali); medium-speed RV (regionale veloce), IR (InterRegio), D (diretto), and E (espresso); fast IC (InterCity) and EC (EuroCity); and super-fast Frecce trains: the Frecciabianca (“White Arrow”), faster Frecciargento (“Silver Arrow”), and Frecciarossa (“Red Arrow”). (You may also see the Frecce trains marked on schedules as ES, AV, or EAV). If you’re traveling with a railpass, note that reservations are required for EC and international trains (€5) and Frecce trains (€10). Reservations are optional for IC trains, and you can’t make reservations for regional trains, such as most Pisa-Cinque Terre connections.
A new, private train company called Italo now runs fast trains on major routes in Italy (thereby challenging Trenitalia’s monopoly). Italo is focusing on two high-speed corridors: Venice-Padua-Bologna-Florence-Rome and Turin-Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome, with additional connections onward to Naples. The trains run at more or less the same speed as Trenitalia’s high-speed trains, but often with lower fares, particularly for tickets booked well in advance. In some cities (most notably Rome and Milan), its trains use a secondary station rather than the main one—if taking an Italo train, pay attention to which station you need. Italo does not currently accept railpasses, but its affordable fares make it worth considering for point-to-point tickets. You can book in person (look for Italo ticket offices or machines—tickets not sold through Trenitalia), by phone (tel. 06-0708), or on their user-friendly website (www.italotreno.it).
Schedules: At the train station, the easiest way to check schedules is at a handy ticket machine (described later, under “Buying Tickets”). Enter the desired date, time, and destination to see all your options. Printed schedules are also posted at the station (departure—partenzi—posters are always yellow).
Newsstands sell up-to-date regional and all-Italy timetables (€5, ask for the orario ferroviaro). On the Web, check www.trenitalia.it and www.italotreno.it (domestic journeys only); for international trips, use www.bahn.de (Germany’s excellent all-Europe schedule website). Trenitalia offers a single all-Italy telephone number for train information (24 hours daily, tel. 892-021, in Italian only, consider having your hotelier call for you). For Italo trains, call 06-0708.
Be aware that Trenitalia and Italo don’t cooperate at all. If you buy a ticket for one train line, it’s not valid on the other. Even if you just ask for information from one company, they will most likely ignore the other’s options.
Point-to-Point Tickets
Train tickets are a good value in Italy. Fares are shown on the map above, though fares can vary for the same journey, mainly depending on the time of day, the speed of the train, and more. First-class tickets cost 30 to 50 percent more than second-class. While second-class cars go just as fast as their first-class neighbors, Italy is one country where I would consider the splurge of first class. The easiest way to “upgrade” a second-class ticket once on board a crowded train is to nurse a drink in the snack car. A flessible (flexible) ticket costs more than a base (basic) fare—but special promo deals can drive the cost even lower. Fares labeled servizi abbonati are available only for locals with monthly passes—not tourists.
Speed vs. Savings: For point-to-point tickets on mainline routes, fast trains save time, but charge a premium. For example, super-fast Florence-Rome trains run hourly, cost €45 in second class, and make the trip in 1.5 hours, while infrequent InterCity trains (only 1-2/day) cost €35 and take 3 hours.
Discounts: Families with young children can get price breaks—kids ages 4 and under travel free; ages 4-11 at half-price. Sometimes the parents get a 20 percent price break. Ask for the “Offerta Familia” deal when buying tickets at a counter (or, at a ticket machine, choose “Yes” at the “Do you want ticket issue?” prompt, then choose “Familia”). With the discount, families of three to five people with at least one kid (age 12 or under) get 50 percent off the child fare, and 20 percent off the adult fare. The deal doesn’t apply to all trains at all times, but it’s worth checking out.
Discounts for youths and seniors require purchase of a separate card (Carta Verde for ages 12-26 costs €40; Carta Argento for ages 60 and over is €30), but the discount on tickets is so minor (10-15 percent respectively for domestic travel), it’s not worth it for most.
Buying Tickets: Avoid train station ticket lines whenever possible by using the ticket machines found in station halls. You’ll be able to easily purchase tickets for travel within Italy (not international trains), make seat reservations, and even book a cuccetta (koo-CHEH-tah; overnight berth). If you do use the ticket windows, be sure you’re in the correct line. Key terms: biglietti (general tickets), prenotazioni (reservations), nazionali (domestic), and internazionali.
