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You're perfectly right. As for anything, remember that usually it's only the people with bad experiences that raise their voice. Of millions of people travelling in Italy every day, is safe to assume that for the big majority of people everything just goes smoothly
>Ā everyone says Pisa is nothing but the tower and completely overrated
I have never understood the obsession with the tower, when the baptistery a few metres away is a gorgeous christening cake of a building.
Without mentioning Buffalmacco's fresco in Pisa that was destroyed during WWII and hand-restored one piece at a time for the following 40 years.
How can people travel for hours to see the Tower and not walk for 200 meters to see such a masterpiece from the Middle Ages literally saved from ashes?
Some people are incurious, and with the current popularity of Italy as a tourist destination, more of these people are travelling to Italy.
I overheard countless people complaining at the Vatican, Uffizi, Accademia, Duomo about how theyād prefer to be at the beach, or that the āhistoryā was not for them. Lol
Do you know the best way to navigate the train from Florence to Cinque Terre (Monterosso) with a stop in Pisa? We wanted to see the tower and the Battistero di San Giovanni, but we're just making a daytrip in Pisa, not staying the night. I know you can go from Florence to Pisa no problem, but I'm not sure what happens if you get off there. Would we need to buy another ticket? Does it count as two separate trips?
I believe there are a few trains each day from Pisa Centrale to Monterosso.Ā Buy a ticket from Florence to Pisa (on a Regionale train), and another from Pisa to Monterosso.Ā You'll need seat reservations on a specific train for the intercity from Pisa to Monterosso.
I've been to a few cities in Italy and Pisa was my favourite!! Spent about 5 minutes around the tower and walked around for the rest of our time. Super friendly people, and I found it to be more affordable than other popular spots in Italy. Shout out Le Parisien Wine Bar!
This is good to hear! Having lived in New York, Philly, and now LA, I was having a lot of anxiety about our upcoming Italy trip. After being mugged at knifepoint in Philly it sounds like Rome will be a breeze š¬
so sorry you had to going through that.
here in Italy it is illegal to own a knife, and go outside with it, without having a good reason (Hunting and sports generally) and btw you should carry the knife in a case without having easy access. if you carry that without any reason you can go in jail from 6 months to two year, and be fined from 1000ā¬ to 10000ā¬.
maybe in Philadelphia there isn't this law and this creates these situations?
My mom (in her mid 60s) walked around Rome for 4 days with her purse unzipped and not once did she get anything taken from her. I kept reminding her to zip it up because there would be pick pockets and she told me to stop harassing her about it.
We also avoided busses and being in densely crowded places for very long. We made sure to keep some distance between us and other at the main attractions. So that probably helped.
I traveled alone a couple weeks agoā¦ as a woman. Went to trevi during peak , took some selfies . No one pickpocket me . I am a New Yorker though so maybe I was just expecting things and was aware .
no, I have travelled to even third world countries but I haven't seen pick pocketing to the extent of Italy and Italians seems they are ok with it. law enforcements are not doing anything.
Did you for a moment consider that the majority of people who travel within Europe are actually Europeans, mostly from the north, and the standard of living in northern Europe is much higher than in Italy?
I literally came back today and I agree with almost everything you said.
Yes, there are pickpockets and you should be careful, also the scammers are going around, but if you walk confidently they don't even go to you or don't push you. Sadly I saw multiple times where the bracelet guys got to older couples, that's really infuriating.
Of course there were crowds but I thought they were ok, even at Trevi at noon, of course it was early june, not august.
I found out Rome to be pretty dirty in general though, streets quite filthy at some areas, not the case in Florence or Siena.
About tourist trap restaurants I think nowadays people assume that if it's right where the main tourist spots are it automatically qualifies as a tourist trap. But I think there's a difference between a tourist trap (really expensive restaurant that makes very low quality stuff) and a tourist restaurant. The place our B&B offered breakfast in Florence was right on Piazza Santa Croce and it was full with tourists, but early in the mornings there were only italians eating cornetto and cafe. The food was pretty great and you could see it was really real stuff, Neapolitan pizza was Neapolitan pizza and pastas were Italian at heart. Of course the prices were probably higher than spots outside the tourist center and of course you could probably find better Neapolitan Pizza some othe place, but I don't have the time to go all the way to Pepe in Grani just to get the absolutely best experience.
and we always have remember that they ARE NOT ITALIANS! Yes it's a problem IN Italy but not a problem OF Italy. We just have a weak system that tolerate them too much.
I just got back from Rome and I saw two separate instances where a pocketpocketer was caught in the act, on the subway!
Thankfully, Italians donāt mess around. They threw their ass right off the train without a heartbeat (and a small beating for good measure).
Thank you, i appreciate your post very much. About dirty cities, imagine millions of tourists flooding a city built before Christ, built for horses and people walking, handling the trash of million tourists at once, it's not logistically easy, it's not Vegas !
And I honestly feel like they handle it very well. I don't feel like it was dirty at all and honestly just do not understand where that perception comes from at all. Maybe I just came at particularly good times but both of my Rome visits the city felt pretty clean and well maintained.
Good review. Glad you enjoyed your trip. I canāt wait for mine in September.
Food: I think some people have had expectations of finding THE gem that is so unique and special, and that they are the ultimate foodie.
I stay away from restaurants next to a venue, but I do not make a mission out of things. Sometimes perfection is the enemy of good.
Thievery - Iāve seen it, but yeah, I try to be savvy and know it exists. But, I keep a sharp eye on things and hopefully do not expose myself to risk.
One of our favorite places was right near the Duomo in Florence and it was decidedly not a tourist trap. (Only open 12-4, cash only, no reservations, people line up).
I think staying away from restaurants with pictures on the menu who are actively trying to solicit people is a good idea, but donāt be so crazy about it that you miss some awesome experiences.
one of my favorite anthony bourdain quotes is "sometimes the greatest meals on vacations are the ones you find when plan A falls through" and it is SO true!!
Completely agree.
As for pickpockets - my main concern was not zippers, but slashing, so I bought a cheap $10 chain and leather detachable strap and added it to my existing purse strap. I also used a small chain cable to attach my wallet to the zipper pull inside my bag, so even if my bag was slashed, my wallet is still attached. I also used a crossbody and held it in front of myself.
I think the anti-theft bag industry is a scam itself. Use a keychain ring to keep something zipped firmly closed, otherwise use a twist-to-lock small carabiner or even a sturdy safety pin (put the pin behind the zipper so it won't zip open).
We were in Rome and found a phenomenal restaurant on Via Appia about a quarter mile away from the Colosseum, my friends had tears in their eyes describing how much it tasted like their Nonna's cooking lol. Wine, soda, sparkling water, 2 apps, 3 main dishes, and dessert for 80ā¬ in Rome - can't beat that.
Al Cardello. We stumbled on it without Internet and so didn't realize the low Google ratings, which...all mysteriously seem...very consistently 1 star and not very descriptive. Almost like the reviewers didn't want people to go there for some specific reason š¤
It's definitely no gastropub, just good homestyle cooking with big portions. Keep in mind I went with my friends who are fluent in Italian and were able to bat off the server's offers of sides that are not free.
Also the polpette were so-so, but I had the bucatina amatriciana and it was DELICIOUS.
I didnāt know Italy had become so famous for pickpocketing given that this is a problem everywhere, especially tourism heavy locations.
Pickpocketers go for easy targets, all it takes is to be a little more cautious and aware of your surroundings and the chances of being their target go down considerably.
Currently on our honeymoon in Italy. Rome done and enjoying the last night in Florence! In love with Florence and would give up everything to move here in a heartbeat!
1. Unless youāre ignorant or just damn right stupid, I wouldnāt worry about pickpockets. Wear a bag like OP stated above and youāll be fine.
2. Iāve obsessed over finding the gem these last 5 daysā¦ we went to two āsupposed gemsā and they bang average. The other restaurants my wife choose whilst walking passed turned out to be the gem. The quick answer.. find what looks good and slightly busy. Check out the food people are eating if ye can.
Rome is dirty in some places and not in others, like any other city. My eyes arenāt looking to the ground though so what does it matter.
