Love Italy? You should check out my book about How to Order an Italian Coffee in Italy!  It’s available on Amazon! Get your copy or tell a friend!

Here are some common mistakes and misconceptions tourists have about traveling in Italy. After posting about how my diet has changed since moving to Italy 7 years ago, I’ve also been reflecting on people visiting and enjoying Italy.

Here’s a few words of advice for anyone hoping to visit Italy in the near future – leave your own suggestions in the comments for others!

1. Tipping in Italy. Though regularly discussed, argued and debated, the truth is you don’t need to tip in Italy. Really. Let me repeat that: you don’t need to tip in Italy. Of course most workers will not scoff or refuse a tip (though a few will), but it’s not necessary, and I think it’s a bad precedence to set for foreigners to tip in Italy for simple things like a coffee, taxi rides, or dinner in a pizzeria. Many Italians I know will only leave a tip for very exceptional service (think: anniversary dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant) or will leave the change when paying cash because it’s easier not to wait for the waiter to make change (think: leaving a 100-euro banknote on a 99-euro bill), but it’s a choice of convenience rather than rewarding service. In Rome, waiters / taxi drivers are getting spoiled with foreigners leaving tips and are now expecting them. But you don’t need to tip in Italy. You’re probably already paying a supplement through the coperto (cover charge) or servizio (service charge) on your restaurant bill. You probably still want to tip a hotel porter for bringing up your bags, a helpful concierge or a thorough tour guide.
2. Assuming you can buy tickets for public transportation directly on the bus / tram. Most big cities in Italy (Rome, Milan, Naples, Florence) require you to buy your bus/tram tickets before boarding. And not just that, but most bus stops will not have a ticket machine next to the stop. Rather, you’ll need to find a newspaper stand (edicola) or a tobacco shop (tabaccaio) to purchase your tickets. If you’re planning on using public transportation on a Sunday, buy your tickets the day before – you’ll save a lot of time not looking for an open place to buy tickets. And once on the bus/tram, make sure you validate the ticket – put it into a machine that will print the date/time used on the ticket (so it can’t be re-used). Save yourself a fine!
3. Calling the afternoon store closings a “siesta.” It’s not called a “siesta”…the stores are just closed. Some stores have a day of the week that they are closed and they will call it a day of rest (giorno di riposo) or (riposo settimanale), and most stores will also be closed Monday mornings, opening in the afternoons directly. A misconception is that all stores will close in the afternoon, but it really depends on where you are in Italy, and what time of year. Especially in crowded city centers, many stores should remain open through the afternoon, but if they do close, it’s not a siesta. It’s not Spain. It’s just closed. As my friend Max reminded me, store hours are set at the Comune (city) level, so opening times will vary from city to city.
4. Not respecting meal times, especially at lunch time. Most restaurants and bars have specific opening times, and they will close in the afternoon – that you can count on. If you have a late breakfast, visit museums through lunch and hope to get a bite to eat at 2pm or 3pm, you’re going to find a very limited selection, and some of which was prepared before the lunch rush, including those sandwiches that have been sitting there since 10am. Try to eat when Italians eat – lunch hour is usually 13-14 (some start as early as 12.30 eating) and most will be done by 14.30. Dinner is a little different – the further south you go, the later they start eating. A good rule of thumb is a reservation for 20/20.30, but some groups will make reservations for 21.30/22 and will stay until the restaurant closes! If you’re hungry earlier, why not have an aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) before dinner?
5. Expecting to be waited on very attentively in a restaurant or store. The culture of “il cliente comanda” (the client dictates / is right) is not present in Italy. Furthermore, most restaurants will be “understaffed,” that is, they will have few waiters working many tables because their main job is to order and deliver your food. They probably won’t ask “how are you folks doing?”, if you like the food, if you want a refill (this concept doesn’t exist) or other general “friendly” requests that are in reality superfluous to your main dining experience – they just don’t have the time. So, sit back, be patient, and flag down your waiter when you need something, but be patient in knowing they are probably working very hard. The good news is, you’ll rarely be presented with the check until you ask for it. [Update: someone made a comment to me that I'm wrong here, and the service is fast in Italy. I am not debating the speed of the service but rather the amount of attention that is given to the patron who may be accustomed to a high level of attention throughout the dining experience. I think the quality of service is relatively high, but it's not conveyed in terms of client attentiveness but in other ways.]
6. Ordering peperoni on your pizza and expecting hot/spicy salami. Peperoni in Italian are bell peppers, not pepperoni in the US which is hot salami. So if you want hot salami on your pizza, don’t order a pizza with peperoni (note the spelling – just one p) order a pizza diavola or look for a pizza that has salame piccante as one of the ingredients.
7. Thinking you have to order an antipasto, primo e secondo at every meal. Most Italians don’t eat an antipasto, primo, secondo and dolce at every meal – you don’t have to, either. If you eat like this at every meal, you will definitely feel full! Feel free just to pick a primo or secondo for your lunch and maybe splurge at dinner with a more robust meal.
8. Ordering before paying, paying before ordering in a bar. Many bars require that you get a receipt (scontrino) before ordering, especially if you see the cash register (cassa) sitting apart from where you’ll pick up the food or coffee, and you don’t see immediate table service. When in doubt, observe for a few minutes or just ask at the cash register how to proceed – you might say, “scusi, si paga o si ordina prima?” (Does one pay or order first?)
9. Drinking a coffee during a meal (other than breakfast). Coffee is used mainly to help digestion and to finish off a meal, and therefore at lunch or dinner it is ordered after the meal and dessert have been consumed. If you order a cappuccino to go with your spaghetti carbonara, expect a nasty look…from everyone.
10. Touching fruit & vegetables with your bare hands in a street market or supermarket. In a supermarket you should see plastic gloves and bags near the scales or throughout the fruit/veg section. Use them. In an open-air market, you won’t see these gloves because you are not expected to handle anything yourself – the people working in the stall will do everything. Don’t touch the goods! Also, it’s considered pretty rude to tell the fruttivendolo exactly which fruit he should put in your bag.