Trenitalia’s ticket machines (usually green-and-white, marked Biglietto Veloce/Fast Ticket) are user-friendly and found in all but the tiniest stations in Italy. You can pay by cash (they give change) or by debit or credit card (even for small amounts). Select English, then your destination. If you don’t immediately see the city you’re traveling to, keep keying in the spelling until it’s listed. You can choose from first- and second-class seats, request tickets for more than one traveler, and (on the high-speed Frecce trains) choose an aisle or window seat. Don’t select a discount rate without being sure that you meet the criteria (for example, Americans are not eligible for certain EU or resident discounts). Railpass holders can use the machines to make seat reservations. If you need to validate your ticket, you can do it in the same machine if you’re boarding your train right away.
For nearby destinations only, you can also buy tickets from the older, gray-and-blue machines marked Rete regionale (cash only, push button for English).
It’s possible, but generally unnecessary, to buy Trenitalia tickets in advance online at www.trenitalia.it. Because most Italian trains run frequently and there’s no deadline to buy tickets, you can keep your travel plans flexible by purchasing tickets as you go. (You can buy tickets for several trips at one station when you’re ready to commit.) For busy weekend or holiday travel, however, it can be a good idea to buy tickets in advance, whether online or at a station.
To buy tickets for Italo trains, look for a dedicated service counter (in most major rail stations), or a red ticket machine labeled Italo. You can also book Italo tickets by phone (tel. 06-0708) or online (www.italotreno.it).
You can’t buy international tickets from machines; for this and anything else that requires a real person, you must go to a ticket window. A good alternative, though, is to drop by a local travel agency. Agencies sell domestic and international tickets and make reservations. They charge a small fee, but the language barrier (and the lines) can be smaller than at the station’s ticket windows.
Validating Tickets: If your ticket includes a seat reservation on a specific train (biglietto con prenotazione), you’re all set and can just get on board. An open ticket with no seat reservation (it may say da convalidare or convalida) must always be validated—stamp it before you board in the machine near the platform (usually marked convalida biglietti or vidimazione). Once you validate a ticket, you must complete your trip within the timeframe shown on the ticket (within 6 hours for medium-distance trips; within 1.25 hours for short rides under 6 miles). If you forget to validate your ticket, go right away to the train conductor—before he comes to you—or you’ll pay a fine.
Railpasses
The Italy Pass for the Italian state railway may save you money if you’re taking three long train rides or prefer first-class travel, but don’t count on it for hop-on convenience on every train. Use the price map on here to add up your ticket costs (ticket prices on the map are for the fastest trains on a given route, many of which have reservation costs built in). Remember that railpasses are not valid on Italo-brand trains.
Railpass travelers must make separate seat reservations for the fastest trains between major Italian cities (€10 each). Railpass travelers can just hop on InterCity trains (optional €5 reservation) and regional trains (no reservations possible). Making a reservation at a train station or travel agency is the same as the process to buy a ticket, so you may need to stand in line either way. Reservations for berths on overnight trains cost extra, aren’t covered by railpasses, and aren’t reflected on the ticket cost map.
A Global Pass can work well throughout most of Europe, but it’s a bad value for travel exclusively in Italy. A cheaper version, the Select Pass, allows you to tailor a pass to your trip, provided you’re traveling in three, four, or five adjacent countries directly connected by rail or ferry (but excluding France). For instance, with a three-country pass allowing 10 days of train travel within a two-month period (about $730 for a single adult in 2013), you could choose Switzerland-Italy-Greece or Germany-Austria-Italy. A France and Italy Pass combines just those two countries. Note that none of these passes covers direct day or night trains between Italy and Paris, which require a separate ticket. Before you buy a Select Pass or France and Italy Pass, consider how many travel days you’ll really need. Use the pass only for travel days that involve long hauls or several trips. Pay out of pocket for tickets on days you’re taking only short, cheap rides.
For a summary of railpass deals and the latest prices, check my “Guide to Eurail Passes” at www.ricksteves.com/rail. This guide will help you know you’re getting the right railpass for your trip.
Train Tips
This section contains information on making seat reservations, storing baggage, avoiding theft, and dealing with strikes.
Seat Reservations: Trains can fill up, even in first class. If you’re on a tight schedule, you’ll want to reserve a few days ahead for fast trains (see “Types of Trains,” earlier). Purchasing tickets or passholder reservations onboard a train comes with a nasty penalty. Buying them at the station can be a time waster unless you use the ticket machines.
If you don’t need a reservation, and if your train originates at your departure point (e.g., you’re catching the Florence-Rome train in Florence), arriving at least 15 minutes before the departure time will help you snare a seat.