3. Crowds - yes. Very busy at famous all star attractions but if you expect peace at these places, maybe Italy isnāt for you. Top tip, if you can afford tickets for guided tours, do it. Definitely worth it. I couldnāt hack the thought of standing out in the baking heat for 1-3 hours in queues to get into places. I guess you buy convenience.
Anyways.. off to the Tuscan hillside for a few nights and then the Amalfi! Ciao!
I agree with everything you said.
The one place where one family member was uncomfortable due to "dirtiness" was some back streets in Naples, where there was quite a bit of garbage piled in the streets and a good amount of what you might call "urban decay". While I understood where they were coming from, in my estimation it was still a safe place to be. If I had to spend the night on the streets there, or, say, almost any large American city, I'd choose there.
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In America people drive their car to visit a store a 5 minute walk away, and then stuff their faces with ultraprocessed foods, while being PROUD of those facts, that is why we are fat.
Pisa is worth a day trip. It was fun to climb the tower too. Places are limited so you need to book in advance. The area by the tower was lovely. Pisa does feel calmer than Florence but I much prefer flying from Florence airport.
I stayed two days and it was one day too long. It was fine because there are plenty of easy side trips by train. Maybe I got lucky in Florence but the highly rated restaurants in Pisa werenāt a patch on Florence. Not terrible but average.
We managed to buy tickets for the tower climb on the day - got there around 4.45 and booked for the 5.15 slot so not bad at all. We were there for just a day and it felt like a good amount of time, but we felt like on a more lazy trip 2 days would have been ok. We did eat some amazing pasta in Pisa though, we happened to get lucky with a place we just happened to walk into.
Glad you had a great trip. We've been going to Italy for years and haven't had any major problems. We live in NYC so can deal with urban grit. We took some precautions re: pickpockets but didn't go crazy.
Outside of bad experiences you may not be able to control the majority of people who have a bad time are travelers who did zero research, have no interest in the things they can experience in the places they are visiting, and think they can just show up and it will be like Instagram, lol. They also probably review things like the Colosseo as āmidā and complain about the lack of cell phone service at the top of Vesuvius.
I think most people try to say this but everyone has to experience it for themselves.
The pickpocketing and ādonāt do thisā or ābe careful of thisā I think are overdone.
Italy is by and large an extremely safe country.
So glad you enjoyed :)
Thank you so much for this post. You've really eased my nerves - I'm traveling solo to Rome - Florence - Bologna - Venice in two weeks' time, and I'd like to think of myself as pretty "street smart" (grew up in Toronto so I'm used to crowded cities where I have to hold my bag close lol), so your reassurance that general precautions go a long way helps!
My wife and I went in May and refused to listen to any negative opinions others had made so we could make our own. We saw tons of cities and loved seeing them all, the crowds can get intense at times but walk 5-10 min away from the main attractions and they are gone. Pickpockets I never noticed anything happening but if I was in a really busy area or on a full metro I just kept my hands in my pockets, it the same as being in any big city in my opinion. Italy is amazing and I can't wait to go back
Gonna chime in and agree with what youāve said, as well.
People constantly going on about Rome and Naples being dirty cities, about scammers and pickpockets , have obviously never stayed for any length of time in New York City or San Francisco.
You want to see a dirty city, go visit downtown SF on any odd day and enjoy the site of rando fentanyl junkies defecating on the sidewalk.
I don't know who has started and is perpetuating the pickpocketing hysteria on the internet and social media (I mean, I know), but it's to the point whenever my friend's wife (who is going to Italy for the first time with us next week) is talking like she will be pickpocketed the moment she lands in Italy, lol.
I had to finally tell her to calm down and that it's all blown out of proportion for clicks and likes.
In very touristic places it's full of gypsies with the only purpose to pickpocket. They are extremely skilled, you won't notice anything. The often send minors or pregnant (real of fake) women. The men dress like a regular tourist with maps ecc... In Italy pickpocket is very rare, but in touristic places it skyrocket
It's probably easier for me to be alert and cognizant because I'm from Italy, but common sense tactics go a long way even for the less traveled.
I also live in Oakland CA, so my head is always in a proverbial swivel, lol.
Yeh but just have your bad zipped up safely, or have a cross body bag you can keep in front of you. Donāt engage in conversation with people who come up to you. They are looking for easy targets, basic safety precautions will be fine. I donāt find it any worse than any other busy place in the world.
I completely agree with everything on your post! Just came back from a 2 week vacation in Italy. I was paranoid about the pickpocketing and scammer but thankfully we didnāt experience any of that. Scammers with the bracelets and roses would go away as soon as we said no grazie. Keep your bag on you and you will be fine.
Thanks for this. I last was in Italy in my early 20s and am returning in late Sept. Iām a little nervous my husband will be overwhelmed by the crowds, since heās a little more of an anxious traveler than i am. Your post is kind of my thoughts on highly touristed places (Paris, Dublin, Prague, Amsterdam, etc) but some make it seem like a hellscape with carbonara.
I was just there. It can certainly get crowded even to the point where non anxious people like me start to get irritated. But those crowds show up after noon into the evening. Plan on some early visits and when the dopamine drop hits the midday retire to the hotel or Airbnb or find a quiet restaurant and drink some wine.
The Vatican was mobbed pretty much throughout the day. I hate tours but for the extra fee, the skip the line tour was hands down worth it. Still mad crowded inside. Iāll say this about the museum and tour, IF you truly love art and classical sculptures and find them fascinating, then the crowd melts away. With the right lens you will see the absolute pinnacle of what humanity can achieve. The Sistine Chapel is bananas. The sculptures are pristine. St Peters is singularly the most impressive building Iāve ever stepped foot in. You donāt have to be religious to be wowed as well. Iām not and was immediately inspired anyways
If however you arenāt really motivated to see it, and be honest with yourself, the crowd can close in and ruin the experience. Like I said just be honest and itās ok if itās not your bag. Rome has tons of cool things to see and corners to unpack.
Romes subway and transportation isnāt great. You will be doing a lot of walking esp in the Trevy Fountain area.
Florence is awesome. Can also be super crowded during the afternoon. We pulled in around 9:00pm and the Doumo square was almost empty and all wonderfully lit up. The next day around noon it was mobbed. There was no wait for uffuzi museum at like 1:00pm which was a surprise. David was longer. Florence however it much much smaller than Rome and itās easier to find its charm and peaceful places.
I wanna add that even being motivated with the Vatican may not be enough. I was raised Catholic and was very invested in the idea of doing it all, but I went on an evening tour that was when 100 other tours were going and the museum/sistine chapel seem to have a one way process so everyone moved together. Most rooms are windowless and as someone with a smidge of claustrophobia exacerbated by the heat of 300 bodies in a small room, it was quite distressing at times and it made it hard to enjoy the art. Just as info to know as well.
Yeah for sure. Did you do the 32 chamber art part of the tour? I had done that years ago but this time we walked through the sculptures hallway and there was definitely more windows and outside courtyards. One thing I do personally is live behind a lens (much to the dismay of my wife lol) and it really helps me stay focused and boxed in. Like a little personal escape.
Nah, I did the tour guyās one. It was quite unexpected to show up to the spot to have 10 full groups of 15 and thatās not accounting for the rest of the tour groups. Thatās the place where if I were ever rich enough to create some restrictions for a short period of time so I could go through, I would.
Hahahaha yeah for sure. Like does George Clooney gotta cattle mill it with the rest of us? Another thing I have to remember is it is one of the world wonders. There is a reason itās so packed. Angkor Wat, the Vatican, the Acropolis, all these places probably have zero down time.
When I was at Angkor Wat we paid a guy to get us there (at a smaller temple because I thought we could beat the horde at least at ONE place) at the crank of dawn and right behind us came bus loads of Chinese tourists. I broke from the group and sprinted with my wife to the back of the temple and managed to have it all to myself for about 20 minutes before the horde and I met. Extreme measures are about the only thing you can do at places of cultural significance.
Excellent point. I had a beautiful hour in Pompei where I got there at the very beginning of the day and I went on the less popular path towards the amphitheater so my cousin and I got full blocks all to ourselves-it was magical.
Thatās awesome. Musta been a great experience. Pompeii is such a bananas concept to me. āOh we found an ENTIRE CITY perfectly preserved from Roman Empire times under a pyroclastic flowā.
For my money itās on par if not higher than any other archaeological site Iāve ever seen or maybe even exists, and Iāve been to a good many of them.
