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Tipping: You are not expected to tip on top of restaurant service charges, though many locals leave a small amount. If there is no service charge, you might consider leaving 15%, but it is not obligatory. In bars, Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip. Tipping taxi drivers is also not mandatory. When staying in a higher priced accommodation, you should tip the porter. Consumer Taxes: Whenever you buy an item in Italy, you will pay value-added tax, known as IVA in Italy. Tourists who are residents of countries outside the EC are able to claim a refund on this tax if the item was purchased for personal use and cost more than a certain amount. Ask the shopkeeper of any store displaying a “Tax-free for tourists:” sign about procedures for claiming your refund. Receipts: Be sure to hold onto all receipts for goods or services you purchase in Italy until leaving the city in which they were bought. Laws have been introduced to tighten controls on the payment of taxes and the Fiscal Police (Guardia di Finanza) can ask you to produce a receipt immediately after leaving a shop, and can require you to pay a fine if you come up empty-handed. Electricity: The electric current in Italy is 220V, 50Hz but in some areas, they still use 125V. When to Go: The main tourist season in Italy runs from mid-April to the end of September. The best time to visit Italy is the slower season, from April to June and in September/October, when the weather is usually good, the prices are lower and there are fewer tourists. Foreign tourists crowd the major cities at Easter, when Italians flock to resorts and the countryside. The weather is warm enough for beach visits in most of the country from June to September but during August (high season) it is very hot, prices are inflated and a large number of businesses, including shops and restaurants close down during that month as the owners are trying to escape the crowds and the heat. Temperatures vary between cities. In Rome, the average daytime temperature ranges from 52 degrees in January to 87 degrees in July. In Milan, the temperature ranges from 40 degrees in January to 84 degrees in July (all temperatures are Farenheit). Business Hours: Business hours vary between the north and south of Italy and can also vary among cities, but as a rule, the working week runs from Monday to Saturday. Generally, shops in the north and central Italy are open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 1pm and from 3:30pm until 7:30pm. In the south, they usually close for lunch around 12:30pm and reopen from 4pm to 8pm. In some cities, grocery shops (alimentari) might not reopen until 5pm and during the warmer months, they could stay open until 9pm. All alimentari close on Thursday afternoons and often on Saturday afternoons. Shops in smaller towns and on city outskirts often close on Saturday afternoons as well. Banks tend to be open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 1:30pm and 2:30pm to 4:30pm although hours can vary. They are closed on weekends, but it is always possible to find an exchange office open in the larger cities and in major tourist areas. Major post offices open from 8:30am to 6 or 7pm Monday to Saturday. Smaller post offices open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 2pm and on Saturdays from 8:30am to midday. Pharmacies are usually open from 9am to 12:30pm and 3:30pm to 7:30pm. They are always closed on Sunday and alternatively on Saturday or Wednesday. Some drugstores are open all night as well as on Sundays and holidays; a guidebook detailing individual cities can give you accurate addresses for such establishments. Bars (coffee and sandwich places) and cafes are open from 7:30am until 8pm and restaurants open from midday until 3pm and from 7:30pm until 11:00pm (later in summer and in the south). Restaurants and bars are required to close for one day each week. Museum and gallery opening hours vary, although most close on Mondays and some close during religious holidays. Shopping: Rome, Florence and Milan are known for good buys in quality leather goods, silk scarves and ties, and fashion, especially knitwear. In Florence, Siena and throughout Tuscany, you can find ceramics and straw goods. In addition., Florence and Venice offer gold jewelry and embroidered linens. Venice’s glass is famous; authentic Venetian lace is an expensive rarity. |
Useful links for travelers to Italy
Let’s Roam Italy: http://tqd.advanced.org/2838/
Rome Online: http://www.roma-online.com/home/en-main.htm
Rome Sites: http://www.twenj.com/romesights.htm
Florence by Net: http://www.florence.ala.it/
Barclay International Group offers general supplemental services, such as travel insurance and inexpensive car rentals in Italy. For more information, check out our
Supplemental Services Page.
One caveat: We have written our property reference pages to be as concise as possible. Therefore, if an amenity is NOT listed, chances are it is not offered by the property. Though we attempt to be as accurate as possible and ask each property to recheck the information that they have provided, breakdowns in communications can occasionally occur. For that reason, Barclay International Group cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained in the information. If you do uncover mistakes in our information, please bring them to our attention so we may correct them as soon as possible. Also, rates occasionally change mid-season due to currency fluctuations and so forth; we cannot guarantee rates until actual bookings are placed. Consider the rates contained in our rate sheets to be approximate rate guidelines, rather than figures carved in stone. We have included links to country and city information in our pages. While we will attempt to verify these links on a regular basis, we would certainly appreciate it if anyone discovering a non-operational link brings this information to our attention. Thank you.
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