On the platforms of some major stations, posters showing the train composition (composizione principali treni) indicate where first- and second-class cars will line up when the trains arrive (letters on the poster are supposed to correspond to letters posted over the platform—but they don’t always). Since most trains now allow you to make reservations up to the time of departure, conductors post a list of the reservable and non-reservable seat rows (sometimes in English) in each train car’s vestibule. This means that if you board a crowded train and get one of the last seats, you may be ousted when the reservation holder comes along.
Baggage Storage: Many stations have deposito bagagli where you can safely leave your bag for about €8 per 12-hour period (payable when you pick up the bag, double-check closing hours). Due to security concerns, no Italian stations have lockers.
Theft Concerns: Italian trains are famous for their thieves. Never leave a bag unattended. Police do ride the trains, cutting down on theft. Still, for an overnight trip, I’d feel safe only in a cuccetta (a bunk in a special sleeping car with an attendant who keeps track of who comes and goes while you sleep—approximately €21 in a six-bed compartment, €26 in a less-cramped four-bed compartment, €50 in a more private, double compartment).
Strikes: Strikes, which are common, generally last a day. Train employees will simply explain, “Sciopero” (strike). But in actuality, sporadic trains, following no particular schedule, lumber down the tracks during most strikes. When a strike is pending, travel agencies (and hoteliers) can check the Web for you to see when the strike goes into effect and which trains will continue to run. Revised schedules may be posted in Italian at stations, and station personnel still working can often tell you what trains are expected to run. If I need to get somewhere and know a strike is imminent, I leave early (before the strike, which often begins at 9:00), or I just go to the station with extra patience in tow and hop on anything rolling in the direction I want to go.
Buses
You can usually get anywhere you want to in Italy by bus, as long as you’re not in a hurry and you plan ahead using bus schedules (pick up at local TIs). For reaching small towns, buses are sometimes the only option if you don’t have a car. In many hill towns, trains leave you at a station in the valley far below, while buses bring you right into the thick of things.
Larger towns have a long-distance bus station (stazione degli autobus), with ticket windows and several stalls (usually labeled corsia, stallo, or binario). Smaller towns—where buses are more useful—just have a central bus stop (fermata), likely along the main road or on the main square, and maybe several more scattered around town. In small towns, buy bus tickets at newsstands or tobacco shops (with the big T signs). When buying your ticket, confirm the departure point (“Dov’è la fermata?”), and once there, double-check that the posted schedule lists your destination and departure time. In general, orange buses are local city buses, and blue buses are for long distances.
Once the bus arrives, confirm the destination with the driver. You are expected to stow big backpacks underneath the bus (open the luggage compartment yourself if it’s closed).
Sundays and holidays are problematic; even from large cities schedules are sparse, departing buses are jam-packed, and ticket offices are often closed. Plan ahead and buy your ticket in advance. Most travel agencies book bus (and train) tickets for just a small fee.
If you’re renting a car in Italy, bring your driver’s license. You’re also required to have an International Driving Permit—an official translation of your driver’s license (sold at your local AAA office for $15 plus the cost of two passport-type photos; see www.aaa.com). While that’s the letter of the law, I’ve often rented cars in Italy without having this permit. If all goes well, you’ll likely never be asked to show the permit—but it’s a must if you end up dealing with the police.
Rental companies require you to be at least 21 years old and to have held your license for one year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young-driver surcharge, and some rental companies do not rent to anyone 75 or older. If you’re considered too young or old, look into leasing (covered later), which has less-stringent age restrictions.
Research car rentals before you go. It’s cheaper to arrange most car rentals from the US. Call several companies and look online to compare rates, or arrange a rental through your hometown travel agent.
Most of the major US rental agencies (including Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, and Thrifty) have offices throughout Europe. Also consider the two major Europe-based agencies, Europcar and Sixt. It can be cheaper to use a consolidator, such as Auto Europe (www.autoeurope.com) or Europe by Car (www.ebctravel.com), which compares rates at several companies to get you the best deal. However, my readers have reported problems with consolidators, ranging from misinformation to unexpected fees; because you’re going through a middleman, it can be more challenging to resolve disputes that arise with the rental agency.
Regardless of the car-rental company you choose, always read the fine print carefully for add-on charges—such as one-way drop-off fees, airport surcharges, or mandatory insurance policies—that aren’t included in the “total price.” You may need to query rental agents pointedly to find out your actual cost.
