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Italy Planner

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Getting Here

The major gateways to Italy are Rome’s Aeroporto Leonardo da Vinci (FCO), better known as Fiumicino, and Milan’s Aeroporto Malpensa (MAL). There are some direct flights to secondary airports, primarily Venice and Pisa, but to fly into most other Italian cities you need to make connections at Fiumicino, Malpensa, or another European hub. You can also take the FS airport train to Rome’s Termini station or a bus to Milan’s central train station (Centrale) and catch a train to any other location in Italy. It’ll take about one hour to get from either Fiumicino or Malpensa to the train station.

Italy’s airports are not known for being new or efficient. They all have restaurants and snack bars, and there’s Internet access. Each airport has at least one nearby hotel. Ramped-up security measures may include random baggage inspection and bomb-detection dogs. In the case of Florence and Pisa, the city centers are only a 15-minute taxi ride away.

For further information about getting where you want to go, see “Getting Here” at the beginning of each section of this book and the similar sections found under many town headings.

What to Pack

In summer, stick with light clothing, as things can get steamy in June, July, and August. But throw in a sweater in case of cool evenings, especially if you’re headed for the mountains and/or islands. Sunglasses, a hat, and sunblock are essential. Brief summer afternoon thunderstorms are common in inland cities, so an umbrella will come in handy. In winter, bring a coat, gloves, hats, scarves, and boots. In winter, weather is generally milder than in the northern and central United States, but central heating may not be up to your standards, and interiors can be cold and damp; take wools or flannel rather than sheer fabrics. Bring sturdy shoes for winter and comfortable walking shoes in any season.

As a rule, Italians dress exceptionally well. They don’t usually wear shorts. Men aren’t required to wear ties or jackets anywhere, except in some of the grander hotel dining rooms and top-level restaurants, but are expected to look reasonably sharp—and they do. Formal wear is the exception rather than the rule at the opera nowadays, though people in expensive seats usually do get dressed up.

A certain modesty of dress (no bare shoulders or knees) is expected in churches, and strictly enforced in many.

For sightseeing, pack a pair of binoculars; they’ll help you get a good look at painted ceilings and domes. If you stay in budget hotels, take your own soap. Many such hotels don’t provide it, or they give guests only one tiny bar per room. Washcloths, also, are rarely provided even in three- and four-star hotels.

Restaurants: The Basics

A full meal in Italy has traditionally consisted of five courses, and every menu you encounter will still be organized along some version of this five-course plan.

First up is the antipasto (appetizer), often consisting of cured meats or marinated vegetables. Next to appear is the primo, usually pasta or soup, and after that the secondo, a meat or fish course with, perhaps, a contorno (vegetable dish) on the side. A simple dolce (dessert) rounds out the meal.
This, you’ve probably noticed, is a lot of food. Italians have noticed as well—a full, five-course meal is reserved for special occasions. Instead, meals are a mix-and-match affair: a primo and a secondo, or an antipasto and a primo, or a secondo and a contorno. In our reviews, the quoted prices are for meals consisting of a primo, secondo, and dolce.
The crucial rule of restaurant dining is that you should order at least two courses. It’s a common mistake for tourists to order only a secondo, thinking they’re getting a “main course” complete with side dishes. What they wind up with is one lonely piece of meat.

Hotels: The Basics

Hotels in Italy are usually well maintained, but in some respects they won’t match what you find at comparably priced U.S. lodgings. Keep the following points in mind as you set your expectations, and you’re likely to have a good experience:

First and foremost, rooms are usually smaller, particularly in cities. If you’re truly cramped, ask for another room, but don’t expect things to be spacious.
A “double bed” is commonly two singles pushed together.
In the bathroom, tubs aren’t a given—request one if it’s essential. In budget places, showers sometimes use a drain in the middle of the bathroom floor. And washcloths are a rarity.
Most hotels have satellite TV, but there are fewer channels than in the United States, and only one or two will be in English.
Don’t expect wall-to-wall carpeting. Particularly outside the cities, tile floors are the norm.

Speaking the Language

In most cities and many towns you won’t have a hard time finding locals who speak at least rudimentary English. Odds are if the person you want to talk with doesn’t know English, there will be someone within earshot who can help translate. The farther south you travel, the fewer English speakers you’ll encounter, but if nothing else someone at your hotel will know a few words. No matter where in Italy you’re going, if you learn some common phrases in Italian, your effort will be appreciated.

Italy from Behind the Wheel

Americans tend to be well schooled in defensive-driving techniques. Many Italians aren’t. When you hit the road, don’t be surprised to encounter tailgating and high-risk passing. Your best response is to take the same safety-first approach you use at home. On the upside, Italy’s roads are very well maintained. Note that wearing a seat belt and having your lights on at all times are required by law. Bear in mind that a vehicle in Italian cities is almost always a liability, but outside the cities it’s often crucial. An effective strategy is to start and end your Italian itinerary in major cities, car-free, and to pick up wheels for countryside touring in between.

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