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goodhabits · 10-06-2004, 07:59 AM

I live in australia but i travel to italy several times every year to visit family, are there any specifics you want to know? Feel free to ask anything else...

If you do your research:

You should go on a tour of all the various churches and catedrals littered throughout italy. I'm not aware of any holiday tours, but make sure that u visit the churches in each city you visit. I'm in no way religious, but they are full of art, sculpture, and history that tell the story of italy. much more interesting than the museums.

Learn a few Italian phrases well. You should know how to swear because most italians will try and push tourists around- so show them who's boss

Save money to buy clothes with. there is great shpping, and if u look like a dag, u will get pushed around.

Try to suss out the crime situation as soon as you get there.Italy has an interesting multiculturalism, where everyone cept the italian are in poverty The darker skinned north africans are usually the dangerous ones, but only at night. The blacks who sell cd's and watches are actually very friendly, and will sell u hash if u ask nicely. The asians are scared of everyone. If you are obviously not an italian expect some rudeness in the smaller cities. If someone asks you to hold something, don't. The homeless are the best pick pockets.

I'll start off with bigger cities:

ROME is beautiful and large but very busy and expensive, if u dont have alot of money to burn, u won't enjoy it much. Hotels are the real killer. that said, great sight seeing, nice retaurants.

MILAN defines modern Italy, mix between old and new, good night life, Great opera and performances, lots of young people. Milan is not a very romantic city though, its more somewhere you would go with friends.

VENICE is everything you imagined. Unfortunately the city revolves aound tourism and this spoils the mood a bit, but it is still amazing. gondola rides are overrated, pack some good walking shoes, and try and catch the Venice Bienale thats on once a year.

FLORENCE is where the Renaissance started. This explains the rich art, culture, and cuisine you can expect to find here. More engaging then Rome. magnificent city.

There are a couple of Major cities which are less well known:

VERONA is a grungy urbanised side of Italy, not much appealing about it except for a miniature coloseum. On the up side it has some good music and a decent nightlife.

BOLOGNA is a cool version of Verona. Busy relatively large modern city going about its business with 2000 year old roads and buildings. people here are snobbish but its not too expensive. Great shopping very good food, and very nice sightseeing- quite romantic.

RICCIONE/RIMINI are the coastal cities on the Adriatic. Terrible water quality due to a stagnant sea but a huge party scene during summer. some good food, only fun for a weekend stopover though.

The smaller places are:

TUSCANY is beautiful coutryside/mountain towns. cobble stone roads winding through ochre houses, amazing food. Very small and isolated towns, not very tourist friendly if you dont know your way aound or speak good italian

PERUGIA is like tuscany but more friendly to foreigners. great views, very romantic, again very small and no night life, unless you're there during the Chocolate Festival, which assuming you have one romantic bone in your body, u will be.

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO is the premier skiing location in Italy. Overpriced and overcrowded during winter but absolutely stunning during summer. long walks in through the mountains and great food. the friendliest of the Italian people (especially towards tourists.) very romantic.

Transport:

Taxi's are expensive, do your research when u arrive and you will find deluxe taxis (nicer car, helpful driver) which seem more like a chauffer and more importantly, have a fixed rate, usually making them cheaper than taxis... weird

ppl say that Mussolini made the trains run on time. well Musolini is gone, and the trains are awful. unfortunately there arent many alternatives. There are 2 types of train in Italy: Eurostar and Intercity, the first has allocated seats, the second is more like the orient express.

Planes in italy aren't to bad. Just ignore the fact that ALITALIA stands for "always late in take-off, always late in arrival"

10-06-2004, 07:59 AM	#3 (permalink)
goodhabits Upright	I live in australia but i travel to italy several times every year to visit family, are there any specifics you want to know? Feel free to ask anything else... If you do your research: You should go on a tour of all the various churches and catedrals littered throughout italy. I'm not aware of any holiday tours, but make sure that u visit the churches in each city you visit. I'm in no way religious, but they are full of art, sculpture, and history that tell the story of italy. much more interesting than the museums. Learn a few Italian phrases well. You should know how to swear because most italians will try and push tourists around- so show them who's boss Save money to buy clothes with. there is great shpping, and if u look like a dag, u will get pushed around. Try to suss out the crime situation as soon as you get there.Italy has an interesting multiculturalism, where everyone cept the italian are in poverty The darker skinned north africans are usually the dangerous ones, but only at night. The blacks who sell cd's and watches are actually very friendly, and will sell u hash if u ask nicely. The asians are scared of everyone. If you are obviously not an italian expect some rudeness in the smaller cities. If someone asks you to hold something, don't. The homeless are the best pick pockets. I'll start off with bigger cities: ROME is beautiful and large but very busy and expensive, if u dont have alot of money to burn, u won't enjoy it much. Hotels are the real killer. that said, great sight seeing, nice retaurants. MILAN defines modern Italy, mix between old and new, good night life, Great opera and performances, lots of young people. Milan is not a very romantic city though, its more somewhere you would go with friends. VENICE is everything you imagined. Unfortunately the city revolves aound tourism and this spoils the mood a bit, but it is still amazing. gondola rides are overrated, pack some good walking shoes, and try and catch the Venice Bienale thats on once a year. FLORENCE is where the Renaissance started. This explains the rich art, culture, and cuisine you can expect to find here. More engaging then Rome. magnificent city. There are a couple of Major cities which are less well known: VERONA is a grungy urbanised side of Italy, not much appealing about it except for a miniature coloseum. On the up side it has some good music and a decent nightlife. BOLOGNA is a cool version of Verona. Busy relatively large modern city going about its business with 2000 year old roads and buildings. people here are snobbish but its not too expensive. Great shopping very good food, and very nice sightseeing- quite romantic. RICCIONE/RIMINI are the coastal cities on the Adriatic. Terrible water quality due to a stagnant sea but a huge party scene during summer. some good food, only fun for a weekend stopover though. The smaller places are: TUSCANY is beautiful coutryside/mountain towns. cobble stone roads winding through ochre houses, amazing food. Very small and isolated towns, not very tourist friendly if you dont know your way aound or speak good italian PERUGIA is like tuscany but more friendly to foreigners. great views, very romantic, again very small and no night life, unless you're there during the Chocolate Festival, which assuming you have one romantic bone in your body, u will be. CORTINA D'AMPEZZO is the premier skiing location in Italy. Overpriced and overcrowded during winter but absolutely stunning during summer. long walks in through the mountains and great food. the friendliest of the Italian people (especially towards tourists.) very romantic. Transport: Taxi's are expensive, do your research when u arrive and you will find deluxe taxis (nicer car, helpful driver) which seem more like a chauffer and more importantly, have a fixed rate, usually making them cheaper than taxis... weird ppl say that Mussolini made the trains run on time. well Musolini is gone, and the trains are awful. unfortunately there arent many alternatives. There are 2 types of train in Italy: Eurostar and Intercity, the first has allocated seats, the second is more like the orient express. Planes in italy aren't to bad. Just ignore the fact that ALITALIA stands for "always late in take-off, always late in arrival" Last edited by goodhabits; 10-06-2004 at 08:10 AM..