Budget Traveller

11 Tips for visiting Italy

1. Beware of thieves: It is often heard that there is a lot of thieves in Italy. Other people’s experience is do not bring any bags if you don’t have to (maybe even plastic bags are better). Be careful if you are very close to the children about 10-year-old, and try to avoid the morning and evening peak time when take the subway .
2. Roma pass (20 Euro): Very good! Selling at the stations and all 365 spots. Rome’s main attractions are included(but not including the Vatican city). The first two attractions are free, then you get discount with the rest. I recommend to use it for free in the Colosseum (COLOSSEO) and the Museo Capitolino Museum (two most expensive museums, 11 in Europe +9 Europe, the money of Roma pass back!)
3. Vatican: nearby stores are very expensive, try avoid to buy things there. if you can, go there earlier, otherwise you will be spend nearly one hour in the queue, remember bring sunscreen and hat.
4. Colosseum: Roma pass will let you enjoy queue free, however, only after a security check.
5. Credit card: many places can not be used, it’s best to bring cash. We went to a restaurant which printed “credit cards accepted” on the window, but actually, they will tell you credit card machine is broken, we had to go back to the ATM for cash ~ ~ ~


6. Italy’s got free drinking water everywhere from the sprinkler heads, very convenient, drinking water is also very good, so just bring a empty bottle with you as you don’t really need to buy any water.
7. Duomo next to the cathedral in Milan that the most beautiful shopping centre turn left into the Galleria Vittorio Emanueleii have a cafeteria, on the second floor, there are many local office workers at noon, where to eat, we also get to see happen to eat a meal, From salad to main course to dessert what has, I feel very good price, I would recommend.
8. About the photography: We went to Rome, the Vatican, Museo Capitolino, Borghese Gallery and Museum of Florence Ufizzi Museum, you are allowed to take photos in the first two places; but the latter two not do not allow you to take any photo, In particular the Ufizzi, the very strict.
9. Public Transport: We used Rome pass in Rome, the package includes three days all public transport. In Florence / Pisa is to cigarettes to be shared on the bus / grocery store-bought one-way ticket. In Venice is 12 Hour passes, and in Milan is the day passes.
10. Reservations about the museum:
    • the Vatican, Museo Capitolino do not need reservations;
    • Borghese Gallery reservations by phone: 0039-0632810, collect the tickets directly below the ground floor for a window;
    • Uffizi Reservation: 0039-055294883, for collecting tickets - the road opposite to the Gate 3, if you see a lot of people queuing up outside the museum, a road opposite the gate is admitted into the local collecting points.
11. Italian shops are closed Monday morning, we went to Milan found that the majority of shops closed until the afternoon of 2 - 3pm. We were in Venice on Sunday, basically 80 percent of the stores are closed