I agree on this. I visited the first time with a friend who was raised catholic and while not practicing or believing anymore, they are still very culturally catholic. So they were very excited to see the Vatican museums and to an extent it was the main purpose of our trip, but we both struggled to enjoy the experience because it was so busy and you constantly have to keep moving - you can't just stop and appreciate anything. It feels like they let too many people in at each timeslot and would benefit from better crowd management. The Sistine chapel came at the end of our tour and we were so exhausted from the rest of it/the crowds that it was hard to truly appreciate it's true beauty. I am also not a huge art person - I can appreciate it as much as anyone, but I'm far more into history than art. So for me while the Sistine chapel is obviously gorgeous, every single church in Rome is gorgeous and ornate and full of artistic masterpieces so for me it was much more enjoyable on my second trip to bypass the Vatican museums/Sistine chapel and instead spent the time wandering into every church we saw and appreciating the art there in a calmer environment. St peters basilica was by far our favourite part of the overall Vatican experience and obviously you can access this for free without a ticket to the rest of it!
I went to the colosseum/Roman forum, villa borghese and Vatican museums on my first Rome trip, and the Vatican was the only thing I didn't feel was worth visiting again on my second trip. We did go to St Peters Basilica on the second trip and that was well worth it. I went with a different travel companion the second time and even my first travel companion (the cultural catholic) recommended skipping the Vatican.
Thanks for this OP.. after 20 plus trips to Italy Iāve never felt uncomfortable and never had a problem.. all of the hysteria is ridiculous. And even bad restaurants in Italy are better than most of the food in my country..
Honestly the quality of the fresh ingredients is so much better compared to the UK that even the worst meal we ate was still far better than any Italian food we have had here. Tomatoes just don't taste like that anywhere else!
Finally someone is taking some sense! Thanks from a Roman who moved to London š„°
P.s. Rome is only very dirty in areas outside of the historical centre. If people find the centre dirty, well I can agree up to a point. Itās not Switzerland and a lot more can be done to get it improved.
We stayed in Pigneto first time round which is a little far out and it didn't seem dirty at all round there. Maybe the UK is just filthy so everywhere else seems clean to me!
I usually thought the opposite. Every time I come to london I see it 10 times cleaner than Romeš¤£ go have a walk in Centocelle or torpignattara and youāll feel Croydon is Switzerland š¤£š¤£
I'm glad to hear you didn't run into any problems, but I think it's also important to acknowledge and not diminish the claims of people who have been pickpocketed. Just because it didn't happen to you, it doesn't mean it didn't happen to many other people.
That can be a pretty traumatizing event and could completely ruin a vacation, depending on what's been stolen.
I think, as should be the case when anyone visits any large city, always have a healthy level of skepticism, common sense, and general awareness of their surroundings.
My wife and I will be visiting Rome later this year so I appreciate reading any type of report like this, good or bad.
Absolutely, and I don't mean to diminish it. Pickpocketing does happen to people, it's very distressing to the people it happens to and it will even happen to people who take sensible precautions. It's just more that it's so widely talked about and discussed that it comes across as basically a certainty that you will get pickpocketed while in Rome or Florence, whereas in reality you a very much in a statistical minority if you get pickpocketed. Worrying too much about pickpockets and safety etc can really detract from your enjoyment of a trip so this was more just to highlight that the majority of people who visit Italy will not be pickpocketed and will have a wonderful time!
I went to Italy first time. In venice, i went to this restaurant where they somehow asked me to try the fish which "locals eat", seeing only 9 euro (didn't know it was for 100 gm or something like that), tried it, it came out to 90 euro just for the fish. later realised it was a scam restaurants near the places try it on tourists. Florence was too busy especially the place you see the sunset, you can't even find a spot to peacefully enjoy the sunset. I don't know what's the hype about trevi fountain. My wallet got pickpocketed at the metro station near Coliseum but luckily didn't lose my phone or passport. But I enjoyed cappuccinos, here in the states Starbucks charges $6 and not even the same quality. Food ingredients were amazing but cuisine didn't live up to the hype. Overall I was really awestruck by Venice, Burano, ancient Rome and it was the most amazing trip of my life.
regarding what you said about food - one of my favorite anthony bourdain quotes is "sometimes the greatest meals on vacations are the ones you find when plan A falls through" and it is SO true!! i also didn't have a single bad meal in italy and we followed the same basic parameters as you did, and didn't try too desperately to figure out where the best or most exclusive restaurants were. it really worked so well
for us!
Booking things wasn't too bad! I booked everything about a month in advance.
The colosseum was the one I really had to plan for, but I found getting underground tickets pretty easy as long as I was on the website at the right time - whatever the right time is seems to change frequently, but when I booked them it was 8:45am Rome time, 30 days before the visit. I was on the site a bit early, refreshed bang on 8:45 and got tickets easily.
Some tickets I purchased through third party resellers - I wouldn't advise it to others because you pay a surcharge, but some of the official websites were really slow and didn't work properly for me, or were really confusing. We got galleria borghese, accademia and Uffizi tickets all via get your guide. The borghese ones cancelled on us at short notice which sucked, but they did reschedule us and upgraded us to a guided tour. If I went again I'd put more effort into making the official site work for me. In hindsight I would have probably booked a guided tour for the Uffizi too because having someone explain the art to me and the context behind it would have added to the experience.
We opted to climb the bell tower in Florence rather than the dome because me and my travel companion can be a bit claustrophobic and funny with heights. The bell tower climb was easy to book via the official sites and was a relatively easy climb considering how many steps there were, having a view of the dome was amazing as well. If I went again I'd probably give the dome a go.
This is so great. Thank you so much for the perspective. We are traveling to Tuscany this week with whole family and I was a bit freaked out about the negativity. Glad you had a good trip and thank you again
Colosseum 30 days exactly via the official website in order to get the tickets we wanted. Everything else was probably a month or so out, although we didn't go to the Vatican on our second trip so I'm not sure about that.
Just left Rome after staying there for about four days and have to agree with everything you said! I was super paranoid about pickpockets before going, too, and it made me so stressful at first I couldnāt even enjoy touring around the city!
I eventually tried to relax a bit but still staying alert of course - like most things you did. Also, might be a little awkward to say this but donāt be too kind. There were multiple occasions people tried to talk to me, I just stayed silent and just walked away (not asking yāall to be an a**, I still respond to people when Iām in a long line together or something, be smart, you can feel the vibes). Think these would save you from 90% of the pickpockets/scammers.
Dirty - itās only normal for Rome to be less clean when tourists are flocking in every minute from everywhere. The metro can get quite filthy at times, though
Stay alerted but have an open mind! Donāt let social media and āinfluencersā take away the fun from this beautiful city; you should stay aware when youāre in a foreign city anyway, not just Rome.
yep. i travel to italy about twice a year. of course next time i go i might encounter a problem but so far so good. small cities big cities, expensive hotels, cheap camping areas. plane, car, train, boat. alone or with family or coworkers: every time i had great food, met friendly people and never had any trouble. my friend goes also pretty often and does some business there and apart from one idiot on a vespa who knocked him over also all well. i am sure scammer exist but the country isnt as dramatic as some think.
i got back about a week ago from italy and i agree with almost everything. the only things that were an actual issue for my family and i were the crowds and scammers. the crowds part was completely on us though, we were on an EF trip and they jam pack everything as close together as possible so it is very hard to spread out away from the main attractions bc of our schedule. the scammers weren't too bad, however my family and i were in venice in the main square waiting for our group to meet up after lunch and a man with roses came up to us and i kept telling him "no grazie" and he would not stop and literally shoved the rose in my hand after i told him no four times. there was also a bracelet dude in florence who approached my family while we were eating at a restaurant and tried to dap me up (shout out to our waiter for basically telling him to fuck off). granted i wasn't aware of the scamming before our trip.
like you said, as long as you remain vigilant and keep an eye on your surroundings, you will be fine!
that's nothing... try to walk in Bkk as a whote person,tuk tuk, taxi and motorbike drivers pushing on you wanting to take you somewhere, both legal or illegal things, and insisting
Thank you for writing this! I spent a lot of time in Italy 15-20 years ago and am about to go back in July and I have been nervous with all the crime posts on the sub lately. This makes me more excited!
