First Time Italy - Italy - page 36

First Time Italy

For more information, see Survival Guide

Top Tips for Your Trip

Checklist

» Visit in spring and autumn - good weather and
thinner crowds.

» Ensure your passport is valid for at
least six months past your arrival date

» If you're driving, head off the main roads: some of
Italy's most stunning scenery is best on secondary or
tertiary roads.

» Check airline baggage restrictions

» Organise travel insurance (see Click
here )

» Make bookings (for popular mu-
seums, entertainment and accommod-
ation)

» Speak at least a few Italian words. A little can go a
long way.

» Queue-jumping is common in Italy: be polite but
assertive.

» Inform your credit-/debit-card com-
pany of your travels

» Check you can use your mobile
(cell) phone

» Avoid restaurants with touts and the mediocre menu
turistico (tourist menu).

What to Pack

What to Wear
Appearances matter in Italy. Milan, Italy's fashion
capital, is rigidly chic. Rome and Florence are mar-
ginally less formal, but with big fashion houses in
town sloppy attire just won't do. In the cities, suitable
wear for men is generally trousers and shirts or polo
shirts, and for women skirts, trousers or dresses.
Shorts, T-shirts and sandals are fine in summer and at
the beach, but long sleeves are required for dining
out. For evening wear, smart casual is the norm. A
light sweater or waterproof jacket is useful in spring
and autumn, and sturdy shoes are good when visiting
archaeological sites.

» Good walking shoes for those
cobblestones

» Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen

» Electrical adapter

» An appetite for Italy's favourite
sport: eating!

» Smart threads and shoes so you
don't look like a heathen in Europe's
most stylish nation

» Patience: for coping with ineffi-
ciency

Sleeping