Italy seems like one of those countries that everyone unanimously
loves, so I feel like I am going to go out on a limb here by saying
that there are some things about it that I haven't really enjoyed -
particularly in Rome.
both of us still have bites. 2. It's really hot, humid, and dusty, and after about an hour of
walking around the city you feel absolutely grimy. This can really
kill the romance. 3. There are MASSIVE crowds - especially in Rome - and sometimes it
feels like you can't get a moment to yourself. I've talked a lot
already about the sheer volume of tourists in Europe, but Italy takes
the cake. If you're standing in front of something you've ever heard
of, you are sharing your spot with hundreds of other people, pushing,
jostling, taking photos, talking in other languages, etc. 4. Even if you pride yourself on being the kind of person who "avoids
tourist traps" its hard to do so here. Everything in the known Italian
cities can be a tourist trap. It's just that popular of a place for
travelers. 5. Along with tourists comes pushy sales people and scam artists. And
they are AGGRESSIVE. You get thick skin here really quickly. If you
even show a hint of hesitation, you can not get the
scarf/umbrella/hat/cheap-junk guy to go away. And I've heard a lot
from other travelers that it is easy to get pick-pocketed here, which
totally makes sense because once you're in the crowds or on the
subway, there is no such thing as a body bubble. 6. I imagined that I would see farmers markets and fresh amazing food
around every corner, but that is just not the case in the cities.
There is a lot of greasy streetfood here, and there actually seems to
be less of a variety than in other places I've visited. 7. I read in guidebooks that water was hard to get at restaurants in Europe, and
that you had to pay to sit, but this is the first country I've been to
where the menu prices actually double if you get a table. This
wouldn't be as frustrating except for if you don't get a table, there
are not a lot of places to sit down out in the streets. Knowing what I know now, here are some things I would recommend to
someone wanting to see Italy 1. Definitely have a good guidebook 2. Split your time between places people recognize (Rome, Naples,
Milan, Florence, Venice) and places you only found because you scoured
your guidebook. You may even consider renting a car to get to some of
these places. 3. Go in October. It's right after wine harvest, and you'll still get
a lot of good foods in season, but if you can even eradicate 1/3 of
the crowds, you'll be much happier. 4. Try not to go low low budget. Yes, you can be $$ conscious and
still have fun in Italy, but you'll enjoy it so much more if you can
afford to eat in some nice places and try some nice wine. Also, to get
in to a lot of parks and museums is expensive here, and it's hard to
really see and explore certain things without a ticket.