For the best deal, rent by the week with unlimited mileage. To save money on fuel, ask for a diesel car. I normally rent the smallest, least-expensive model with a stick shift (generally much cheaper than an automatic). Almost all rentals are manual by default, so if you need an automatic, request one in advance; be aware that these cars are usually larger models (not as maneuverable on narrow, winding roads). Roads and parking spaces are narrow in Tuscany, so you’ll do yourself a favor by renting the smallest car that meets your needs.
For a one-week rental, allow roughly $400. Allow extra for insurance, fuel, tolls, and parking. For trips of three weeks or more, look into leasing; you’ll save money on insurance and taxes.
You can sometimes get a GPS unit with your rental car or leased vehicle for an additional fee (around $15/day; be sure it’s set to English and has all the maps you need before you drive off). Or, if you have a portable GPS device at home, consider taking it with you to Europe (buy and upload European maps before your trip). GPS apps are also available for smartphones, but downloading maps in Europe could lead to an exorbitant data-roaming bill (for more details, see the sidebar on here).
Big companies have offices in most cities; ask whether they can pick you up at your hotel. Small local rental companies can be cheaper but aren’t as flexible.
Compare pickup costs (downtown can be less expensive than the airport) and explore drop-off options. Always check the hours of the location you choose: Many rental offices close from midday Saturday until Monday morning and, in smaller towns, at lunchtime.
When selecting a location, don’t trust the agency’s description of “downtown” or “city center.” In some cases, a “downtown” branch can be on the outskirts of the city—a long, costly taxi ride from the center. Before choosing, plug the addresses into a mapping website. You may find that the “train station” location is handier. But returning a car at a big-city train station or downtown agency can be tricky; get precise details on the car drop-off location and hours, and allow ample time to find it.
When you pick up the rental car, check it thoroughly and make sure any damage is noted on your rental agreement. Find out how your car’s lights, turn signals, wipers, and fuel cap function, and know what kind of fuel the car takes. When you return the car, make sure the agent verifies its condition with you.
If you want a car for only a couple of days, a rail-and-drive pass (such as a Select Pass Drive or Italy Rail and Drive) can be put to thoughtful use. The basic Italy Rail and Drive Pass comes with two days of car rental and three days of rail in two months. While rail-and-drive passes are convenient, they’re also pricey, particularly for solo travelers.
Car Insurance Options
Accidents can happen anywhere, but when you’re on vacation, the last thing you need is stress over car insurance. When you rent a car, you’re liable for a very high deductible, sometimes equal to the entire value of the car. Limit your financial risk in case of an accident by choosing one of these two options: Buy Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage from the car-rental company (figure roughly 30 percent extra), or get coverage through your credit card (free, but more complicated).
In Italy, most car-rental companies’ rates automatically include CDW coverage. Even if you try to decline CDW when you reserve your Italian car, you may find when you show up at the counter that you must buy it after all.
While each rental company has its own variation, the basic CDW costs $15-35 a day and reduces your liability, but does not eliminate it. When you pick up the car, you’ll be offered the chance to “buy down” the deductible to zero (for an additional $10-30/day; this is sometimes called “super CDW”).
If you opt for credit-card coverage, there’s a catch. You’ll technically have to decline all coverage offered by the car-rental company, which means they can place a hold on your card for up to the full value of the car. In case of damage, it can be time-consuming to resolve the charges with your credit-card company. Before you decide on this option, quiz your credit-card company about how it works.
For more on car-rental insurance, see www.ricksteves.com/cdw.
Theft Insurance: Note that theft insurance (separate from CDW insurance) is mandatory in Italy. The insurance usually costs about $15-20 a day, payable when you pick up the car.
Leasing
For trips of three weeks or more, consider leasing (which automatically includes zero-deductible collision and theft insurance). By technically buying and then selling back the car, you save lots of money on tax and insurance. Leasing provides you a brand-new car with unlimited mileage and a 24-hour emergency assistance program. You can lease for as little as 21 days to as long as six months. Car leases must be arranged from the US. One of many companies offering affordable lease packages is Europe by Car (US tel. 800-223-1516, www.ebctravel.com).
Driving in Italy can be scary—a video game for keeps, and you only get one quarter. Italian drivers can be aggressive. They drive fast and tailgate as if it were required. They pass where Americans are taught not to—on blind corners and just before tunnels. Roads have narrow shoulders or none at all. Driving in the countryside is less stressful than driving through urban areas, but stay alert. On one-lane roads, larger vehicles have the right-of-way. If you’re on a truckers’ route, stifle your Good Samaritan impulse when you see provocatively dressed women standing by camper-vans at the side of the road; they’re not having car trouble. (For more on driving in Tuscany, see here.)
