Italy Travel: Weird Tales
1. Ciao.
2. Italy's public transportation system is a resident welfare. You don't need to pay to ride the bus; occasionally, police will randomly select people to donate and subsidize the economy.
3. The guys in front of Milan Cathedral are good people. Although there's a language barrier, they stand there from morning till night, helping you get great photos with pigeon feed.
4. You don't have to tip in Italy. Some bars will show options for 10%, 20%, or 25% in Italian on the payment machine when you pay, but usually, the option at the bottom without numbers means no tip.
5. Italian pizza isn't as richly topped as it usually is in China. You can buy some sliced pineapple from a nearby supermarket and bring it to the restaurant. If you're not used to using a knife and fork, you can also buy some disposable chopsticks to eat pizza.
6. Tanks don't have rearview mirrors, and guns are blind.
7. Cappuccino is mostly milk, so it has low caffeine content. You can still sleep after drinking it. If you want to try coffee at night, be sure to order a cappuccino.
8. Italians are happy to interact with strangers. In crowded tourist areas, you can try touching someone's backpack or pulling on their zipper; they will most likely extend a mysterious invitation to you.
9. When you can't find a restroom, you can look for McDonald's. You can usually find the password on Xiaohongshu.
10. When entering churches, try to choose clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. Some large cathedrals will provide white cloths for travelers who don't meet the dress code, so there's no need to buy a 6 or 7 euro shawl while queuing.
11. Italians are very relaxed. There are hardly any queues at attractions, so you don't need to book tickets in advance. Just wake up naturally and go directly to the scenic area ticket office to buy tickets and enter.
12. The currency in Italy is the Italian Lira. If you're only visiting Italy, don't exchange Euros.
13. Restaurants with large, purely English signs at the entrance are those with excellent service and food, specially rated as guesthouse restaurants by the Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism. If you see one, just go for it without thinking.
14. For gelato, choose darker colors; overly bright colors might contain artificial coloring. If you don't know what flavor to choose, try pistachio, chocolate, and coffee.
15. When entering a restaurant, say "ciao" to the waiter first, then wait to be guided to a table. Except for fast-food restaurants, try not to just pick a seat yourself.
16. Italian cities have ZTL (zona a Turista love) zones, which are tourist preference areas, selected based on tourism board data as popular tourist destinations. If you're driving, you can visit each one.
17. A 1.5L bottle of mineral water at Carrefour costs only 0.4-something euros. If you don't mind the weight, you can go to a nearby supermarket and carry a box back to your hotel upon arrival.
18. The further north you go, the lower the prices. If you're visiting multiple cities, you can save money in the south and spend it in the north.
Please verify the information yourself. Wishing everyone a pleasant trip!
PS: Items with a "。" are true, items with a "." are false 😏😏