These travel tips are not checklists. They are small everyday helpers, eye-openers and espresso guides for travelling. For all those who not only want to see Italy, but also understand it - from train tickets to courgette flowers.
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Travel tips for Italy: what you really need to know
Italy is not a country that you simply travel to. It is a Awareness of lifethat takes place between a quick caffè at the bar, an eternal construction site on the motorway and the perfect sunset in Tuscany. If you really want to experience the country, you should know a few peculiarities - not from the travel guide, but directly from real Italian everyday life.
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Sitting down costs
You want to drink an espresso in the bar? Then you'd better stand still. Sounds rude, but it's completely normal. In Italy, the bar is not only quicker, but usually also cheaper. If you sit down, you pay extra. This is not due to the "service", but to the coperto, a kind of cover charge that is added to the bill. Important: This is not a tip! The waiters still expect a little extra, but it is voluntary - and depends on how long you stay or how friendly the service was.
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The railway, which is now a cycle path
In recent years, Italy has discarded railway lines into fantastic cycle paths over the Alps, but with panoramic views. A highlight: the "Ciclovia dei Fiori" on the Ligurian coast. It leads through old tunnels, past fragrant citrus trees and the turquoise blue sea. The Via Claudia Augusta - once a Roman military road - is now also a popular route for cyclists with a taste for history and pleasure.
Why Italy is the better railway country
The worst motorways
Motorway driving in Italy is sometimes an adventure, sometimes a test of patience. Potholes, traffic jams, daring overtaking manoeuvres - full concentration is required here. If you prefer a more relaxed journey, take the country road: a little slower, but with a real view and less stress. In Tuscany or Sicily, this is definitely worthwhile - there the journey is often the real destination.
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Water, wind and WLAN - not the same everywhere
A little tip for all those who like to be prepared: Not every hotel or flat has working Wi-Fi, even if it says so on the website. And in southern regions such as Calabria or Apulia, the water may be switched off for hours at a time - usually without much warning. You should also not underestimate wind forces and currents at sea and enquire locally.
Maradona and Naples: an undying love
Speak with your hands - and with your heart
The Language is an experience for yourself. Even if you don't speak Italian: A smile, a "Buongiorno" at the right time and a little gesticulation often work wonders. Italians are happy when you make an effort - and are happy to help, even if they don't speak English. If you speak the language of the heart, you'll get there without any vocabulary.
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