Road Rules: Stay out of restricted traffic zones or you’ll risk huge fines. Car traffic is restricted in many city centers, including Florence, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Cortona. Don’t drive or park anywhere with signs reading Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL, often shown above a red circle; see image). If you do, your license plate will likely be photographed and a hefty (€100-plus) ticket mailed to your home without you ever having met a cop. Bumbling in and out of these zones can net you multiple fines. If your hotel is within a restricted area, it’s best to ask your hotelier to direct you to parking outside the zone. (Although your hotelier can register your car as an authorized vehicle permitted to enter the zone, this usually isn’t worth the hassle.) If you get a ticket, it could take months to show up (see www.bella-toscana.com/traffic_violations_italy.htm for details).
Be aware of typical European road rules; for example, many countries require headlights to be turned on at all times, and it’s generally illegal to drive while using your mobile phone without a hands-free headset. Seatbelts are mandatory and children under 12 must use child seats. In Europe, you’re not allowed to turn right on a red light, unless there is a sign or signal specifically authorizing it. Ask your car-rental company about these rules, or check the US State Department website (www.travel.state.gov, click on “International Travel,” then specify your country of choice and click “Traffic Safety and Road Conditions”).
Tolls: Italy’s freeway system, the autostrada, is as good as our interstate system, but you’ll pay a toll (for costs, use the trip-planning tool at www.autostrade.it or search “European Tolls” on www.theaa.com). While I favor the freeways because I feel they’re safer and less nerve-racking than smaller roads, savvy local drivers know which toll-free superstradas are actually faster and more direct than the autostrada (e.g., Florence to Pisa).
Fuel: Gas is expensive—often about about €2/liter (or $8.50 per gallon). Diesel cars are more common in Europe than back home, so be sure you know what type of gas your car takes before you fill up. Gas pumps are color-coded for unleaded (senza piombo) or diesel (gasolio). Autostrada rest stops are self-service stations open daily without a siesta break. Many 24-hour-a-day stations are entirely automated. Small-town stations are usually cheaper and offer full service but shorter hours.
Maps and Signage: A good map is essential. Learn the universal road signs (see illustration). Although roads are numbered on maps, actual road signs often give just a city name (for example, if you were heading west out of Montepulciano, the map would be marked “route S-146”—but you’d follow signs to Pienza, the next town along this road). The signs are inconsistent: They may direct you to the nearest big city or simply the next town along the route.
Theft: Cars are routinely vandalized and stolen. Thieves easily recognize rental cars and assume they are filled with a tourist’s gear. Try to make your car look locally owned by hiding the “tourist-owned” rental-company decals and putting an Italian newspaper in your back window. Be sure all of your valuables are out of sight and locked in the trunk, or even better, with you or in your room.
Parking: White lines generally mean parking is free. Yellow lines mean that parking is reserved for residents only (who have permits). Blue lines mean you’ll have to pay—usually around €1.50 per hour (use machine, leave time-stamped receipt on dashboard). If there’s no meter, there’s probably a roving attendant who will take your money. Study the signs. Often the free zones have a 30-or 60-minute time limit. Signs showing a street cleaner and a day of the week indicate which day the street is cleaned; there’s a €100 tow-fee incentive to learn the days of the week in Italian.
Zona disco has nothing to do with dancing. Italian cars come equipped with a time disc (a cardboard clock), which you can use in a zona disco—set the clock to your arrival time and leave it on the dashboard. (If your rental car doesn’t come with a disco, pick one up at a tobacco shop or just write your arrival time on a piece of paper and place it on the dashboard.)
Garages are safe, save time, and help you avoid the stress of parking tickets. Take the parking voucher with you to pay the cashier before you leave.
If you’re considering a train ride that’s more than five hours long, a flight may save you both time and money. When comparing your options, factor in the time it takes to get to the airport and how early you’ll need to arrive to check in.
The best comparison search engine for both international and intra-European flights is www.kayak.com. For inexpensive flights within Europe, try www.skyscanner.com or www.hipmunk.com. If you’re not sure who flies to your destination, check its airport’s website for a list of carriers.
Well-known cheapo airlines include easyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com). Budget airlines out of Florence (airport code: FLR) include Belle Air (www.belleair.it), Darwin Airline (www.darwinairline.com), and Vueling (www.vueling.com). Cheaper airlines use Pisa (airport code: PSA), including the Italian-based discount airline Air One (www.flyairone.com). Airport websites may list small airlines that serve your destination.