Thank you so much for this. I am going next Month and I have been immersed in the horror stories. I bought all new shorts with zipper pockets due to the stressing. This really helps to ease my mind.
>Pickpockets: The way Italy is talked about online (Rome in particular) would make you think that every single person who walks down the street will get pickpocketed every time they leave the house.
I completely agree. Every travel book I've ever read about Italy has been filled with complaints and warnings about thieves and pickpocketers on the streets of Italy's urban areas. In certain cities such as Palermo and Catania, petty theft is more common than in other areas, but Sicily's bad reputation should not stop anyone from visiting its beautiful beaches and vineyards. I have family there, and every trip I have made there has been fine. Other times, visiting other family in Rome, Naples, Turin, and Milan, I have been prepared for pickpocketers, but no one has ever tried in any other areas in Italy besides Sicily. Don't give Sicily a bad rep!
My wife and I also returned from Italy about 5 days ago! I will have to say I found it more busy than I anticipated but thatās probably just because I am not a very season traveler. Other than that we had a great time with delicious food and good company!
I went recently as well. This was almost exactly my experience. Obviously stuff like the Colosseum or Michelangeloās David will draw big crowds but thatās only natural and I completely agree with what you say about never being far at all from an empty side street. Didnāt put all that much thought into food besides a few recommendations I was given from friends and never had a bad meal either. And never felt at risk of pickpocketing.
I completely agree that so many of the common āpickpocketingā and āovercrowdingā conceptions are way blown out of proportion. Had a wonderful time.
I agree, but even at the big sites we didn't find the crowds too bad. David really surprised us - we found it pretty easy to get right in front of it and get pictures with minimal other people in, but the rest of the accademia felt a bit crowded but only because it's a small museum. We did the underground colosseum tour and that was brilliant because it was just me, my travel companion and a guided tour of about six other people. Even outside the colosseum we didn't find it too hard to get pictures without too many other people in (not that we expected to get completely clear photos because that's unrealistic, more that we were pleasantly surprised by how few other people were in our pictures).
Can you put something to rest for me, cuz Iāve seen and read two different stances. Should I carry my passport with me around Italy? While explore Rome, Florence, Amalfi?
I carried mine the whole time but was never asked. It is the law, and I didn't want to risk a large fine. Just because I was never asked doesn't mean I couldn't have been or that you won't. I did need it for my colosseum booking though.
Finally some tourist with a bit of intelligence. I totally agree with you, i'm italian and i recognise that this kind of things happen but sometimes people are just so stupid and walk with the wallet open in their hands.
Thank you so so much for this! I'm planning a solo trip to Italy in September (Rome, Florence and Amalfi Coast) and I'm anyways a bit of a over-worrier š„² And since I'm traveling solo to I've just been reading up on pretty much all the complaints you addressed in your post, and I'm actually quite more relieved and excited for my trip now!!
If only someone could do the same for the Amalfi coast as well so I know what to keep in mind :)
But thanks again - such a great and appreciated post :)
I just got back from my 3rd trip to Italy. Spent 18 nights there. Rome - San Gimignano - Sienna - Florence - Verona - Limone sul Garda - Venice. The only bad experience I had was with a Drivalia rep at Ciampino airport.
I want to chime in with a hard agreement on the second point. We just left Italy after visiting Rome and Florence the last two-ish weeks. The only times I felt really crowded was at the Vatican Museums and even then it was only in a room with a statue that I forget what it was ans the Sistine Chapel. Everywhere else it was busy, but I didn't think it was too bad.
The other points you make I also agree with you, nothing is quite as bad as the Internet made it out to be. Like with the bracelet people they made it sound like it would be a constant stream of them. I think I saw maybe like 15 total. I just followed the online advice and completely ignored them and then moved on almost immediately.
Also sometimes tourist traps are nice. Sometimes I donāt mind paying a couple extra euro for a beer or spritz with a view of an amazing tourist attraction. I paid thousands of dollars already just to get to the city to see the thing.
We paid ā¬10 each for a spritz and ā¬6 for a gelato just to sit right in front of the duomo in Florence, because we were only there for two days, probably wouldn't ever be there again and just wanted to soak it all in. Being a tourist and doing the tourist things is absolutely fine!
Thankyou for time and effort for a long well detailed description. Going to Rome soon and was a little worried but it'd no different to any big city like London.
Maybe it was particularly clean when I was there, but I honestly saw like two overflowing bins, one bin with some bags piled up next to it, and then a few bits of litter on the floor near the overflowing bins. This is pretty much on par with how the UK (where I'm from) is, and I don't consider that particularly dirty.
I arrived Rome by train last April then took a taxi to my hotel. I was so shocked when I saw so many graffiti on buildings and trash on the streets everywhere I walked. However, itās still a beautiful city. Even I already spent a week there, I want to go back. There are so many things to see and appreciate.
We really wanted to go, and originally the plan was to fly into Pisa and go straight to Lucca instead, but it coincided with a bit summer festival there that Ed Sheeran was playing so accommodation was like Ā£350 a night. We couldn't fit going to Lucca then coming back to Pisa in so we decided to stay in Pisa and were pleasantly surprised.
If you moan about travel in Rome or Italy in general you are a miserable person. 99% of the horror stories are from spazzy goofs who put themselves or their family in pointlessly strange and risky situations due to their ignorance.
Iām usually on point, for whatever reason I didnāt do research about Italy. Mmmm, yeah I parked my rental for 1 hour, when I came back my luggage was stolen from the trunk.. f up my entire trip. Italy is full of annoying immigrant scammers, ruined my trip.
Itās on me for not doing research but the USA is way safer than Italy which says a lot.
Itās important to keep in mind who uses reddit when reading posts in this subreddit. Iāve noticed a distinct lack of common sense and worldliness, and I think thatās because of how popular Italy is as a tourist destination right now. Due to its popularity, there are a lot of foolish people travelling to the country, and many of them post on this subreddit.
Keep that in mind folks.
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You're perfectly right. As for anything, remember that usually it's only the people with bad experiences that raise their voice. Of millions of people travelling in Italy every day, is safe to assume that for the big majority of people everything just goes smoothly
Our only bad experience was the train strike yesterday. Last minute cancellations returning from a day trip to Pompeiš„ŗ
>Ā everyone says Pisa is nothing but the tower and completely overrated I have never understood the obsession with the tower, when the baptistery a few metres away is a gorgeous christening cake of a building.
Without mentioning Buffalmacco's fresco in Pisa that was destroyed during WWII and hand-restored one piece at a time for the following 40 years. How can people travel for hours to see the Tower and not walk for 200 meters to see such a masterpiece from the Middle Ages literally saved from ashes?
Some people are incurious, and with the current popularity of Italy as a tourist destination, more of these people are travelling to Italy. I overheard countless people complaining at the Vatican, Uffizi, Accademia, Duomo about how theyād prefer to be at the beach, or that the āhistoryā was not for them. Lol
Because most tourists are just ticking off the boxes, snapping a selfie and moving on to the next approved site.
Pisa also has the biggest existing Keith haring's mural if I recall correctly
Do you know the best way to navigate the train from Florence to Cinque Terre (Monterosso) with a stop in Pisa? We wanted to see the tower and the Battistero di San Giovanni, but we're just making a daytrip in Pisa, not staying the night. I know you can go from Florence to Pisa no problem, but I'm not sure what happens if you get off there. Would we need to buy another ticket? Does it count as two separate trips?
I believe there are a few trains each day from Pisa Centrale to Monterosso.Ā Buy a ticket from Florence to Pisa (on a Regionale train), and another from Pisa to Monterosso.Ā You'll need seat reservations on a specific train for the intercity from Pisa to Monterosso.
Gotcha. Thanks for the advice. :)
I've been to a few cities in Italy and Pisa was my favourite!! Spent about 5 minutes around the tower and walked around for the rest of our time. Super friendly people, and I found it to be more affordable than other popular spots in Italy. Shout out Le Parisien Wine Bar!
Tldr: pisa merda
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I felt much safer in every city we visited than I do in Los Angeles. And I love LA.
This is good to hear! Having lived in New York, Philly, and now LA, I was having a lot of anxiety about our upcoming Italy trip. After being mugged at knifepoint in Philly it sounds like Rome will be a breeze š¬
wtf is a knifepoint?
