"So, What Advice About Italy
Would You Like to Have?"
When are their shops open? Do most places take credit cards?
You probably want to get advice about Italy in general, and be prepared for the Italian ways. We'll give you advice you need to know about the Italian language, the currency, opening hours and more. Discover all these practical and helpful tips that we've learned about Italy over the years!
So...Are you ready for Advice About Italy to be revealed?
Language
In the North of Italy, many of the locals speak German which is great if you know it - you can
easily get by. You'll find that they also speak English in some touristy areas, but we've found
that outside of these areas, there aren't many who speak English. So that's why we've put together
a few survival phrases
that will allow you to get by. And do use them, because the Italians love it when tourists try to
speak their language (even if they speak English), they
really appreciate the effort no matter how silly you might sound. And it really is a beautiful
language...click here to see some
helpful Italian phrases
and how each is pronounced.
Money
The Italian currency used to be in Lira, but it's now in Euros, which makes it a lot easier to
convert. One important thing to note here is that some places around Lake Garda won't take credit cards - this is
something we've noticed on our trips out. Make sure you've got cash with you wherever you go,
and if you're nervous about carrying cash around, then take a money belt. We don't like to carry
lots of cash around, we use the cash machines you can find in most towns when we need more or keep some cash in the safe where we are staying. Speaking of carrying cash and being a tourist, here is a little tip for the
Ladies: If you're carrying a handbag, please PLEASE make sure that you wear it securely on
your shoulder with the strap angled across your body. Handbag snatching is more common in the
South of Italy, but it does happen in the North a bit too - most often by youngsters on scooters -
so don't walk too close to the side of the road if you want to be extra careful.
Opening Times
These are the general opening times and may vary slightly from place-to-place.
Shops generally are open from Monday to Saturday 9:00am to 12:30pm. They then close for about 3 hours for their Siestas (traditional afternoon rest) and open again from 3:30pm to 7:30pm. Some
shops are closed on Monday mornings. We have found that in very touristy areas, the shops will stay open during Siesta times and on Sundays, and during high season many shops will stay open very late, sometimes until 10 or 11 pm!
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 1:30pm. They then open again about an hour in the afternoon from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. If you just want to withdraw cash, don't worry, because most banks
have a 24 hour cashpoint.
Post Offices are open from 9:00am to 2:00pm, but you can also buy stamps in the tobacco shops.
Churches are open every day from 8:00 or 9:00am to 12:00pm and again from 3pm to 7pm. The exception is during mass. Some are also closed Sunday afternoons. Please make sure you dress respectively and that your
shoulders
are covered.
Restaurants vary quite a bit in their opening times. Many just serve lunch and dinner and are open from noon to about 2pm, then re-open for dinner at about 6 or 7pm to 10 or 11pm. Keep in mind that the Italians eat quite late traditionally, so if you go at 7pm you may be the only ones there! Click here to see more info about restaurants
Electricity
The voltage for the plugs in Italy is 220-230V, with a frequency of 50Hz.
The plugs are two round pins (European), although some are still the Italian plug of
three round pins in a row. Take an international adaptor to be on the safe side.
Something that we've noticed is that they don't provide kettles in the hotel rooms, so take one with
you, with an adaptor, for hot drinks. Last year, we found our mini kettle especially useful for boiling water to make up formula milk for our 5 month old daughter!
Romance
Looking for a special place to take your partner? Italy is known for it's Romance. It's reflected in the Art, the beautiful scenery and settings,
and in the rich Italian language. My husband proposed to me there so it holds special meaning for us. Find out which spots around
Lake Garda we find the
most romantic.
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