Remember that Florence is well-connected by train to plenty of airports—giving you more options—including Parma, Perugia, Bologna, and Rimini (which all have budget flights available). Rome, Milan, and Venice are only a two-hour train ride away.
Be aware of the potential drawbacks of flying on the cheap: nonrefundable and nonchangeable tickets, minimal or nonexistent customer service, treks to airports far outside town, and stingy baggage allowances with steep overage fees. If you’re traveling with lots of luggage, a cheap flight can quickly become a bad deal. To avoid unpleasant surprises, read the small print before you book.
Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany 2014 is one of many books in my series on European travel, which includes country guidebooks, city guidebooks (Rome, Venice, Paris, London, etc.), Snapshot Guides (excerpted chapters from my country guides), Pocket Guides (full-color little books on big cities, including Florence), and my budget-travel skills handbook, Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door. Most of my titles are available as ebooks. My phrase books—for Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese—are practical and budget-oriented. My other books include Europe 101 (a crash course on art and history designed for travelers); Mediterranean Cruise Ports and Northern European Cruise Ports (how to make the most of your time in port); and Travel as a Political Act (a travelogue sprinkled with tips for bringing home a global perspective). A more complete list of my titles appears near the end of this book.
Video: My public television series, Rick Steves’ Europe, covers European destinations in 100 shows, with 17 episodes on Italy, including four on Florence and Tuscany. To watch episodes online, visit www.hulu.com; for scripts and local airtimes, see www.ricksteves.com/tv.
Audio: My weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, features interviews with travel experts from around the world. I’ve also produced free, self-guided audio tours of the top sights and neighborhoods in Florence: the Renaissance Walk, Accademia, and Uffizi Gallery. All of this audio content is available for free at Rick Steves Audio Europe, an extensive online library organized by destination. Choose whatever interests you, and download it for free via the Rick Steves Audio Europe smartphone app, www.ricksteves.com/audioeurope, iTunes, or Google Play.
The black-and-white maps in this book are concise and simple, designed to help you locate recommended places and get to local TIs, where you can pick up more in-depth maps of cities and regions (usually free). Better maps are sold at newsstands and bookstores. Before you buy a map, look at it to be sure it has the level of detail you want.
If you’re like most travelers, this book is all you need. But if you’re heading beyond my recommended destinations, $40 for extra maps and books can be money well spent. If you’ll be traveling elsewhere in Italy, consider Rick Steves’ Italy, Rick Steves’ Venice, or Rick Steves’ Rome.
Other guidebooks can be worthwhile, though most are not updated annually; check the publication date before you buy. Focusing mainly on sights, the colorful Eyewitness guides on Florence and Tuscany are fun for their great graphics and photos, but they’re relatively skimpy on written content. Let’s Go Rome, Venice & Florence: The Student Travel Guide is youth-oriented, with good coverage of hostels and nightlife.
To learn more about Florence and Tuscany past and present, check out a few of these books or films.
Nonfiction
Among the classics of Italian literature with particular relevance to Florence are Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince and Florentine Histories.
For a historical overview of the whole city, try The City of Florence (R. W. B. Lewis), which has a biographer’s perspective. In Florence: A Portrait, Michael Levey writes with a curator’s expertise. The Stones of Florence bubbles with Mary McCarthy’s wit. Dark Water (Robert Clark) vividly recounts the determination of the Florentines in the face of the city’s destructive floods.
Architecture fans should consider reading the novel-like Brunelleschi’s Dome (Ross King) or The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance (Peter Murray), which presents a (not too dry) textbook overview. The Lives of the Artists offers anecdote-filled biographies from Giorgio Vasari, a 16th-century author/painter/architect who was the contemporary of many of his subjects. For a more academic take on Italian art history, try Italian Renaissance Art (Laurie Schneider Adams).
Christopher Hibbert tells of the intrigues of Florence’s first family in The House of Medici (his Florence is also recommended). Fortune Is a River (Roger D. Masters) describes a scheme between Machiavelli and da Vinci to re-route the Arno (which, thankfully, never happened).
If you’ll be traveling to the area outside of Florence, consider the sensuous travel memoir, The Hills of Tuscany (Ferenc Màté). Also worthwhile is A Tuscan Childhood (Kinta Beevor), about growing up in a sun-drenched villa. Under the Tuscan Sun was a bestseller for Frances Mayes (and is better than the movie of the same name). Another memoir on the adventure of renovating a Tuscan farmhouse is A Small Place in Italy (Eric Newby).
