Italy Travel Tips

My mother-in-law and brother-in-law just spent a week visiting us at our Italian home in the Lunigiana region of Tuscany. Today we're taking the train to Rome to spend a few days before they fly home. Although I tried to explain that for train travel it's best to have smaller, lighter suitcases, they didn't quite understand what I was talking about. Not to mention, their bags barely fit in the trunk of our leased car. Their visit reminded me of a few tips for Italy travel worth mentioning.

• When traveling by train, you'll need to go up and down stairs to get to the train as well as lift your bags onto the train. While a large suitcase with wheels may seem like a good idea, wheels add a lot of weight and make accessing trains more difficult. Budget hotels often don't have lifts and you may be carrying those bags up a few flights of stairs, too.
• Most European rental or lease cars are probably smaller than what people are used to in the United States. The trunks will be smaller, too, so fitting in a lot of luggage is hard.
• You won't be able to just plug in your curling iron and use it! European voltage is different from that of the United States. Read about Electricity in Europe from Europe for Visitors.
• Before you leave home, call your credit card company and tell them you'll be traveling to Italy and anywhere else you plan to be. You might have trouble using your card if you don't call ahead.
• Carry your medication in your carry-on bag and bring a list of all medication with you. If you need to have your medication replaced or forget to bring something (like my mother-in-law did), you can usually go to a farmacia and get what you need, maybe even for less than you pay in the United States.
• If you're in a city and need to use the bathroom, you may need coins to pay at the public toilet. I've paid from 30 to 60 cents. Sometimes there is someone to give you change but some are turnstiles that require the correct coin. The public bathroom will be clean and stocked with toilet paper and paper towels. Oh, and carry some kleenex or toilet paper with you as some toilets (that you don't pay for) may not have paper.
• An Italian hotel room (and bed) is usually smaller than one in the United States. You're not likely to get a queen or king size bed and if you ask for two beds, they will usually be twin beds.
• Learn a few words of Italian. Even saying good day and thank you will get you a long way. Take a look at the Italian Language site for tips and vocabulary.
• And the final tip - Be sure to try some gelato! We've been eating it almost every day.