As a foreigner visiting Italy, youre probably not going to blend in but you could still try.
Here are 10 things to know before traveling to Italy.
Dress nicer.
Woman admiring Turin cityscape.Credit:Laura La Monaca/Travel + Leisure
Eat later.
That means 1 p.m. (maybe12:30 at the earliest) for lunch and 7:30 p.m. or later for dinner.
Sharing a forkful of pasta with your dining partner is one thing.
Freshly made pasta in Italy.Laura La Monaca/Travel + Leisure
If you know you have a small appetite, you might ask for a half-portion of pasta.
But apart from the occasional dessert, Italian dishes arent usually meant for going halfsies.
Get out of the way.
People on the steps of a church in Italy.Amanda Blackard/Travel + Leisure
Our sidewalks and grocery store aisles are narrower.
Our restaurant tables are closer together.
Our trains and buses are frequently shoulder-to-shoulder.
Crowded plaza in Rome, Italy.Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure
Speak more quietly.
Are Italians quiet all the time, especially in public?
(Well, Id probably like to hear about your dog.)
Keep your conversations low-key and voices dialed down a few notches.
Greet people.
You may not be accustomed to people greeting you with a cheerful good day!
when you walk into TJMaxx.
Amanda Blackard/Travel + Leisure
Be respectful in churches.
Dont talk about them.
For starters, its rude in any setting or country.
Gautier Houba/Travel + Leisure
Dont get drunk.
I know, I know.
The wine is cheap and good, and those Aperol spritzes are so pretty and colorful.
Pack your patience.
you might save yourself some stress and disappointment by not over-planning your days and jam-packing your trip itineraries.