Fiction
Florence was a favorite destination for European aristocrats and artists in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Italian influence lives on in classics written during that time, including George Eliot’s Romola and E. M. Forster’s A Room with a View.
For a modern read, consider The Passion of Artemisia, by Susan Vreeland (who also wrote the bestselling Girl in Hyacinth Blue) and The Sixteen Pleasures (Robert Hellenga), set during the great floods that wracked the city in 1966. Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant, is set during Savonarola’s reign, and Galileo’s Daughter (Dava Sobel) is based on the real-life letters between the scientist and his daughter.
Page-turning mysteries set in Florence include A Rich Full Death (Michael Dibdin), Death of an Englishman (Magdalen Nabb), The Dante Game (Jane Langton), and Bella Donna (Barbara Cherne). For a fun Michelangelo potboiler, try The Agony and the Ecstasy (Irving Stone).
The Light in the Piazza (Elizabeth Spencer), the story of a mother and daughter visiting in the 1950s, was a movie (from 1962) and later became an award-winning Broadway musical.
And for the lover of classical tales, Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, written in the mid-1300s, is set in plague-ridden medieval Florence.
Films
For a well-done Shakespeare flick that was filmed in Tuscany, try Much Ado About Nothing (1993), which is actually set in Sicily. A Room with a View (1986) captures the charm of the book of the same name (described earlier). Under the Tuscan Sun—filled with eye-candy views—falls flat in comparison. The Oscar-winning Holocaust tragicomedy Life Is Beautiful (1997) has sections set in a Tuscan town. The warm-hearted Italian epic Best of Youth (2003) takes place in several Italian locations, including Florence and rural Tuscany.
For an excellent PBS docudrama about Florence’s first family, look for Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance (2005); its fine website is at www.pbs.org/empires/medici.
If Siena is on your itinerary, try Palio (1932), Stealing Beauty (1996), and Up at the Villa (2000), which also has scenes set in Florence. The English Patient (1996) was partially shot in Montepulciano, as was the vampire romance, New Moon (2009, part of the Twilight series). Filmed in Lucca, The Triumph of Love (2001) has a Baroque feel, while The Portrait of a Lady (1996) stays true to Henry James’ bleak novel.
If bound for San Gimignano, consider watching films set in that locale: Prince of Foxes (1949), Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), and two of Franco Zeffirelli’s films, Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) and Tea with Mussolini (1999).
Although it’s not a film, the video game Assassin’s Creed II takes place in Renaissance Florence, San Gimignano, and other real Tuscan locations. The action is violent (hence the title), but you spend the game exploring astonishingly detailed, fully interactive 3-D models of the towns at their Renaissance peak. Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli, and other real-life Florentines are characters in the game, and when you approach a famous landmark, historical information about the place pops up on the screen.
This list includes selected festivals in Florence, plus national holidays observed throughout Italy. Many sights and banks close on national holidays—keep this in mind when planning your itinerary. Before planning a trip around a festival, verify its dates by checking the festival’s website or TI sites (www.italia.it and www.firenzeturismo.it).
In Florence, hotels get booked up on Easter weekend (from Good Friday through Monday), April 25 (Liberation Day), May 1 (Labor Day), May 9 (Feast of the Ascension Day), June 24 (St. John the Baptist), November 1 (All Saints’ Day), and on Fridays and Saturdays year-round. Some hotels require you to book the full three-day weekend around a holiday.
For sports events, see www.sportsevents365.com for schedules and ticket information.
| Jan |
Florence fashion convention |
| Jan 1 |
New Year’s Day |
| Jan 6 |
Epiphany |
| Mid-Late Feb |
Carnival Celebrations/Mardi Gras in Florence (costumed parades, street water fights, jousting competitions) |
| April |
Italy’s Cultural Heritage Week (check www.beniculturali.it for dates) |
| April 20 |
Easter Sunday. Explosion of the Cart (Scoppio del Carro) in Florence (fireworks, bonfire in wooden cart) |
| April 21 |
Easter Monday |
| April 25 |
Italian Liberation Day |
| May 1 |
Labor Day |
| Mid-May |
Cricket Festival in Florence (music, entertainment, food, crickets sold in cages) |
| May 29 |
Ascension Day |
| Mid-Late May |
Gelato Festival, Florence |
| Late May-Early June |
Florence fashion convention |
| June 1-30 |
Annual Flower Display in Florence (carpet of flowers on the main square, Piazza della Signoria) |
| June 2 |
Anniversary of the Republic |
| June 16-17 |
Festival of St. Ranieri in Pisa |
| June 24 |
Festival of St. John the Baptist in Florence (parades, dances, boat races). Also Calcio Fiorentino (costumed soccer game on Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce) |
| Late June-early Sept |
Florence’s annual outdoor cinema season (contemporary films) |
| June-July |
Florence Dance Festival (www.florencedance.org) |
| July 2 |
Palio horse race in Siena |
| Aug 15 |
Assumption of Mary (Ferragosto) |
| Aug 16 |
Palio horse race in Siena |
| Early Sept |
Festa della Rificolona in Florence (children’s procession with lanterns, street performances, parade) |
| Sept 13-14 |
Volto Santo in Lucca (procession and fair) |
| Oct |
Musica dei Popoli Festival in Florence (ethnic and folk music and dances) |
| Nov 1 |
All Saints’ Day |
| Dec 8 |
Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
| Dec 25 |
Christmas |
| Dec 26 |
St. Stephen’s Day |
• Europeans write a few of their numbers differently than we do. 1 = 
, 4 = 
, 7 = 
.