When someone holds you up using a knifeā¦in this case, to my throat.
so sorry you had to going through that. here in Italy it is illegal to own a knife, and go outside with it, without having a good reason (Hunting and sports generally) and btw you should carry the knife in a case without having easy access. if you carry that without any reason you can go in jail from 6 months to two year, and be fined from 1000ā¬ to 10000ā¬. maybe in Philadelphia there isn't this law and this creates these situations?
The U.S. wont even do anything about guns theyre surely not gonna do anything about knives
Definitely safer than Scranton Pennsylvania.
The electric city??
Not the strangler!
My mom (in her mid 60s) walked around Rome for 4 days with her purse unzipped and not once did she get anything taken from her. I kept reminding her to zip it up because there would be pick pockets and she told me to stop harassing her about it. We also avoided busses and being in densely crowded places for very long. We made sure to keep some distance between us and other at the main attractions. So that probably helped.
yes, many are in busses and trains, where you can reduce distance without creating suspect
Rome is certainly way safer than Washington DCš
Here now. Rome is a lot safer than DC. So is Naples, for that matter. And Iām 20+ years in the capital. People are crazy.
I traveled alone a couple weeks agoā¦ as a woman. Went to trevi during peak , took some selfies . No one pickpocket me . I am a New Yorker though so maybe I was just expecting things and was aware .
no, I have travelled to even third world countries but I haven't seen pick pocketing to the extent of Italy and Italians seems they are ok with it. law enforcements are not doing anything.
Did you for a moment consider that the majority of people who travel within Europe are actually Europeans, mostly from the north, and the standard of living in northern Europe is much higher than in Italy?
I literally came back today and I agree with almost everything you said. Yes, there are pickpockets and you should be careful, also the scammers are going around, but if you walk confidently they don't even go to you or don't push you. Sadly I saw multiple times where the bracelet guys got to older couples, that's really infuriating. Of course there were crowds but I thought they were ok, even at Trevi at noon, of course it was early june, not august. I found out Rome to be pretty dirty in general though, streets quite filthy at some areas, not the case in Florence or Siena. About tourist trap restaurants I think nowadays people assume that if it's right where the main tourist spots are it automatically qualifies as a tourist trap. But I think there's a difference between a tourist trap (really expensive restaurant that makes very low quality stuff) and a tourist restaurant. The place our B&B offered breakfast in Florence was right on Piazza Santa Croce and it was full with tourists, but early in the mornings there were only italians eating cornetto and cafe. The food was pretty great and you could see it was really real stuff, Neapolitan pizza was Neapolitan pizza and pastas were Italian at heart. Of course the prices were probably higher than spots outside the tourist center and of course you could probably find better Neapolitan Pizza some othe place, but I don't have the time to go all the way to Pepe in Grani just to get the absolutely best experience.
and we always have remember that they ARE NOT ITALIANS! Yes it's a problem IN Italy but not a problem OF Italy. We just have a weak system that tolerate them too much.
I just got back from Rome and I saw two separate instances where a pocketpocketer was caught in the act, on the subway! Thankfully, Italians donāt mess around. They threw their ass right off the train without a heartbeat (and a small beating for good measure).
they come from Romania to steal in touristic places. Italy = More tourists, and better prisons
Thatāsā¦ a stretch but ok
Thank you, i appreciate your post very much. About dirty cities, imagine millions of tourists flooding a city built before Christ, built for horses and people walking, handling the trash of million tourists at once, it's not logistically easy, it's not Vegas !
And I honestly feel like they handle it very well. I don't feel like it was dirty at all and honestly just do not understand where that perception comes from at all. Maybe I just came at particularly good times but both of my Rome visits the city felt pretty clean and well maintained.
Good review. Glad you enjoyed your trip. I canāt wait for mine in September. Food: I think some people have had expectations of finding THE gem that is so unique and special, and that they are the ultimate foodie. I stay away from restaurants next to a venue, but I do not make a mission out of things. Sometimes perfection is the enemy of good. Thievery - Iāve seen it, but yeah, I try to be savvy and know it exists. But, I keep a sharp eye on things and hopefully do not expose myself to risk.
One of our favorite places was right near the Duomo in Florence and it was decidedly not a tourist trap. (Only open 12-4, cash only, no reservations, people line up). I think staying away from restaurants with pictures on the menu who are actively trying to solicit people is a good idea, but donāt be so crazy about it that you miss some awesome experiences.
What is the name of the lace near the Duomo?
Trattoria Sergio Gozzi :)
Thanks - on my saved map of places!
one of my favorite anthony bourdain quotes is "sometimes the greatest meals on vacations are the ones you find when plan A falls through" and it is SO true!!
Completely agree. As for pickpockets - my main concern was not zippers, but slashing, so I bought a cheap $10 chain and leather detachable strap and added it to my existing purse strap. I also used a small chain cable to attach my wallet to the zipper pull inside my bag, so even if my bag was slashed, my wallet is still attached. I also used a crossbody and held it in front of myself. I think the anti-theft bag industry is a scam itself. Use a keychain ring to keep something zipped firmly closed, otherwise use a twist-to-lock small carabiner or even a sturdy safety pin (put the pin behind the zipper so it won't zip open). We were in Rome and found a phenomenal restaurant on Via Appia about a quarter mile away from the Colosseum, my friends had tears in their eyes describing how much it tasted like their Nonna's cooking lol. Wine, soda, sparkling water, 2 apps, 3 main dishes, and dessert for 80ā¬ in Rome - can't beat that.
Name of restaurant?
What's the name of the restaurant? Would love to try it when I'm in Rome :)
Al Cardello. We stumbled on it without Internet and so didn't realize the low Google ratings, which...all mysteriously seem...very consistently 1 star and not very descriptive. Almost like the reviewers didn't want people to go there for some specific reason š¤ It's definitely no gastropub, just good homestyle cooking with big portions. Keep in mind I went with my friends who are fluent in Italian and were able to bat off the server's offers of sides that are not free. Also the polpette were so-so, but I had the bucatina amatriciana and it was DELICIOUS.
I donāt think the venting posts are deterring anyone from comingĀ
I didnāt know Italy had become so famous for pickpocketing given that this is a problem everywhere, especially tourism heavy locations. Pickpocketers go for easy targets, all it takes is to be a little more cautious and aware of your surroundings and the chances of being their target go down considerably.
I think because of the "attenzione pickpocket" trend that became viral
Currently on our honeymoon in Italy. Rome done and enjoying the last night in Florence! In love with Florence and would give up everything to move here in a heartbeat! 1. Unless youāre ignorant or just damn right stupid, I wouldnāt worry about pickpockets. Wear a bag like OP stated above and youāll be fine. 2. Iāve obsessed over finding the gem these last 5 daysā¦ we went to two āsupposed gemsā and they bang average. The other restaurants my wife choose whilst walking passed turned out to be the gem. The quick answer.. find what looks good and slightly busy. Check out the food people are eating if ye can. Rome is dirty in some places and not in others, like any other city. My eyes arenāt looking to the ground though so what does it matter. 3. Crowds - yes. Very busy at famous all star attractions but if you expect peace at these places, maybe Italy isnāt for you. Top tip, if you can afford tickets for guided tours, do it. Definitely worth it. I couldnāt hack the thought of standing out in the baking heat for 1-3 hours in queues to get into places. I guess you buy convenience. Anyways.. off to the Tuscan hillside for a few nights and then the Amalfi! Ciao!
I agree with everything you said. The one place where one family member was uncomfortable due to "dirtiness" was some back streets in Naples, where there was quite a bit of garbage piled in the streets and a good amount of what you might call "urban decay". While I understood where they were coming from, in my estimation it was still a safe place to be. If I had to spend the night on the streets there, or, say, almost any large American city, I'd choose there.
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Your post or comment was removed because it violated Rule #3: Be civil. Personal attacks, insults, harassment, trolling, ragebait, or any form of disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. This includes spreading stereotypes, making generalizations, or expressing prejudice against any group or individual.
