A little piece of advice for you: try to avoid restaurant with photo of the dishes exposed outside, usuallly their food is “ for tourists”. Ciao from Italy
@@lecutter9382 not exactly 😭 in my country, usually in malls, restaurants put their menu book in the front door just in case people want to see what they’re selling. But I usually see that in malls. In other places it may vary :-)
Speaking a little Italian does go a long way. I did my best when I visited Italy years ago to learn some words and phrases. Once, I was in a place ordering gelato, and I tried to use the Italian word for strawberry. The man that served corrected me in a helpful, good natured way. When he handed my order to me I said grazie. He looked at me with a big smile and said,” Awe, prego bella.” He was very sweet. I noticed that when I tried to speak a little Italian, I was rewarded!
There is a lot of awesome stuff to see in Italy, the problem is just that there is so many tourists already, and filled with people trying to scam you. Last time I was in Italy I thought it was a bit crazy how much police and military (and garbage) there is all over the big cities. Italy could maybe have been my favorite european country, but as it is right now I prefer a lot of other places over Italy.
@@TheBarser If the problem is that it's too overcrowded, we are full of places less touristy but beautiful. I suppose you were talking about Rome, but other places in Italy don't have the same problems as Rome, it depends on which place you're visiting.
Speaking Italian goes a long way. I was with 4 friends in college visiting. The waitress was not having it that day. They ordered in English and I tried to order Italain. Then she cracked a smile, went back to the kitchen and then the owner came out with a huge smile and just started chatting with us.
Italy and Europe in general need to have more tourists like you and your family buddy, amazing attitude, willing to learn and openness to differences! Awesome videos dude!
I'm Italian. An important tthing is be careful to buy something on the street (like museum ticket, metro ticket etc.)if you think "it's too good to be true"... probably is not true! I saw "skip the line ticket" sold for double (or triple) of the real price, or ticket sold for 25 or 50 euro when the museum is free! Buy ticket only on official website or in the official tourism office! Be careful with taxi (specially in airport) ask first the price (ask to more than one) and if on arrival it is much higher, you say "no problem, i call the police"! And do not forget "if it's too good to be true... Probably is not true!" The last advice is "ask to Italian people" , you can stop one person on street and you can ask anything! For example "a good restaurant" I'm sure he (or she) show you a restaurant to eat a very good Italian food at the right price. The same if you don't know the real price of something, ask to Italian person! The 99% of us are happy to help tourists so don't hesitate to ask!
Good video Mark. I would add that the reason Italians are generally slimmer than US Americans is due to the ancient culinary traditions that have evolved and ensure good digestion and a balanced diet. They certainly eat less processed food and less sugar and corn syrup. Alcoholic drinks are used as appetisers and to aid digestion as well as to help with conviviality, not to get smashed out of their brains.
One thing people always forget to mention in these sorts of vids is that it's a good idea to let your bank and CC company know you're traveling, for where, and how long, so your accounts/cards don't get flagged for fraud and frozen because the bank can't get a hold of you and sees use in places it normally wouldn't.
Good tips. Also, always, always, always *VALIDATE* the local/regional train tickets (i.e. non-reserved seats) right before getting on a train in the little machine on the platform (big stations) or in the station building (small stations). Otherwise, you may get a hefty fine.
Hi Mark! As an Italian that travels a lot, in Italy or abroad, I 100% agree with everything you've said! I'm especially happy that someone finally explains "aperitivo" to foreigners :)
We do eat coffee, milk, cereal or biscuits (cookies) for breakfast (some people even bread with butter and jam). AT HOME. Espresso and croissant is by no means a typical breakfast. Most of the people you see having breakfast like this are in a hurry - OR already enjoying their mid-morning snack! Tadah!
I think 90% of people I know have espresso and croissant (or just cappuccino or espresso, no croissant) I only see people have milk, cereal and biscuits at home if they have kids, no adult I know has that kind of breakfast.... so I would say the one you mention IS a typical breakfast. Opinions, I suppose :)
@@jonkbaby I personally have a couple cookies and milk with coffee. A lot of people have a cappuccino for breakfast with a croissant. We usually have something sweet and easily to digest in the morning.
