For great vacation ideas, I highly recommend Italy! Here are a few things that you should ‘know before you go’ because Italy is very different from many of the places that you may have traveled to before. In the US, anything goes but this is not so in Italy. Knowing these things before hand will help you have a more successful trip.

Traveling to Italy

When you are getting ready for your trip, think about what medications you need to pack and how much of each medication you need. You can’t always find your medicines in Italy. Drugs that are common and easy-to-find here, may not be available in Italy. Make sure that you pack yourself a kit with all of the medicines that you may need for both on the plane and while traveling. Remember to pack over-the-counter medicines too. Leave all medications in their original containers!

Dinning Out in Italy

While you are in Italy remember to drink only drink bottled water NOT tap water. In an Italian restaurant it is good to know that ‘what you order is what you get’. There are not a lot of extras like salad, soup and choice of potato that automatically come with every meal. There are not many special requests in restaurants in Italy. They frown on changing your mind when your order comes and also on sending your order back. It is always safe to order spaghetti. Use a spoon and fork to twirl your spagetti rather than cutting it. Cutting your spaghetti is bad table manners in Italy. Do not wait for your check if you are eating out either. You need to ask for your check to receive it. Remember to tip with cash in Italy. If you are looking for fast food in Italy, try a pizza shop, or pizzeria. Most of the restaurants in Italy are sit-down restaurants with several different courses. And no one, absolutely no one eats dinner before 9 pm!

Site Seeing

Some of the sites and attractions in Italy are absolutely breathtaking and you will want to remember them forever. There are rules for some of the places that you travel to such as taking pictures. Not all of the places will allow you to take pictures (especially museums) and if you are allowed, you are probably can’t use a flash. It’s always safe to buy postcards.

Clothing

Italians love to dress up – everyday, everywhere. Leave your shorts, tank tops and flip flops at home. If you plan to visit the Vatican, the dress code is very strict. No bare shoulders, no bare legs. There is a booth selling paper clothes for anyone who forgets the Vatican dress code! So dress up in Italy and get ready to have fun!

Home Sweet Home

Travel is great isn’t it? And when you get home you organize all your pictures and souvenirs. And you think, “wouldn’t it be great if I could find a beautiful Italian Flag to remember my vacation by that doesn’t cost too much to add to my whole vacation experience?" Well, I’ve found a great site that sells great looking flags for not a lot of money and their shipping is super fast – www.FlagWave.com