Here’s a few to start….any tips you have for tourists in Italy?

Love Italy? You should check out my book about How to Order an Italian Coffee in Italy!  It’s available on Amazon! Get your copy or tell a friend!

Still hungry for more Italy news? Listen to the All-Italy podcast I co-host called Eye on Italy at www.eyeonitaly.com/podcast.

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• Ms. Adventures in Italy in 7 Links
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• 2010 Year in Review: Sites, Tools & Statistics

Perhaps you haven’t been keeping up with some of the articles I’m writing over at Suzuki Europe’s It’s the Small things that make a Difference site, but I’ve been busy and I’ve created this video which I think Ms. Adventures fans will love, too.

Do you “dance” with your hands?

Feel free to share or embed this video on your own site – you can get the code by clicking on the YouTube link and getting the Embed code.

PS: If you’re in Europe, you can make a simple video like I did, too, about the small things in your life and enter in Suzuki’s YouTube contest!

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Related Articles at Ms. Adventures in Italy:

• My Latest News
• Thai Ice Cream on a Hot Dog Bun in Bangkok, Thailand
• 2010 Year Review in Pictures

Note: some emails were shortened but all spelling and grammar errors are original to the inquirer.

I have to say I am astounded at the lack of general punctuation use and formulation of actual questions I receive. They take the time to find my email address, open their email program, compose a message to me and press “Send”, yet they can’t take the time to make their inquiry clear? Take a look at this one:

I looked at your website, i need an advice that i am thinking to do masters in Italy as i want to learn the language, i cant speak italian just few words, so are there any master programs taught in English, also a part time work or full time in english so finance myself.

and another:

Afternoon, Im very stuck. Been researching but Im so confused. Im hoping to move it Italy in the next year or so. I have accomodation already but how do I start to go about getting a work permit please. All Ive read confuses me so much. Plus, as a British citizen, will i need a residence permit for longer than 3 months.

and yet another:

Can you please help me, I know I need a visa but like you said it is hard to get a job without a permit but hard to get a permit without a job. Please help. Thanks.

These emails are not helpful to anyone. Please specify, after reading what I’ve already communicated, how exactly I might help. I am not an immigration official, nor a recruiter, just someone trying to help!

Let’s move on to the real questions:

Dear Ms. Adventures in Italy, I am currently a senior at Yale University. I just came back from living and studying in Italy for about 7 months, and all I can think about is going back. I would love to find a job for next year, but everyone I talk to seems to say the same things: “There just aren’t any jobs there” or “It’s really hard for a foreigner to find a job.” I am fluent in Italian and German and would love to work in business. Do you have any suggestions?

I have a couple of questions for you. First, do companies have preference for 1. English speaking people and 2. people with business degrees? I am having trouble finding work even in the U.S. and have read that it’s even more difficult in Italy. Also, I noticed in Rome that men are not shy about professing love to someone…even if they’ve only known you for an hour! Are woman treated fairly in the workplace, typically? Or discrimination a major issue? Sincerely, Listening to the Masses and Worried about Latin Lovers

Dear Listening to the Masses and Worried about Latin Lovers,

I think both sentiments are probably correct, but they depend on the industry you’re interested in. Becoming a university professor in Italy, for example, is extremely difficult whereas working in a private language school is relatively easy. Ditto for tourism, communication, internet, etc. but the answer is “it depends.”

