Purple Tips: What NOT to do in Italy
The Italians love being helpful. Even if you are only asking for street directions, you’ll end up listening to all possible options, which one the locals would take and precisely why. In the end, one thing is for sure, you’ll be changing your initial destination as their suggestion will always be better than yours! Well, what can you do… passionate, strong-minded and original, Italians are like this! After all that’s why they’re so much fun. But be careful! There are certain things you’d better be conscious about when visiting Italy!
Here’s a list of DON’Ts that’ll guarantee you a great holiday in Italy this year.
Image via @ scattomatto56
1. Don’t visit the Vatican City in a revealing outfit, as you’ll be shown the way out! Cover up shoulders and remember to be respectful.
Image via @ emilymoakley
2. Don’t park behind the yellow, or pink or blue lines to avoid being fined. You can park for free on the white lines, but blue lined areas indicate parking at a charge. Yellow line parking lots are for the disabled and pink ones for pregnant women.
Image via @ Michelle Ramos
3. Don’t worry about the time. If you have visited Italy before, you’ve surely noticed that on there is the official time and… the Italian time, which never agrees with your time watch!
Image via @ Gia Loren
4. For trips to Venice don’t use a gondola to get around the city! Opting for a gondola cruise around the city surely is romantic; not pocket-friendly at all, though! FYI a gondola cruise costs approximately 65 EUR per person! Use the water taxi (traghetto) instead for 5 EUR.
Image via @ Mike Grote
5. Don’t take any shortcuts indicated by google maps! If you’re planning to go on a road trip to Italy, then you’d better not trust your GPS. Particularly, in southern Italy, roads are narrow, filled with holes and feature no signs. It can be a tourists worst nightmare, but going off the beaten track is always part of the fun for holidays too.
Image via @ marksfoodfotos
6. Don’t expect to find the original napolitan bolognese sauce in Napoli, as it simply doesn’t exist! Food wise, there are certain things you have to bear in mind: for pesto go to Genova, for pizza go to Napoli, for stuffed pasta go to Bologna, for risotto go to Milan and for a rich carbonara go to Rome.
Image via @ Marg and Barry
7. Don’t tip! Tipping is not a common thing to do in Italy (of course if you think the service is worth it, don’t let us stop you!)
Image via @ hea gong
8. Don’t ask the waiter for some grated Parmesan on your seafood pasta! He’ll go bananas.
Image via @ Floris Oosterveld
9. DON’T try to fit Rome into an already busy schedule. The Eternal City really deserves all your.