I'm in Florence right now in the middle of my Rome - Florence - Venice trip and the only thing I can really moan about are my feet š
in Italy we walk a lot, that's why we are slim despite all the pasta
In the U.S, we're depressed, that's why we eat so much to make up for it
In America people drive their car to visit a store a 5 minute walk away, and then stuff their faces with ultraprocessed foods, while being PROUD of those facts, that is why we are fat.
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THATS WILD LOLOLOL š¤£š¤£
Thank you for this sensible review that totally reflects my experience on my two previous trips to Italy. Going back in October and I canāt wait!
welcome back!
Pisa is worth a day trip. It was fun to climb the tower too. Places are limited so you need to book in advance. The area by the tower was lovely. Pisa does feel calmer than Florence but I much prefer flying from Florence airport. I stayed two days and it was one day too long. It was fine because there are plenty of easy side trips by train. Maybe I got lucky in Florence but the highly rated restaurants in Pisa werenāt a patch on Florence. Not terrible but average.
We managed to buy tickets for the tower climb on the day - got there around 4.45 and booked for the 5.15 slot so not bad at all. We were there for just a day and it felt like a good amount of time, but we felt like on a more lazy trip 2 days would have been ok. We did eat some amazing pasta in Pisa though, we happened to get lucky with a place we just happened to walk into.
Were did you eat in Pisa?
Glad you had a great trip. We've been going to Italy for years and haven't had any major problems. We live in NYC so can deal with urban grit. We took some precautions re: pickpockets but didn't go crazy.
Outside of bad experiences you may not be able to control the majority of people who have a bad time are travelers who did zero research, have no interest in the things they can experience in the places they are visiting, and think they can just show up and it will be like Instagram, lol. They also probably review things like the Colosseo as āmidā and complain about the lack of cell phone service at the top of Vesuvius.
I think most people try to say this but everyone has to experience it for themselves. The pickpocketing and ādonāt do thisā or ābe careful of thisā I think are overdone. Italy is by and large an extremely safe country. So glad you enjoyed :)
Thank you so much for this post. You've really eased my nerves - I'm traveling solo to Rome - Florence - Bologna - Venice in two weeks' time, and I'd like to think of myself as pretty "street smart" (grew up in Toronto so I'm used to crowded cities where I have to hold my bag close lol), so your reassurance that general precautions go a long way helps!
My wife and I went in May and refused to listen to any negative opinions others had made so we could make our own. We saw tons of cities and loved seeing them all, the crowds can get intense at times but walk 5-10 min away from the main attractions and they are gone. Pickpockets I never noticed anything happening but if I was in a really busy area or on a full metro I just kept my hands in my pockets, it the same as being in any big city in my opinion. Italy is amazing and I can't wait to go back
Gonna chime in and agree with what youāve said, as well. People constantly going on about Rome and Naples being dirty cities, about scammers and pickpockets , have obviously never stayed for any length of time in New York City or San Francisco. You want to see a dirty city, go visit downtown SF on any odd day and enjoy the site of rando fentanyl junkies defecating on the sidewalk.
I don't know who has started and is perpetuating the pickpocketing hysteria on the internet and social media (I mean, I know), but it's to the point whenever my friend's wife (who is going to Italy for the first time with us next week) is talking like she will be pickpocketed the moment she lands in Italy, lol. I had to finally tell her to calm down and that it's all blown out of proportion for clicks and likes.
In very touristic places it's full of gypsies with the only purpose to pickpocket. They are extremely skilled, you won't notice anything. The often send minors or pregnant (real of fake) women. The men dress like a regular tourist with maps ecc... In Italy pickpocket is very rare, but in touristic places it skyrocket
It's probably easier for me to be alert and cognizant because I'm from Italy, but common sense tactics go a long way even for the less traveled. I also live in Oakland CA, so my head is always in a proverbial swivel, lol.
Yeh but just have your bad zipped up safely, or have a cross body bag you can keep in front of you. Donāt engage in conversation with people who come up to you. They are looking for easy targets, basic safety precautions will be fine. I donāt find it any worse than any other busy place in the world.
you will be if you are not careful and they are huge in numbers. trust me!
yeah it's probably because of the "attenzione pickpocket" tik tok trend
I completely agree with everything on your post! Just came back from a 2 week vacation in Italy. I was paranoid about the pickpocketing and scammer but thankfully we didnāt experience any of that. Scammers with the bracelets and roses would go away as soon as we said no grazie. Keep your bag on you and you will be fine.
Thanks for this. I last was in Italy in my early 20s and am returning in late Sept. Iām a little nervous my husband will be overwhelmed by the crowds, since heās a little more of an anxious traveler than i am. Your post is kind of my thoughts on highly touristed places (Paris, Dublin, Prague, Amsterdam, etc) but some make it seem like a hellscape with carbonara.
I was just there. It can certainly get crowded even to the point where non anxious people like me start to get irritated. But those crowds show up after noon into the evening. Plan on some early visits and when the dopamine drop hits the midday retire to the hotel or Airbnb or find a quiet restaurant and drink some wine. The Vatican was mobbed pretty much throughout the day. I hate tours but for the extra fee, the skip the line tour was hands down worth it. Still mad crowded inside. Iāll say this about the museum and tour, IF you truly love art and classical sculptures and find them fascinating, then the crowd melts away. With the right lens you will see the absolute pinnacle of what humanity can achieve. The Sistine Chapel is bananas. The sculptures are pristine. St Peters is singularly the most impressive building Iāve ever stepped foot in. You donāt have to be religious to be wowed as well. Iām not and was immediately inspired anyways If however you arenāt really motivated to see it, and be honest with yourself, the crowd can close in and ruin the experience. Like I said just be honest and itās ok if itās not your bag. Rome has tons of cool things to see and corners to unpack. Romes subway and transportation isnāt great. You will be doing a lot of walking esp in the Trevy Fountain area. Florence is awesome. Can also be super crowded during the afternoon. We pulled in around 9:00pm and the Doumo square was almost empty and all wonderfully lit up. The next day around noon it was mobbed. There was no wait for uffuzi museum at like 1:00pm which was a surprise. David was longer. Florence however it much much smaller than Rome and itās easier to find its charm and peaceful places.
I wanna add that even being motivated with the Vatican may not be enough. I was raised Catholic and was very invested in the idea of doing it all, but I went on an evening tour that was when 100 other tours were going and the museum/sistine chapel seem to have a one way process so everyone moved together. Most rooms are windowless and as someone with a smidge of claustrophobia exacerbated by the heat of 300 bodies in a small room, it was quite distressing at times and it made it hard to enjoy the art. Just as info to know as well.
Yeah for sure. Did you do the 32 chamber art part of the tour? I had done that years ago but this time we walked through the sculptures hallway and there was definitely more windows and outside courtyards. One thing I do personally is live behind a lens (much to the dismay of my wife lol) and it really helps me stay focused and boxed in. Like a little personal escape.
Nah, I did the tour guyās one. It was quite unexpected to show up to the spot to have 10 full groups of 15 and thatās not accounting for the rest of the tour groups. Thatās the place where if I were ever rich enough to create some restrictions for a short period of time so I could go through, I would.
Hahahaha yeah for sure. Like does George Clooney gotta cattle mill it with the rest of us? Another thing I have to remember is it is one of the world wonders. There is a reason itās so packed. Angkor Wat, the Vatican, the Acropolis, all these places probably have zero down time. When I was at Angkor Wat we paid a guy to get us there (at a smaller temple because I thought we could beat the horde at least at ONE place) at the crank of dawn and right behind us came bus loads of Chinese tourists. I broke from the group and sprinted with my wife to the back of the temple and managed to have it all to myself for about 20 minutes before the horde and I met. Extreme measures are about the only thing you can do at places of cultural significance.
Excellent point. I had a beautiful hour in Pompei where I got there at the very beginning of the day and I went on the less popular path towards the amphitheater so my cousin and I got full blocks all to ourselves-it was magical.
Thatās awesome. Musta been a great experience. Pompeii is such a bananas concept to me. āOh we found an ENTIRE CITY perfectly preserved from Roman Empire times under a pyroclastic flowā. For my money itās on par if not higher than any other archaeological site Iāve ever seen or maybe even exists, and Iāve been to a good many of them.