Fluency is definitely a plus as most companies in Italy will use Italian in the office even if they are working with clients / delivering products-projects in English. I would say speaking English is always a bonus, but there’s no preference for it, especially if you speak 0 Italian. I know very few people working in offices where the base language is English.

You say you want to work in business – do you know where? I suggest your start two-pronged – make a list of companies that are in the sector you’re interested in that you know in America. Then, do a search for companies that are already in Italy, including companies founded in Italy. These two lists will definitely not be the same, and that’s ok – some of the companies in America may be looking for an international presence and/or freelance/contract help, and some international / Italian companies may be looking for someone with your skills. Of course, networking and making as many contacts as possible before leaving is probably your best bet, though many companies will want to interview you in person in Italy.

Unless you have a degree from an Ivy league university (in this case you do, congrats), or one that has high name recognition, I think your work experience will be what makes more of an impression on your interviewer. Advance business degrees (especially MBAs) are not as valued as I  think they are in the US, or rather, they have no additional value that might give you an edge. Some people have no idea what the acronym means. I suggest getting some work experience anyway – here in Italy new graduates do “stage” internships even into their 30s because of the difficult work situation – if you have some work experience under your belt before you make the move, it will be an edge.

“Rome that men are not shy about professing love to someone” – yes, this is a chapter all on its own called “The Latin Lover” – you will meet some Italian men who are looking for and love the exotic – an American on vacation is one of the sweetest varieties. But if you live here, you’ll also meet some great, honorable Italian men. There are all types, everywhere. The Latin Lovers just stick out more (like peacocks).

Re: women treated fairly in the workplace, I can’t profess to know every workplace in Italy. I think on the whole the women’s movement regarding equal opportunity and pay is several years behind the UK or the US, but that doesn’t translate into disrespect or discrimination automatically. I think it’s much easier to find the negative experiences because that’s what sticks in people’s minds more. There are several women’s groups (some of which are listed on my Milan & Italy links page) which are working toward improving the situation. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Dear Ms. Adventures in Italy, I am in the midst of applying for my dual citizenship and should have it within a year.  My mother is an Italian citizen living in Canada.  My question is, if I move there with my husband, and he does not have a citizenship, what is the process for him since I will have the necessary paper work.  Can he apply through me?  Can he move there with me and will he need to get anything when we move?  Any information you can provide me is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Doing the Dual

Dear Doing the Dual,

Congrats! Dual citizenship is an easy way to move to Italy. Your husband will need to get a visa and then he will be able to apply for a permesso per motivi familiari since he will be joining an Italian citizen. Inquire at your local Italian consulate (see my Help Me Move to Italy post for consulate links) – it’s something that you’ll have to do BEFORE you move since you’re not currently a resident. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Ms. Adventures in Italy, I’m a student who want to pursue my higher education in Italy. I was looking for someone to help me get in touch with the student community there for a few clarifications. I’m an International student who want to pursue my Masters there and go on to do research in the field of my interest. Looking For a Connection

Dear Looking for a Connection,

I think your best bet is narrowing down where you want to pursue your higher education and start mining that university’s website for student associations and clubs that you can come into contact with. Another suggestion is to search on Facebook – a lot of the Italian student population is online and there are groups for everything – you’re bound to find an informal space to ask some questions. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Ms. Adventures in Italy, My question is if I enter Italy as a Tourist with my Canadian passport, what if I find work while there, can I get the paper work started while I am in Italy? Or do I have to absolutely apply for the work visa in my country of residence? From Here or There

Dear Here or There,

I’m not Canadian so I can’t speak from personal experience about your country. I know that for Americans you have to go back to the US to apply for a visa, I’m assuming it’s a requirement of the Italian consulate, not anything to do with the home country’s requirement (so I’m assuming it would be the same for Canada). Best check the consulate’s documentation and recommendations on their site (see my Help Me Move to Italy post for consulate links). Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Hello, I love the work your blog and the work you’ve done to make it very helpful for people like me who are interested in moving to Italy. In your “Help! How Do I Live and Work in Italy?” blog post you talked about the work visa paradox. After I finish my Masters degree, I really would love to work as a teacher in Italy. Is there anything I can do to impove my odds of finding a job before I go to Italy? Would I have a better chance of getting a work visa by flying to Italy and personally talking to schools to find one to sponsor me? Thanks! From Flying to Teach

Dear Flying to Teach,

I think planning a trip to Italy to do interviews and talk to schools in person is a good idea. Contact them beforehand saying that you plan to be physically in “x” city on those dates and would like to interview/meet with the Director of Studies that week, etc. and attach your resume, highlighting any previous teaching experience. Schools are selling a very human, person-to-person experience, so it makes sense that they expect to see and know you before making a decision about hiring.

