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What Not to Do in Italy: 17 Mistakes Travelers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Amy French the Roaming Historian

Planning a trip to Italy? Before you go, it helps to know what not to do. These common Italy travel mistakes—from dining habits to packing and planning—can impact your experience more than you might expect.

Italians are an easygoing bunch from what I’ve found, so take this article with a grain of salt. If you want be a cultural chameleon though and fit in as much as possible, here is a list of what not to do in Italy.

  1. Don’t go in August. Not only is Italy very hot in August, but it is also a popular month for Italians to vacation, which means restaurants, shops, and other venues may be closed.
  2. Don’t rent a car if you can avoid it. Many cities in Italy have limited access and you can get a big fine if you drive into a ZTL (zono traffico limitato). Italy has an excellent infrastructure in the tourist areas for public transportation. If you do have to rent a car, make sure to get an international driving permit from AAA/CAA.
  3. Don’t sit down at the caffè for your morning espresso. If you want the lowest price for your coffee, stand at the counter and have your drink there. There is a higher price for those who take a seat. If you do take a seat though, take your time and enjoy your drink and the view.
  4. Don’t tip excessively. Servers get paid a living wage and don’t count on tips like they do in the United States, so they only expect you to round up slightly for a bill…if at all.
  5. Don’t ask for a doggy bag. If you find that Italian portion sizes are too big for you, especially if you plan on ordering several courses, ask for a half portion (mezza porzione) of your primo course.
  6. Don’t forget to check the hours of opening. Many businesses and churches close in the afternoon for a few hours. Restaurants, too, open for lunch then close and reopen for dinner at 7 or 7:30. Make sure to check.
  7. Don’t bare too much skin in church—covering shoulders is standard in most churches and some request that knees be covered, as well. If I’m wearing a sleeveless top, I carry a scarf or lightweight sweater to cover my shoulders.
  8. Don’t order pineapple on pizza. This is a good rule, in general.
  9. Don’t ask for steak sauce or—god forbid—ketchup on a Florentine steak. The bistecca alla fiorentina is a national treasure. Restaurants will serve it at the doneness that they think is perfect (rare to medium-rare, generally). I don’t know a self-respecting restaurant that would serve it with steak sauce or ketchup.
  10. Don’t cut your pasta…twirl. Cutting pasta is something done for a child. Italians have mastered the art of twirling long pasta around a fork and effortlessly consuming it. If you want to fit in, you will too.
  11. Don’t expect tap water with your meal. Unlike in North America, water isn’t automatically brought to your table when you sit at a restaurant. You are expected to purchase water to go with  your meal—sparkling or still.
  12. Don’t expect bread either. Unlike many Italian restaurants in North America, bread is generally not brought to the table before the meal. Most Italians use the bread to scoop up the leftover sauce from their pasta, so they ask for the bread with their meal.
  13. Don’t assume your check will be brought to you after a meal. You will likely have to ask for the bill, “il conto, per favore.”
  14. Don’t eat at a tourist trap. Easy to say, right? To find non-touristy eateries, look for ones that have menus in Italian (most restaurants will give you a menu in English if needed, but be wary of those whose menu is automatically in multiple languages), serve seasonal dishes that change regularly (menus will show if they are serving frozen food), have smaller selections, serve regional cuisine (avoid those serving typical foreign dishes in addition to Italian which means they’re pandering to tourists), have people eating there who are speaking Italian, open after 7 for dinner (means they are catering to local expectations of dinner times), and do not serve Italian-American cuisine.
  15. Don’t miss out on the major sites and experiences. You’re in Italy—and likely traveled far to do it—see the Colosseum, the Vatican, toss a coin in the Trevi, take a silly picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, go on a gondola ride in Venice, and generally take advantage of all the history, art, and culture you can. See my link for Tour Guy below for tours I find excellent.
  16. Don’t forget the niceties—per favore (please), grazie (thank you), Buongiorno (good day).
  17. Don’t expect washcloths. I have been in numerous hotels and short-term rentals that didn’t have washcloths–just hand towels and bath towels. I bring my own.

There are many more tips I can think of regarding what not to do in Italy, but I don’t want to give a negative impression. These are not rules, but just Italy travel tips so you can fit in and feel comfortable. Italy has dining and cultural norms that are different from other countries and may seem foreign to those traveling there for the first time. I enjoy trying to be a cultural chameleon (even though I’m sure my Americanness comes across); if you do too, hopefully, you will find these tips helpful for your next Italy vacation.

Italy is one of the most rewarding places to travel—but it’s even better when you avoid these common mistakes. With a little planning (and packing lighter than you think), you’ll spend less time stressed and more time enjoying everything Italy has to offer. Please check out these favorite companies for traveling in Italy.