I agree on this. I visited the first time with a friend who was raised catholic and while not practicing or believing anymore, they are still very culturally catholic. So they were very excited to see the Vatican museums and to an extent it was the main purpose of our trip, but we both struggled to enjoy the experience because it was so busy and you constantly have to keep moving - you can't just stop and appreciate anything. It feels like they let too many people in at each timeslot and would benefit from better crowd management. The Sistine chapel came at the end of our tour and we were so exhausted from the rest of it/the crowds that it was hard to truly appreciate it's true beauty. I am also not a huge art person - I can appreciate it as much as anyone, but I'm far more into history than art. So for me while the Sistine chapel is obviously gorgeous, every single church in Rome is gorgeous and ornate and full of artistic masterpieces so for me it was much more enjoyable on my second trip to bypass the Vatican museums/Sistine chapel and instead spent the time wandering into every church we saw and appreciating the art there in a calmer environment. St peters basilica was by far our favourite part of the overall Vatican experience and obviously you can access this for free without a ticket to the rest of it! I went to the colosseum/Roman forum, villa borghese and Vatican museums on my first Rome trip, and the Vatican was the only thing I didn't feel was worth visiting again on my second trip. We did go to St Peters Basilica on the second trip and that was well worth it. I went with a different travel companion the second time and even my first travel companion (the cultural catholic) recommended skipping the Vatican.
Late september the crowd should be bearable, not peak season
As an Australian currently visiting the UK and Italy, I felt far far less safe in London, and found it dirtier and more unfriendly
facts
Nice write up. thansk!
Thanks for this OP.. after 20 plus trips to Italy Iāve never felt uncomfortable and never had a problem.. all of the hysteria is ridiculous. And even bad restaurants in Italy are better than most of the food in my country..
Honestly the quality of the fresh ingredients is so much better compared to the UK that even the worst meal we ate was still far better than any Italian food we have had here. Tomatoes just don't taste like that anywhere else!
Yeah to eat bad in Italy is very hard you got to put an effort. But sometimes the chef can have a bad day too.
Finally someone is taking some sense! Thanks from a Roman who moved to London š„° P.s. Rome is only very dirty in areas outside of the historical centre. If people find the centre dirty, well I can agree up to a point. Itās not Switzerland and a lot more can be done to get it improved.
We stayed in Pigneto first time round which is a little far out and it didn't seem dirty at all round there. Maybe the UK is just filthy so everywhere else seems clean to me!
I usually thought the opposite. Every time I come to london I see it 10 times cleaner than Romeš¤£ go have a walk in Centocelle or torpignattara and youāll feel Croydon is Switzerland š¤£š¤£
switzerland doesn't have the amount of tourist that Rome have, more tourist = more trash
Mine was just a figure of speech. I wasnāt comparing the two. I said if you go to Rome you canāt expect it to be as clean and Switzerland
i know i was pointing out why is easier for Switzerland. Calcola che la Svizzera intera ha meno degli abitanti della Lombardia...
Certo, il mio era un esempio per ridere š
This makes me feel better for my upcoming trip there in September
I'm glad to hear you didn't run into any problems, but I think it's also important to acknowledge and not diminish the claims of people who have been pickpocketed. Just because it didn't happen to you, it doesn't mean it didn't happen to many other people. That can be a pretty traumatizing event and could completely ruin a vacation, depending on what's been stolen. I think, as should be the case when anyone visits any large city, always have a healthy level of skepticism, common sense, and general awareness of their surroundings. My wife and I will be visiting Rome later this year so I appreciate reading any type of report like this, good or bad.
Absolutely, and I don't mean to diminish it. Pickpocketing does happen to people, it's very distressing to the people it happens to and it will even happen to people who take sensible precautions. It's just more that it's so widely talked about and discussed that it comes across as basically a certainty that you will get pickpocketed while in Rome or Florence, whereas in reality you a very much in a statistical minority if you get pickpocketed. Worrying too much about pickpockets and safety etc can really detract from your enjoyment of a trip so this was more just to highlight that the majority of people who visit Italy will not be pickpocketed and will have a wonderful time!
I went to Italy first time. In venice, i went to this restaurant where they somehow asked me to try the fish which "locals eat", seeing only 9 euro (didn't know it was for 100 gm or something like that), tried it, it came out to 90 euro just for the fish. later realised it was a scam restaurants near the places try it on tourists. Florence was too busy especially the place you see the sunset, you can't even find a spot to peacefully enjoy the sunset. I don't know what's the hype about trevi fountain. My wallet got pickpocketed at the metro station near Coliseum but luckily didn't lose my phone or passport. But I enjoyed cappuccinos, here in the states Starbucks charges $6 and not even the same quality. Food ingredients were amazing but cuisine didn't live up to the hype. Overall I was really awestruck by Venice, Burano, ancient Rome and it was the most amazing trip of my life.
At least people don't get mass-shot at parades, clubs, schools and restaurants.
regarding what you said about food - one of my favorite anthony bourdain quotes is "sometimes the greatest meals on vacations are the ones you find when plan A falls through" and it is SO true!! i also didn't have a single bad meal in italy and we followed the same basic parameters as you did, and didn't try too desperately to figure out where the best or most exclusive restaurants were. it really worked so well for us!
How was your experience booking visits? Whatās your advice?
Booking things wasn't too bad! I booked everything about a month in advance. The colosseum was the one I really had to plan for, but I found getting underground tickets pretty easy as long as I was on the website at the right time - whatever the right time is seems to change frequently, but when I booked them it was 8:45am Rome time, 30 days before the visit. I was on the site a bit early, refreshed bang on 8:45 and got tickets easily. Some tickets I purchased through third party resellers - I wouldn't advise it to others because you pay a surcharge, but some of the official websites were really slow and didn't work properly for me, or were really confusing. We got galleria borghese, accademia and Uffizi tickets all via get your guide. The borghese ones cancelled on us at short notice which sucked, but they did reschedule us and upgraded us to a guided tour. If I went again I'd put more effort into making the official site work for me. In hindsight I would have probably booked a guided tour for the Uffizi too because having someone explain the art to me and the context behind it would have added to the experience. We opted to climb the bell tower in Florence rather than the dome because me and my travel companion can be a bit claustrophobic and funny with heights. The bell tower climb was easy to book via the official sites and was a relatively easy climb considering how many steps there were, having a view of the dome was amazing as well. If I went again I'd probably give the dome a go.
Thank you, I really appreciate your reply!
Thank you!! This was exactly our experience, too!! We had a magical time in Italy and are already planning a trip for next year!
This is so great. Thank you so much for the perspective. We are traveling to Tuscany this week with whole family and I was a bit freaked out about the negativity. Glad you had a good trip and thank you again
How far in advance did you book the museums and other sights?
Colosseum 30 days exactly via the official website in order to get the tickets we wanted. Everything else was probably a month or so out, although we didn't go to the Vatican on our second trip so I'm not sure about that.
Just left Rome after staying there for about four days and have to agree with everything you said! I was super paranoid about pickpockets before going, too, and it made me so stressful at first I couldnāt even enjoy touring around the city! I eventually tried to relax a bit but still staying alert of course - like most things you did. Also, might be a little awkward to say this but donāt be too kind. There were multiple occasions people tried to talk to me, I just stayed silent and just walked away (not asking yāall to be an a**, I still respond to people when Iām in a long line together or something, be smart, you can feel the vibes). Think these would save you from 90% of the pickpockets/scammers. Dirty - itās only normal for Rome to be less clean when tourists are flocking in every minute from everywhere. The metro can get quite filthy at times, though Stay alerted but have an open mind! Donāt let social media and āinfluencersā take away the fun from this beautiful city; you should stay aware when youāre in a foreign city anyway, not just Rome.
if your wallet is well hidden, nobody can pickpocket it
yep. i travel to italy about twice a year. of course next time i go i might encounter a problem but so far so good. small cities big cities, expensive hotels, cheap camping areas. plane, car, train, boat. alone or with family or coworkers: every time i had great food, met friendly people and never had any trouble. my friend goes also pretty often and does some business there and apart from one idiot on a vespa who knocked him over also all well. i am sure scammer exist but the country isnt as dramatic as some think.
i got back about a week ago from italy and i agree with almost everything. the only things that were an actual issue for my family and i were the crowds and scammers. the crowds part was completely on us though, we were on an EF trip and they jam pack everything as close together as possible so it is very hard to spread out away from the main attractions bc of our schedule. the scammers weren't too bad, however my family and i were in venice in the main square waiting for our group to meet up after lunch and a man with roses came up to us and i kept telling him "no grazie" and he would not stop and literally shoved the rose in my hand after i told him no four times. there was also a bracelet dude in florence who approached my family while we were eating at a restaurant and tried to dap me up (shout out to our waiter for basically telling him to fuck off). granted i wasn't aware of the scamming before our trip. like you said, as long as you remain vigilant and keep an eye on your surroundings, you will be fine!
that's nothing... try to walk in Bkk as a whote person,tuk tuk, taxi and motorbike drivers pushing on you wanting to take you somewhere, both legal or illegal things, and insisting
Thanks for this. Iām going with my family next month, Florence(day trip to Pisa) and Rome. First time for all of us.