Well, i usually eat croissants for my breakfast only when i have the time to go to a near-by bar to satisfy my sweet tooth. Otherwise, i just make a cappuccino with a couple of biscuits
Fantastic video, my wife and I are leaving Florence now. You are 100 percent correct- if you speak a little Italian ( hello, how are you, sir ma’am) it will get you a better reception.
Loved this! I just moved back home to the US after living in Italy for the past 4 months and I miss it so much already. These were great tips that many people may not think about! Another one I thought of when you mentioned bathrooms was that, public restrooms are almost non-existent. If you need the bathroom, buy a water or cappuccino then use the restroom. Also in the warmer months, make sure to bring something to cover your shoulders or knees when going into some of the basilicas or cathedrals, otherwise you may be turned away. Great video as always!
sdlpsi252 no no don’t worry, but in Italy in general people try to dress well in any occasion, specially in Milan, since it’s the fashion capital of the world
We were just in Venice a week ago. It was such a great time and we would love to go back. Walking though the city with the bridges and the canals was such a cool experience.
11:15 as a roman yes you have been told right. The secret to crossing the road is the eye contact from that you understand if the driver is going to let you pass or not. Also don't expect cars to stop completely at the crosswalk most drivers just tend to slow down to let you cross. You are expected to start crossing before the car has stopped otherwise it's interpreted as you don't want to cross.
My wife and I are going to Rome for the 1st time!!! This week we've totally been checking out and enjoying all your videos... MUCH appreciated!!! You tha man...Thanks! =D
I'm leaving to go to Italy and Greece in 3 days. This will be my first ever trip overseas and I just wanted to let you know how helpful your videos have been, they have taken a huge worry off of me. Now all I have to worry about is making all of my connecting flights lol. Thank you Mark
Other tips: Public bathrooms are not usually cheap and are used only by tourist. It's way cheaper to enter a bar and take a coffee ( 1€ in the north, around half in the south) or a bottle of water and ask for the toilette, than to search for the, rares, public bathrooms ( always over 1€). Try to always validate your tickets on train or buses to avoid fines. Also, a non-written rule is that the best restaurants are often the less visible ones, the ones that you must ask locals to find them. Those are often ignored by tourist, at least in my city (Ravenna), and survive only because locals know that those are good. Also always search for regional or city's food ( trust me there is a difference) like you search for monuments: some art is better tasted than seen. The eye contact between pedestrians and driver it's a very very true thing, but the driving skills are not everywhere so stereotypical. The light breakfast is quite common, but hotels will always exceed the normal Italian standard for breakfast. So much so that even Italians use to do overabundant breakfast during holydays.
My partner and I went to Rome in 2015 and we were told by so many people to save up our euros as it was going to be expensive, seeing as we were staying about a 5 minute walk from the Colosseum (we could see it from our hotel room). We ended up going with approx 1300 euros. The side restaurants, tours and shopping set us back about 600 euros for the week we were there. We spent most of our money, or a good portion of it, drinking at our hotel and having food there too. We came back home (UK) with about 400 euros left over, totally over budgeted too. The tourist tax caught us out but thankfully we had money to cover it. Such a beautiful place which is drenched in history, fantastic food and people. Would love to go back one day.
tip: dont tip in luxury restaurants. Tip is generally considered mildly rude in italy, and its ok for a tourist doing it on "casual" restaurants, but dont do that on luxury ones, it is actually offensive to the waiter (just like being paternalistic to someone you believe being poor or in disadvantage, and maybe that just could not be the case).
No. we NEVER leave tip in italy. we simply don't have this culture. that's why we usually don't do it when we are in the US. It's not offensive for nobody.
@@fransisco8787 Please do tip when you go to the US. Servers there are not paid a full, living wage like in Italy. It is expected that it will be made up for in tips. If you can, and the service is really good, be generous. Minimum 20% of the total bill. It's a lousy system, but don't penalize the poor workers who are trapped in it. Servers in luxury restaurants like it because they usually get big tips, but in more modest places it can really hurt to not receive a tip.
I love visiting my mom's family in Roma. Dinner starts at 8pm. They serve 5 entrés, desert, salad, soup, wine, expresso......oh. Mio Dio.....we finish dinner at 11pm. Then we have spaghetti with olive oil at midnight.....yummmmmmy.......💕
Usually at petrol stations in the EU you will pay 50 cents. In Poland, the toilet are free at gas stations and shopping centers. But nothing will beat with the Japanese toilet.