Quick Tips: What Not to Do in Italy

  • Don’t overpack—Italy is best explored light
  • Don’t eat right next to major attractions
  • Don’t expect restaurants to open early
  • Don’t skip booking major attractions in advance
  • Don’t ignore local customs and dress codes

Plan Your Italy Trip: Helpful Guides to Get You Started

How to plan a trip to Italy: https://roaminghistorian.com/2026/03/08/how-to-plan-a-trip-to-italy/

Packing Light Guide: https://roaminghistorian.com/2025/09/07/the-definitive-guide-to-packing-light/

How to Choose a Hotel: https://roaminghistorian.com/2026/03/17/how-to-choose-a-hotel-when-traveling/

Tipping in Italy: https://roaminghistorian.com/2026/03/03/guide-to-tipping-in-italy/

How to Get to Rome from Airport: https://roaminghistorian.com/2020/02/09/how-to-get-to-the-rome-airport-fco-airport/

Essential Italy Travel Tips: https://roaminghistorian.com/2025/04/06/essential-italy-travel-tips/

When to Buy Travel Insurance: https://roaminghistorian.com/2026/03/13/when-to-buy-travel-insurance/

Travel Insurance: How to Protect Your Trip: https://roaminghistorian.com/2024/02/04/best-travel-insurance/

How I Find the Cheapest Flights: https://roaminghistorian.com/2025/12/07/use-ai-google-flights-flight-deals/

Buon viaggio!

A Favorite Italy Tour Partner: LivTours

LivTours is a boutique, family-owned company specializing in high-quality, semi-private (maximum 6 people) and private tours, primarily in Italy, as well as Spain, France, England, Austria, and other parts of Europe. They are highly regarded for skip-the-line access to major sites, expert, English-speaking guides, and curated, immersive experiences designed to avoid “cookie-cutter” travel. We’ve had amazing experiences with them and enjoy that they hire local guides exclusively.

LivTours offers Roaming Historian readers 10% off two or more tours! Save on your next favorite European memory by using our coupon code “AMYRH10.” We highly recommend this company; they offer topnotch tours, tickets, and experiences and you can save money with Roaming Historian!

Book with LivTours here: https://livtours.com?af_code=E1DDN61

Rome Golf Cart Tour, Italy, LivTours

Tours, Tickets, & Experiences: Viator and Get Your Guide

If you’re planning tours, attraction tickets, or local experiences during your trip, Viator and Get Your Guide are two of the most widely used platforms for discovering and booking activities around the world. Both allow travelers to compare itineraries, prices, reviews, and ratings for thousands of experiences ranging from guided historical tours and museum tickets to day trips and unique local activities. Many listings on both platforms include free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, which adds flexibility when travel plans change. Pro tip: because these platforms host experiences from many different tour operators, always check recent reviews and overall ratings before booking to ensure a high-quality experience.

Browse tours and experiences here:
Viator: https://www.viator.com/?pid=P00161535&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
GetYourGuide: https://www.getyourguide.com/?partner_id=CMSFGKK&utm_medium=online_publisher

Trusted Booking Resource: Booking.com

When planning a trip, it helps to compare your options in one place. Booking.com allows you to search and compare hotels, apartments, vacation rentals, flights, cruises, and car rentals worldwide, making it easier to organize the key pieces of your trip in a single platform. Travelers can review prices, amenities, guest ratings, and neighborhood locations to find accommodations that match their style and budget, and many listings offer competitive pricing, occasional deals, and flexible cancellation policies. Pro tip: when comparing places to stay, focus on guest reviews, location, and cancellation policies—these factors often matter more than the nightly price alone. Browse and compare travel options here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=6776&awinaffid=1985445

Our Favorite Travel Insurance Site

Protect your vacation with Travel Insurance dot com. This awesome travel site provides quotes from numerous travel insurance agencies and allows you to purchase them with no added increase to you: https://www.travelinsurance.com/?utm_source=pap&a_aid=65590b3a60c44

Travel Insurance dot com, affordable travel insurance

Amy French, Ph.D., is the voice behind Roaming Historian. A professional historian and seasoned traveler, she shares stories that blend history and travel to give readers a deeper understanding of the places they explore.

Traveling Soon? Trusted Tour & Travel Partners

Planning your trip? Here are our trusted travel partners — thoughtfully chosen for quality, reliability, and exceptional experiences.

Affiliate Disclosure

Roaming Historian may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the research and storytelling that go into every article. All opinions are always our own.

Photograph of Amalfi Coast, Italy
Photograph of gondolas, Venice, Italy
Hall of Maps in Vatican, Rome, Italy
Via Margutta street scene, Rome, Italy
Photograph of Colosseum and Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
Vespa in Trastevere, Rome, Italy
Fiat 500 on via Margutta, Rome, Italy
Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Photograph of Swiss Guard, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Clet Abraham, Florence, Italy, Florence street art
Clet Abraham’s Work

Etsy

We sell fabulous photographic prints from our travels on our Etsy shop! These are great for home decor or as a gift. If you see a photograph on our website that isn’t in our Etsy shop, let me know and I’ll likely be able to add it to Etsy.

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