• In Europe, dates appear as day/month/year, so Christmas is 25/12/14.
• Commas are decimal points, and decimals are commas. A dollar and a half is $1,50, one thousand is 1.000, and there are 5.280 feet in a mile.
• When counting with fingers, start with your thumb. If you hold up your first finger to request one item, you’ll probably get two.
• What Americans call the second floor of a building is the first floor in Europe.
• On escalators and moving sidewalks, Europeans keep the left “lane” open for passing. Keep to the right.
In the US, you’ll see Roman numerals—which originated in ancient Rome—used for copyright dates, clocks, and the Super Bowl. In Italy, you’re likely to observe these numbers chiseled on statues and buildings. If you want to do some numeric detective work, here’s how: In Roman numerals, as in ours, the highest numbers (thousands, hundreds) come first, followed by smaller numbers. Many numbers are made by combining numerals into sets: V = 5, so VIII = 8 (5 plus 3). Roman numerals follow a subtraction principle for multiples of four (4, 40, 400, etc.) and nine (9, 90, 900, etc.); the number four, for example, is written as IV (1 subtracted from 5), rather than IIII. The number nine is IX (1 subtracted from 10).
Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany 2014—written in Roman numerals—would translate as Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany MMXIV. Big numbers such as dates can look daunting at first. The easiest way to handle them is to read the numbers in discrete chunks. For example, Michelangelo was born in MCDLXXV. Break it down: M (1,000) + CD (100 subtracted from 500, or 400) + LXX (50 + 10 + 10, or 70) + V (5) = 1475. It was a very good year.
| M = 1000 |
XL = 40 |
| CM = 900 |
X = 10 |
| D = 500 |
IX = 9 |
| CD = 400 |
V = 5 |
| C = 100 |
IV = 4 |
| XC = 90 |
I = duh |
| L = 50 |
|
A kilogram is 2.2 pounds, and l liter is about a quart, or almost four to a gallon. A kilometer is six-tenths of a mile. I figure kilometers to miles by cutting them in half and adding back 10 percent of the original (120 km: 60 + 12 = 72 miles, 300 km: 150 + 30 = 180 miles).
| 1 foot = 0.3 meter |
1 square yard = 0.8 square meter |
| 1 yard = 0.9 meter |
1 square mile = 2.6 square kilometers |
| 1 mile = 1.6 kilometers |
1 ounce = 28 grams |
| 1 centimeter = 0.4 inch |
1 quart = 0.95 liter |
| 1 meter = 39.4 inches |
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds |
| 1 kilometer = 0.62 mile |
32°F = 0°C |
When shopping for clothing, use these US-to-European comparisons as general guidelines (but note that no conversion is perfect).
• Women’s dresses and blouses: Add 30
(US size 10 = European size 40)
• Men’s suits and jackets: Add 10
(US size 40 regular = European size 50)
• Men’s shirts: Multiply by 2 and add about 8
(US size 15 collar = European size 38)
• Women’s shoes: Add about 30
(US size 8 = European size 38-39)
• Men’s shoes: Add 32-34
(US size 9 = European size 41; US size 11 = European size 45)
First line, average daily high; second line, average daily low; third line, average days without rain. For more detailed weather statistics for destinations in this book (as well as the rest of the world), check www.wunderground.com.
Europe takes its temperature using the Celsius scale, while we opt for Fahrenheit. For a rough conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit, double the number and add 30. For weather, remember that 28°C is 82°F—perfect. For health, 37°C is just right.
5 shirts: long- & short-sleeve