Private toilets are usually free for customers, gas stations, malls are always free. In public buildings, museums they are free. The only time they cost .50-1 € is when the door is on the street. So, in Italy, use the toilet when you stay somewhere. If suddenly you need one and you don't know where to find it, try asking to use theirs in a cafè-bar. Then buy something to be polite.
In italy Spaghetti with meatballs do exist but are typical of the extreme south, but they are not very common. meatballs with pasta are more common in timballo a sort of "pasta pie"
Good tip - dont pay with 50 or more EURO bills. No shop in Italy accepts them. However if you get one, try paying with it in Mcdonalds, they have a special scanner to check if its not fake.
It's not that shops don't accept them at all, it's that it's sometimes difficult to have enough change for the really big bills so the shopkeepers grumble. 5,10,20 and 50 are the common ones, but 100 and 200 are very rare. I've never seen a 500 bill in person outside of a bank. You can use 50 euro bills to pay for most things, just carry smaller denominations for your everyday transactions.
Slashplite but, look out with the newest €50 bill, I am a cashier at a supermarket, and I must use a scanner, but it doesn't recognize the new bill's properly, so they might refuse.
I’m traveling to Italy sometime in December. Starting in Pisa and ending in Venice, this is also my first time traveling abroad and I will be solo. I am feeling slightly overwhelmed with the planning, but your videos are helping me tremendously lol.
Thanks, Venice is my first stop when I go to Italy. My grandfather is from just outside Venice. I'm learning Italian now. I can't wait to visit Venice. Thanks for the great information.
I'm going to backpack around Italy starting from September all the way to the end of May. Can't wait to experience the amazing history, the beautiful architecture, the stunning landscapes, and the fascinating and elegant culture!
The three contact plug is not the old one, it is the one with ground contact! Many low power and double insulated appliances just have 2 plugs, but ANY wall socket must have 3 contact for safety, when you connect an appliance with the need to be grounded.
Love your video! One thing my husband was really good at was just researching all the places we were visiting. It made all of the sites a lot more impactful.
Grazie per questo video. Sono un italiano vivo in canada. Le informazione autiare mia per una giornata quando andando italia da vacanza. Never been to italy woukd love to go through. Rome looks like such a beautiful city
Planning on going for the first time. I can't wait. I'm planning on going Fall 2020(for my 30th birthday). I'm debating on planning my own trip or book a tour. I also have a few food allergies and am going to carry a list of them in Italian so I can let restaurants know.
I just adore your channel. You make me want to go everywhere. Our next trips in order are Ireland 2019, then Danube Cruise and your around before and after by car hopefully in 2020. Then Italy and the following year the south of France. We usually go for 25 to 35 days at a time and concentrate on a region. Last year was 35 days in the UK and 2015 was northern France and Paris for 26 days. Europe to me is heaven. I want to see it all.
I wanted to visit Europe since I was a little kid , Visiting Europe was one of my dreams ,Now that dream seems impossible , I don't have money for that , I want to go to italy (Rome )and see the coliseum, because I love history , If that happens, it will be a real miracle😂, because I am now writing my comment from my home in the high Atlas Mountains in Algeria , I am isolated from all the world.
I was shocked to see teenagers rolling their own smokes in the market in Florence. Weirdly, since the cigarettes in Italy are not filled with chemicals like ours are, they didn't bother me as much as here at home (this from an ex smoker). No big deal, just realize it's part of daily life there. Aperitivos rock!!! "Dov' e di toilette" was one of the first phrases I made a point to learn. Love your videos!
Mark, come here in Turin! It's wonderful, and oftend understimate, but i love living here and i think it's one of the best cities, full of culture and museum, and beautiful palaces!
Best!! travel video about Italy. I had been meaning to watch it since you post it but i finally got to it today because my son saw the photo on youtube and saw the pizza and he just kept saying pizza mama pizza! lol! lets just say he enjoyed all the photo and videos of the food.
I love you and your family. :) I enjoyed the last few years all due to your advice and your videos. Please keep up the great work. Grazie Mille e' a presto.
When I was in northern Italy, most restaurants were closed from 3/4 until 8/9. Was a big shock when leaving work at 5 and having to wait 2-4 hours until restaurants open.