Be ready for the question: “So when are you planning on moving here?” Have a game plan ready in case 1) they offer to work on the work visa situation and 2) in case if they don’t offer. (Will you still move to Italy? Have you already bought that 1-way ticket?)

As far as the work visa situation goes, very few schools go through the trouble (when they have British/EU teachers available) so you’ll just have to see what kind of response you get. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Hi Ms. Adventures, I’ve been learning Italian for the past year. It’s coming along well but I am by no means fluent. I like the idea of teaching because I love languages (I speak English and French). However, I have seen some information that states that in Italy you do not need teaching qualifications to teach English, you just need to be a native speaker. I’m totally confused about what qualifications I would need and how to apply for a job. The Italian way seems to be very much more about networking but I have no idea how to do this, especially being based in the UK at the moment. Have you got any advice you can give me? From Qualifying to Teach

Hello Qualifying to Teach,

See my above answer for the networking and applying – I think it can only help for the schools to meet you in person. Schedule a week (or two if you’re still undecided between cities) to come here and do some in-person interviewing and scouting around.

Some schools will not ask for previous teaching experience, nor CELTA/TEFL certificates, but they will take into account your own formal education and if you have multiple degrees, etc., especially in subjects they are teaching to students. Some schools, though, require these certifications and if you have neither a university degree nor teaching experience you may want to consider getting the certificate. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Hi, Great website! I am a cook looking to study pizza in Napoli or any other region. I would love to attain a Pizzaiolo certification. I have cooked for many years in Sweden and in California. I have lived in Italy in the 80’s, yet have no contacts. I am also interested in just working in Italy as a cook. Any help would be much appreciated. From the Pizza Man

Hi Pizza Man,

This isn’t my specialty, but with a quick google search for “pizzaiolo certificato” I found the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association and a Masters for Pizza makers. It’s probably a good place to start, but since you speak Italian, troll some of the forums to see if you can find out which program is the most reputable. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Dear Ms. Adventures in Italy, My wife and I are considering moving to Italy.  I am a teacher in the United States and I had thought about teaching English abroad. I have looked some at your website, but there is a lot of information and I wanted to contact you first. Most jobs seem to say they require experience.  Can I find a job teaching English in Italy that will provide an income that I can live with functionally without returning to school for years on end?  I love teaching and it is a feasible career to get a start in a foreign country it would seem.  I just want to figure out how realistic the option is without having to go back to school first. From Enough Dough to Live?

Hello Enough Dough to Live,

You already have teaching experience which is good – even better if you’ve been teaching English! If you’re hoping to support a couple on a single income of an English teacher in a private language school, the answer is no, it’s not enough dough. I don’t think going back to school will solve the problem – it’s not enough for two to live. A teacher can make anywhere from 600 euro/month to 1,500/month, depending on your schedule, how busy the school is and how many other teachers they have, and if you have any private students, etc. I heard of one (1) teacher who was making more than 2,000euro/month but he had been in Italy for several years and had built up an impressive private businessmen/student clientele. If the two of you both work, you might have a chance, but it won’t be luxury. You will be getting by. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Dear Ms. Adventures, I am a dental student at the University of Toronto in Canada, and want to work in Italy (maybe Rome) as an associate for a year or 2 after I graduate. I will have my Canadian DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and will pass the Canadian Board Exam to be able to practise in Canada. Will I be able to work for a Dentist in Italy?? Or is this dream just too hard to accomplish? I was thinking I could work for an American/English Dentist that works in Italy. What do you think?? And will I be able to get a work Visa for 1 or 2 years if I’m a Dentist? Thanks for any help/contacts you have! And thanks for the time you put into helping others experience Italy! ~Canadian Dentist dreaming of Italy

Dear Canadian Dentist dreaming of Italy,

Unfortunately I have no contacts regarding dentists – I need one myself! But, I think the possibility that you could get an internship with a dentist may be a possibility but practicing on your own and getting a work visa are completely different situations altogether. I would suggest scouring the advertising sections of popular English language publications in Italy (check my Milan/Italy links) to find the American/English dentists and contact them with your questions. Prepare yourself and know your answer to – If they are willing to accept me as an associate, but without a work visa, will I do it anyway? Often work permits are more expensive and trouble than they are worth to the employer to pursue for a possible employee. The burden usually remains with the person looking for work to have the correct papers. Cheers, Ms. Adventures in Italy

Please note: I am not an immigration lawyer or official – this information is not intended to be legal advice nor supplant/contradict any official government communication. Please consult the rules/regulations that pertain to you and your particular situation/country. I am not encouraging or advising your participation in illegal activity.

