Italy: Seeing the Good Without Being Overwhelmed by the Bad & the Ugly!
Apr 01 '03 (Updated Apr 02 '03)
The Bottom Line Blend in and enjoy Italy, don't try to Americanize it! With a little common sense & preparation, you'll be quite safe.
Italy is a wonderful destination; One that overwhelms the senses with great food, diverse beauty and living history. The Italian people, for the most part, are more open & welcoming than the French. This is especially true of those working in restaurants & retail shops.
A visit to Italy does, however, entail some risk. While violent crime is rare, petty thievery is rampant. Spend a week in Rome and you are likely to be a target of a pickpocket or con artist at least once. A visit here necessitates a higher level of planning and vigilance than is necessary for places like Britain or France.
The trick to making your Italian visit a pleasant and safe one is to avoid looking like a tourist, especially an American tourist. How do you accomplish that?
Here are my five rules for travel in Italy:
1) Watch What You Wear.
NEVER wear any of the following articles of clothing; Baseball Caps, Athletic shoes such as Nike (especially not white ones), Loud or colorful shirts, blouses or dresses, Western Wear such as cowboy boots or belts with your name on them (for you Texans), Imprinted T-Shirts with advertising or messages, Blue Jeans, Jackets that boldly display a name brand, such as Nautica or Polo. Avoid wearing American style sunglasses, expensive wristwatches and flashy jewelry.
Do wear black & other dark colors. All of the following are acceptable: Black slacks or jeans; leather jackets; internationally accepted branded items, such as The North Face, Peter Rain or Helly Hansen outerwear; European footwear, such as Lowa, Ecco, Birkenstock or Mephisto; British or Italian head wear.
The idea is to dress in such a way as to blend in, NOT stand out. Italians spend a great deal of their income on clothing and are very fashion conscious; however, casual attire is widely acceptable PROVIDED it doesn't look like American casual attire.
2) Limit what You Carry.
NEVER carry a large camera bag or plastic shopping bag that advertises you as an American tourist.
PACK LIGHT! Take only the minimal amount of clothing needed for your stay. For up to 2 weeks, I'd recommend no more than 3 changes of clothing. Leave the hair dryers and huge makeup bags at home. Most hotels have laundry facilities and you can always buy needed items after you arrive. If at all possible, use a simple backpack to carry your clothing and other necessities.
3) Be Especially Cautious With Valuables.
NEVER carry you Passport, credit cards or currency in a purse or pocket wallet. Never display large amounts of currency in public. Be cautious when using ATMs. DO use a money belt that can be worn under your clothing to secure passports, credit cards & currency. Take along copies of your Passport ID pages and keep them separate from the Passport. If you use a pocket wallet or purse, carry only a few Euros in it...just the amount you think you'll need for incidentals.
4) Be particularly aware of your surroundings.
Avoid crowds when possible. This is the time you will be most vulnerable. Pickpockets are prevalent around crowded tourist attractions, on buses & subways and outside of bus stations. Be watchful of those around you and avoid groups of children. Pickpockets often work in groups.
One favorite method is to target someone who is boarding a bus. Working together, one person will get in front of you and hold up your progress while pretending to look for correct change, while an accomplice is behind you rifling your pockets. Another tactic involves groups of children who surround tourists pretending to beg, but actually planning to steal anything they can reach.
Survey your surroundings before plunging headlong into the midst of a throng. You'll be surprised by what you see when you are being observant.
5) Mind your behavior.
DO NOT be the prototypical 'Ugly American'. Attempt to learn at least a few rudimentary Italian phrases. At the very least, know how to say 'hello', 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me', 'yes', 'no' and ask for a restroom, hotel room or table. If you must ask for help in English, ask your hotel desk clerk or a friendly waiter over coffee. Most Italians speak English, but you'll have more fun and blend in better if you at least make an effort to speak a little Italian.
Italy is not a destination to be feared. It is however, one to be wary.
DO NOT be loud or obnoxious, but rather polite, observant & considerate. You'll find your visit to Italy a pleasant one if you accept the Italian quirks and refrain from expecting things to be as they are in the US.
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