Must-know travel tips for first-timers in Italy

St Mark's Square in Venice on a sunny summer day. There are a few people and pigeons in the large tiled square and St Mark's Basilica is in the background.
But beyond the headline sights, what’s a trip to Italy really like? What’s the best way of getting around? What’s the local etiquette? What should I wear? Here are some practical tips to help you on your way and ensure that your first time in Italy is a truly magical experience.

A close up shot of two slices of bruschetta. The crusty bread is piled with tomatoes, oil and garlic on a colorfully-tiled table with a glass of juice out of focus in the background.
When in Rome...eat like a Roman © Annapurna Mellor/Lonely Planet
Eating like an Italian

And there’s no shortage of eateries, with everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to neighbourhood trattorias, wine bars, cafes and pizzerias. Italians generally eat late, so if you want to fit in, stop for lunch at around 1.30pm and dinner at 8.30 to 9pm – the further south you go, the later they eat.

A full Italian meal consists of an antipasto, a primo (usually pasta or risotto), secondo (main course, typically fish or meat), contorno (side dish), and dolce (dessert). You’re not expected to eat all that, so feel free to mix ‘n’ match when ordering. And when you’ve finished, ask for the bill – it won’t be delivered automatically.

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Some other pointers: eat spaghetti with a fork, not a spoon. Never eat bread with pasta, though it’s okay to wipe up any leftover sauce with it. Drink wine with pasta and beer with pizzas. It’s fine to eat pizza with your hands.

A close-frame image of a person pouring olive oil into a dish, wearing an apron. The image is cropped so we can just see their hands and torso standing behind a table laden with Italian oil, wines, and bruschetta.
Olive oil, Tuscan bruschetta and cavolo nero are just some of the many treats awaiting you in Italy © Sofie Delauw / Getty
Bread and tipping
Italians are not big tippers. Service is generally added to restaurant bills, but if it’s not, a euro or two is fine in trattorias and pizzerias, up to 10% in smart restaurants. Also, expect to pay for pane e coperto (a bread and cover charge) – this is standard and is added even if you don’t ask for or eat the bread.

Tipping in bars isn’t necessary but many people leave small change when ordering a coffee.

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Stopping at a cafe for a quick coffee is one of the great rituals of Italian life. To do it like a local, first pay at the cash register, then, armed with your receipt, give the barista your order. When it arrives, drink standing at the bar – sitting at a table is fine but takes longer and costs more.

How to order coffee in Italy

How to order coffee in Italy
Italy showed the world how to drink coffee in style. Discover the etiquette of getting a caffeine hit across the country. Thirsty for more? Check out Lonely Planet's Global Coffee Tour for where to go and what to try.

The classic Italian caffè is an espresso – though, the term espresso is hardly ever used in Italy. Cappuccinos are popular for breakfast and are often paired with a fresh cornetto (an Italian croissant). They are never drunk later than mid-morning.

When eating in restaurants, un caffè after dessert is okay, but not with your main meal please.

Pio-Clementine Museum (Museo Pio - Clementino) in Vatican Museums. Gallery of Statues and Hall of Busts. Collection consists of statues discovered in and around Rome.
If you know when to go, you can visit some of Italy's best museums for free © Kiev.Victor/Shutterstock
Italy's museums (and how to skip the line)
Italy’s historic cities are littered with awe-inspiring art and famous buildings, and often sightseeing is just a case of walking the streets. But for top sights like the Colosseum and Vatican Museums in Rome or Florence’s Galleria degli Uffizi and Gallerie dell’Accademia, entrance queues are the norm.

There are no fool-proof ways of skipping the line – even with a ticket there are still security checks. But you’ll cut waiting time by booking tickets online. Alternatively, try to arrive first thing in the morning or late afternoon when the queues have died down. In the case of the Vatican Museums, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the quietest days.

Museum opening times vary, but many are closed on Mondays. Also, state museums are free on the first Sunday of each month between October and March.

Two people holding scooters on a narrow cobbled street in Italy. There is a woman in the foreground wearing a red helmet, lipstick and skirt to match her red scooter. She aslso wears a black leather jacket and round reflective sunglasses. There is a man in the background in a checked shirt and jeans with a white helmet leaning against a white scooter.
Italians are known for their fashion, but prioritise comfort over style when it comes to footwear © FXQuadro/Shutterstock
How to dress the part
Appearances matter in fashion-conscious Italy. That said, you’ll have to dress comfortably for sightseeing because you’ll be walking a lot. Practical shoes are a must as cobblestoned streets play havoc with heels and ankles. For the evening, smart casual is the way to go.


While credit cards are widely accepted in most instances, Italy hasn’t entirely gone plastic. You can’t always rely on cards in museum ticket offices, smaller trattorias (which are often the best ones!), shops and pizzerias.

ATMs (known in Italian as bancomat) are everywhere and most will accept cards tied to the Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro systems.

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Two vendors selling fresh produce at Campo dei Fiori farmer's market in Rome.
Traditionally, Italian shops have an afternoon break, typically closing between 1pm and 3.30pm. They’ll then re-open until around 8pm. However, this is changing and in big cities, many shops now stay open throughout the day. Some even open on Sunday mornings.


To stock up on picnic provisions, or just to enjoy some local colour, markets such as Campo de’ Fiori in Rome or Venice’s Mercato di Rialto are an entertaining alternative to supermarkets. Similarly, historic delis like La Baita in Bologna and Milan’s Peck are full of tantalising gourmet goodies.

Man with child waving from Vespa motor scooter. The child is wearing orange crocs, shorts nd a yellow t-shirt. He is standing in front of an older man who sits on the scooter, waving at the camera, wearing a checked shirt and beige slacks.
Traffic in Italy's cities is hectic, use public transport or walk if you can © Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
To drive or not to drive?
It’s pointless hiring a car for city travel – traffic is hellish and ZTLs (limited traffic zones) are in force – but if you want to head into the countryside, it’s worth considering.

Italians tend to drive aggressively but once you’ve got used to the tailgaters and tooting, driving here is not as nerve-wracking as it’s often made out to be. Italy's roads are fine and outside the main urban centres, the scenery is often spectacular.

Often harder than driving is parking. Street parking is denoted by white (free) or blue lines. The latter require a ticket from a coin-operated meter or tabaccaio.
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Modern high-speed trains at the railway Milan Central Station. The sleek, red and blue trains sit beneath a domed glass ceiling that has see-through panes with green accents.
It is very doable to zip around Italy on public transport these days © Viacheslav Lopatin/Shutterstock
Navigating Italy's public transport
Most Italian cities can be explored on foot, but you’ll inevitably need to use Italy's public transport at some point. Tickets, bought from a tabaccaio (tobacconist's shop) or street kiosk and validated once on board, are generally valid for a set time period. In Rome, for example, a single €1.50 ticket is valid for 100 minutes. During that time you can use as many trams and buses as you like and take one metro journey.

If you’re staying in a city for a number of days, a travel pass will probably save you money. In Venice, a single journey on a vaporetto (water bus) costs an eye-watering €7.50, but various passes are available, starting at €20 for 24 hours.

Brush up on your italiano, mi amore