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An update from last year’s Italian Summer Music 2007 roundup: Check out my Italian Music section to immediately buy some popular albums!

I usually use the FestivalBar CDs as a bit of a barometer for the Italian hits of the summer. They must be hard up for money, as they are also shameless enough to have the FestivalBar site hosted by MSN and they are taking a “year off” of doing the FestivalBar tour.

By now the compilations are pretty predictable: almost half “foreign” bands: Duffy, Amy Winehouse (a mere two years after her album came out), Coldplay, Leona Lewis, James Blunt; the usual “Italian standby’s” : Zucchero, Vasco Rossi, Max Pezzali, Ligabue mixed in with some new(er) blood.

The biggest phenomenon this summer is of course Giusy Ferreri, who is not on the FestivalBar CD. She is the runner-up to X-Factor show in Italy (Leona Lewis was a winner in the UK version of X-Factor)

Giusy is extraordinarily popular not only because she sings well, but because she was “just a cashier” in a supermarket before being discovered on X-Factor, and this is usually the first phrase out of someone’s mouth when speaking about her. I would call her the “Italian Amy Winehouse” without, of course, all the drugs and crack-house features. Yet.

Here’s the song performed during the finals of X-Factor: Non Ti Scordar Mai Di Me (Don’t Ever Forget About Me) written for her by none other than Tiziano Ferro (mentioned in last summer’s round-up) [Buy Giusy Ferreri's album]

So, who won X-Factor, you might ask? An acapella group called the Aram Quartet who now have their single “Per Elisa” making the rounds heavily on radio and TV. They have pretty good voices, though this is a remake of an old hit, but the melodramatic tone of the video kind of makes me chuckle and the various outfit changes (with sunglasses, without glasses) makes me wonder how many of them are really in the group.

Negramaro, mentioned in my post about Italian Summer Music 2007 with “Parlami d’Amore” (and who were quite good live at FestivalBar) are back with another song this summer, Via Le Mani Dagli Occhi (Take (Your) Hands Off Your Eyes). [Buy Negramaro's La Finestra album]

This next song came out before the summer break (and Michelle from Michellanea talked about this song in June), but I think it’s worth noting as it combines two interesting Italian artists: Fabri Fibra (a rapper from Le Marche) and Gianna Nannini (the Italian “Melissa Ethridge”) in a song called “In Italia” about the dichotomy of the reality of the beautiful and dysfunctional sides of Italy – I recommend taking a look at the Italian lyrics. From the chorus:

“There are things no one will tell you
There are things no one will give you
You were born and will die here
You were born and will die here
Born in the country of the half-truths”

Above all, I really like some of the images that the director included in the black and white video, these little slices of Italy and the people who live there. [Buy Fabri Fibra's Bugiardo or Tradimento albums]

Caparezza is noted for his crazy hair, his catchy music (Sono Fuori dal Tunnel, Vengo dalla Luna), but of course his beats are usually wrapped around a social commentary. “Vieni a ballare in Puglia” (Come dance in Puglia) is another song that is undeniably catchy (our 5-year-old cousin sings it often) but I suggest reading the original lyrics while watching the video as you’ll see “Turista tu balli e canti, io conto i defunti di questo paese” Tourist, you dance and sing, I count the dead of this country.

Bet you’ll dance, though. [Buy Caparezza's Habemus Capa]

An “oldie” but a goodie is Jovanotti who has been around for a while and whose “A Te” single from the album Safari is popular right now but I would suggest listening to “L’ombelico del Mondo” below for a fun, drum-filled dancing song from the 90s. [Buy Jovanotti's Safari or 1990-1995 Raccolta with the single below]

Elisa is one of the first Italian artists I discovered in 2000, and though she sings mainly in English, she’s finally making her debut in the US with “Dancing” (available on iTunes and Amazon) – many songs are from her previous albums. Below is Elisa’s song “Dancing” featured on “So You Think You Can Dance” (US) and the full-length song of Dancing mixed with clips of Elisa’s other videos.

And what about the quintessential “latin” hit of the summer? Well, it looks like this summer we’re to be spared from overkill on one particular song, though I’ve heard Cinema2′s Ah Ah Ah a few times. Maybe next year!

Check out my Italian Music section to immediately buy some popular albums!

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