Taxi fares vary by city, i.e. Florence and Milan taxis are more expensive than in Rome. Also they will charge extra for each bag they put in the trunk so if you have a backpack just keep it on your lap to save a euro or two.
There are the typical taxi scams in Italy, especially in Rome where they claim that their meter is broke or something and want to give you a fixed rate. Or the scam they do in Prague where they have a hidden button that accellerates the meter.
Italian power sockets, along with shape differencies, also have TWICE THE TENSION as in USA or Japan. This would be not a problem with modern "switching" devices, like phone charger or laptop psu, but is DANGEROUS if you plug your hair dryer or something similar.
nice video! =) wanna just add a little note: the third tip ( the middle one ) on Italian power plugs is not ''the old one''. It' just the ''ground'' tip. it's a safety solution.
My wife and I have just returned from Europe and spent our last couple of days in Verona. We had a lovely meal at a restaurant and my wife ate some pasta, but not enough for the waitress.....’you eat nothing’ she said to my wife (reminded me of Shultz from Hogan’s Heroes)! Classic stuff and all in fun. It was our best meal in Italy.
Omgsh I can't wait EDIT - Wow I forgot I commented this 2 years ago after I postponed my trip twice (because of the pandemic) and then a 3rd time because my aunt who was coming still didn't feel comfortable traveling. It's now 2023 & FINALLY we leave in 2 weeks 😁
The crossing the street thing is no joke. Greece was like that too, the most dangerous walk I ever took was crossing one street between my hotel and the beach.
@@justcallmeleonardo comunque, ho vissuto in Italia per quasi 5 anni e da poco ho iniziato il mio canale dove faccio video anche sull’Italia se sei interessato ☺️
Guys, just a little tip for you.Eat local tipical food non the same menus for tourist try something particulary from the place,like "pasta con le sarde" in my city Palermo(Sicily) i reccomend you to visit Sicily! Have fun and enjoy Italy
If you visit Rome, check out the coast of Fregene, right next to the Fiumicino airport. There are beautiful beaches and restaurants where the locals spend their time. Hotels and food have a good price too. That way you can have the non-touristy experience and still easily get to the Colosseum etc. by local trains.
more about bags and not getting things stolen: Wear around your neck and under your shirt a pouch all your valuables (passport, bank cards, cash, etc.); only carry minimal cash in your wallet! Also, if you can fit your phone in the neck pouch, do it. Carry a bag, but a small one, nothing screams tourist more than a big bag. As for camera, use a small one that can fit in a small bag; if you want to take quality shots, buy a high-end point-and-shoot/SLR hybrid (I use the Canon G7X Mark II, which goes for $600-700). Also, for wide angle shots, you can buy a little lens that clips to the back of your phone. Minimal photo equipment means you will stand out much less..thieves want that big expensive looking camera! Additionally, but not relating to not getting things stolen; to save some cash, buy a Brita water filter bottle, you'll be surprised how fast your euros fly out your hand paying for water! Fountains are everywhere around Italy, just fill up and go. Clip it to your belt buckle with a carabiner. I'm off to Roma in a few days, enjoy your travels. Ciao!
Mentions public lavs. They gotta hit S Korea. Great variety of configurations, situations , and all I tried--clean!! Found a 'squatty' in a really nice restaurant w/cafe&bbq outdoors. Kick flush, and clean as a surgical suite. 'Collected' the bathrooms as a great/different memory. Still makes me 😆
I want to ask that you put in the description of your videos what dates you filmed. It would tell us a lot about how hot or cold it is at that certain time of year by what everyone is wearing. Your videos are awesome. Sooooo helpful.
they usually are near the factory, in other cases you can simply serch for outlet on google maps. for exemple, where i live, in Montevarchi there is a huge Prada factory, near there you can buy their items for half the price, then there are also some outlet at less than a hour from my home where you can find a lot of brands, the are like malls but outdoor.
or, easier version, learn what YOU like, develop your OWN taste, and never buy "brand" things just because society tells you you have to like them.... even if they cost 10 times what they should :)
Very informative video, thanks a lot. :D I am from Dublin, Ireland and will be going to Italy for the first time in late November to celebrate my 30th Birthday (staying in Rome). Subscribed! :)
Regarding bathrooms, I stayed at a hotel in northern Italy where the shower was located above the toilet. The sink, toilet and shower were all within a few feet of each other.