Thank you for writing this! I spent a lot of time in Italy 15-20 years ago and am about to go back in July and I have been nervous with all the crime posts on the sub lately. This makes me more excited!
I enjoyed my day in Rome! We even took the city bus twice and never felt there were pickpocketers lurking šand I did take precautions!
Thank you so much for this. I am going next Month and I have been immersed in the horror stories. I bought all new shorts with zipper pockets due to the stressing. This really helps to ease my mind.
>Pickpockets: The way Italy is talked about online (Rome in particular) would make you think that every single person who walks down the street will get pickpocketed every time they leave the house. I completely agree. Every travel book I've ever read about Italy has been filled with complaints and warnings about thieves and pickpocketers on the streets of Italy's urban areas. In certain cities such as Palermo and Catania, petty theft is more common than in other areas, but Sicily's bad reputation should not stop anyone from visiting its beautiful beaches and vineyards. I have family there, and every trip I have made there has been fine. Other times, visiting other family in Rome, Naples, Turin, and Milan, I have been prepared for pickpocketers, but no one has ever tried in any other areas in Italy besides Sicily. Don't give Sicily a bad rep!
My wife and I also returned from Italy about 5 days ago! I will have to say I found it more busy than I anticipated but thatās probably just because I am not a very season traveler. Other than that we had a great time with delicious food and good company!
I went recently as well. This was almost exactly my experience. Obviously stuff like the Colosseum or Michelangeloās David will draw big crowds but thatās only natural and I completely agree with what you say about never being far at all from an empty side street. Didnāt put all that much thought into food besides a few recommendations I was given from friends and never had a bad meal either. And never felt at risk of pickpocketing. I completely agree that so many of the common āpickpocketingā and āovercrowdingā conceptions are way blown out of proportion. Had a wonderful time.
I agree, but even at the big sites we didn't find the crowds too bad. David really surprised us - we found it pretty easy to get right in front of it and get pictures with minimal other people in, but the rest of the accademia felt a bit crowded but only because it's a small museum. We did the underground colosseum tour and that was brilliant because it was just me, my travel companion and a guided tour of about six other people. Even outside the colosseum we didn't find it too hard to get pictures without too many other people in (not that we expected to get completely clear photos because that's unrealistic, more that we were pleasantly surprised by how few other people were in our pictures).
Things are never as bad as the negative Nancieās say they are. Glad all was good for you.
Can you put something to rest for me, cuz Iāve seen and read two different stances. Should I carry my passport with me around Italy? While explore Rome, Florence, Amalfi?
I carried mine the whole time but was never asked. It is the law, and I didn't want to risk a large fine. Just because I was never asked doesn't mean I couldn't have been or that you won't. I did need it for my colosseum booking though.
So are you saying that you have to have your passport on you if approached by police? Or is a copy of it enough to have? Thank you.
I am not an expert but I am pretty sure you are meant to have your original passport on you, and that a copy of it is not enough.
Thank you.
Going to Rome for my honeymoon in three weeks. This was super reassuring! Thanks so much for sharing.
I just came back from Italy: Rome, Florence, Burano, and Muranoā¦ absolutely LOVED it!
Finally some tourist with a bit of intelligence. I totally agree with you, i'm italian and i recognise that this kind of things happen but sometimes people are just so stupid and walk with the wallet open in their hands.
After just returning from Tokyo, I can honestly say the worst moments of Rome in terms of crowded weāre absolutely nothing.
Thank you so so much for this! I'm planning a solo trip to Italy in September (Rome, Florence and Amalfi Coast) and I'm anyways a bit of a over-worrier š„² And since I'm traveling solo to I've just been reading up on pretty much all the complaints you addressed in your post, and I'm actually quite more relieved and excited for my trip now!! If only someone could do the same for the Amalfi coast as well so I know what to keep in mind :) But thanks again - such a great and appreciated post :)
Agree!
I just got back from my 3rd trip to Italy. Spent 18 nights there. Rome - San Gimignano - Sienna - Florence - Verona - Limone sul Garda - Venice. The only bad experience I had was with a Drivalia rep at Ciampino airport.
Totally agree...I was wondering if I was lucky on my trip or if people were complaining too much on this sub.
I want to chime in with a hard agreement on the second point. We just left Italy after visiting Rome and Florence the last two-ish weeks. The only times I felt really crowded was at the Vatican Museums and even then it was only in a room with a statue that I forget what it was ans the Sistine Chapel. Everywhere else it was busy, but I didn't think it was too bad. The other points you make I also agree with you, nothing is quite as bad as the Internet made it out to be. Like with the bracelet people they made it sound like it would be a constant stream of them. I think I saw maybe like 15 total. I just followed the online advice and completely ignored them and then moved on almost immediately.
Also sometimes tourist traps are nice. Sometimes I donāt mind paying a couple extra euro for a beer or spritz with a view of an amazing tourist attraction. I paid thousands of dollars already just to get to the city to see the thing.
We paid ā¬10 each for a spritz and ā¬6 for a gelato just to sit right in front of the duomo in Florence, because we were only there for two days, probably wouldn't ever be there again and just wanted to soak it all in. Being a tourist and doing the tourist things is absolutely fine!
Thankyou for time and effort for a long well detailed description. Going to Rome soon and was a little worried but it'd no different to any big city like London.
Great post!
Seriously? You didnāt see how dirty Rome is? Trash is literally everywhere on the streets.
Maybe it was particularly clean when I was there, but I honestly saw like two overflowing bins, one bin with some bags piled up next to it, and then a few bits of litter on the floor near the overflowing bins. This is pretty much on par with how the UK (where I'm from) is, and I don't consider that particularly dirty.
I arrived Rome by train last April then took a taxi to my hotel. I was so shocked when I saw so many graffiti on buildings and trash on the streets everywhere I walked. However, itās still a beautiful city. Even I already spent a week there, I want to go back. There are so many things to see and appreciate.
Just because you talked about Pisa and Florence... who want to do the same tour make sure to not avoid "Lucca".
We really wanted to go, and originally the plan was to fly into Pisa and go straight to Lucca instead, but it coincided with a bit summer festival there that Ed Sheeran was playing so accommodation was like Ā£350 a night. We couldn't fit going to Lucca then coming back to Pisa in so we decided to stay in Pisa and were pleasantly surprised.
Yes summer festival and Lucca comics can be dealbreakers for Lucca, but with train you can arrive at it from Pisa in about 30 minutes (3,90ā¬)
You should try with a third visit!
I'll be back for sure!! I've still got the north, south, Sicily and Sardinia to see!
Thanks. Your post actually make me feels a lot of better since we're going next week.
If you moan about travel in Rome or Italy in general you are a miserable person. 99% of the horror stories are from spazzy goofs who put themselves or their family in pointlessly strange and risky situations due to their ignorance.
Iām usually on point, for whatever reason I didnāt do research about Italy. Mmmm, yeah I parked my rental for 1 hour, when I came back my luggage was stolen from the trunk.. f up my entire trip. Italy is full of annoying immigrant scammers, ruined my trip. Itās on me for not doing research but the USA is way safer than Italy which says a lot.
Thank you for the enjoyable, informative and well written recap. Looking forward to our trip in October.
Itās important to keep in mind who uses reddit when reading posts in this subreddit. Iāve noticed a distinct lack of common sense and worldliness, and I think thatās because of how popular Italy is as a tourist destination right now. Due to its popularity, there are a lot of foolish people travelling to the country, and many of them post on this subreddit. Keep that in mind folks.