Tourist destinations

The official language is Italian, which is quite close to Spanish; however, each region has its own dialect, and sometimes even among Italians it's difficult to understand each other when speaking in strict dialects from far away regions! English is taught at school, but its knowledge level can't be compared to other European countries; most entertainment media, TV shows, movies, etc. get localized in our language so, outside of tourist destinations, we don't get to practice it much and can lose motivation on learning it. In little towns, only few young people may know it, while the closer to a big city or tourist center, the higher average age will speak it well.
While we're at it, let's learn some very basics, so you can give it some practice once here, and we can enjoy your funny foreign accent: "ciao" is "hello", an informal greeting, but it's also used as "goodbye". A bit more formal, "buongiorno" (good morning/afternoon), "buonasera" (good evening) and "arrivederci" (see you). You ask please "per favore" or thank with "grazie", and will probably get back a "prego" (either here you are, or you're welcome). Most important ones: "mi dispiace, non parlo italiano" (sorry, I don't speak Italian) and "parla inglese?" (do you speak English?).
Now for some reading tips: vowels always have the same pronunciation; "a" sounds like the "u" in "up", "e" is like in "end", "i" reads as "e", "o" remains "o", and "u" goes as "oo" in "pool". Some consonants are read differently based on the following vowel; "ca", "co", "cu", are as in "car", same with "che" and "chi", while in "cia", "ce", "ci", "cio" and "ciu" it goes like "cheese". Same with "ga", "ghe", "ghi", "go", "gu" read as in "goal", while "gia", "ge", "gi", "gio", "giu" are like in "gem". J-K-W-X-Y are not part of our 21 letters alphabet. You can ask us once here for more advanced lessons, including how to speak with your hands, using the gestures we're known for!

Our time zone is UTC+1 (Central European Time), but we use daylight saving time and shift to UTC+2 from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. Keep that in mind if you are travelling on those days! Technicalities apart, us Italians have a bad reputation about being on time; this stereotype is mostly true in the southern side, where the lifestyle is more laid back and organization not always perfect. Take it with philosophy, and expect some delays now and then: take your time to travel through the area, and try not to fit too many activities in a single day. On our end, we try our best to always be earlier or on time for tours and deliveries, but sometimes delays can still happen due to the unpredictable traffic on our only main road.
On regular working days, most small shops use to close for a few hours from lunchtime (after 13:00) until later in the afternoon (between 15:00/17:00). We don't call it siesta, it's just a long lunch break, and those shops usually stay open until later in the evening (19:00/21:00). Many restaurants, instead, may close between lunch and dinner services (from 14:00/15:00 to 18:00/19:00); schedules are more flexible in tourist places during high season.

Sundays, as well as the following celebrations, are non-working days in Italy: New Year's Day (January 1^st), Epiphany (January 6^th), Easter (Sunday following the first full moon in spring) and Easter Monday (next day), Liberation Day (April 25^th), Worker's Day (May 1^th), Republic Day (June 2^nd), Feast of the Assumption (August 15^th), All Saints' Day (November 1^st), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8^th), Christmas (December 25^th) and Saint Stephen's Day (December 26^th). An additional holiday is different for every town and city, celebrating its patron Saint. As you can notice, the dominant religion in Italy is Christianity, mainly Catholics.
Other celebrated events, but still working days, are Carnival (47 days before Easter), Valentine's Day (February 14^th), Women's Day (March 8^th), Father's Day (March 19^th), Holy Friday (two days before Easter), Mother's Day (May 12^th), All Souls' Day (November 2^nd), Christmas' Eve (December 24^th) and New Year's Eve (December 31^st). Keep all those dates in mind while organizing your trip, as it might be nice to celebrate them here, not so nice getting stuck in traffic because you planned to travel during some crowded events you didn't know about.
During the holidays, most shops will be closed, but you normally always find something open in big cities; in tourist towns, it is different, as it's easier to find everything open (especially restaurants, souvenir shops, tourist attractions, etc.) on Sundays too, and some may move their rest day to a different weekday.
Most schools in Italy close for around 3 months, from early June to late September, and 2 weeks from Christmas to Epiphany. In summer, especially in August, when most factories and shops take a break, many Italians travel to the seaside, crowding the beaches and emptying big cities; in the winter break, most prefer to spend time with families, and off-site workers and students travel back to their hometowns if they can.

You definitely don't want to be on a diet while visiting Italy, but may need to start one once back at home! The Mediterranean diet and Italian cuisine have so much to offer, that no one should ever have any troubles finding something suitable. If you have no restrictions, the wide choice is overwhelming, with each region, if not each town, having their own typical products and recipes. Pizza and pasta are made in so many varieties, that you can find something for you in any restaurant despite your allergies, or being vegetarian. Lactose intolerants or vegans might have a bit harder time due to the widespread use of cheeses, but be sure to point out your issues and there will normally be alternatives everywhere. It could be tougher for celiacs, in which case it's better to ask before sitting at the table. For halal, kosher or other strict restrictions, you may need to do some research in advance.

Like most other countries of the European Union, we use Euro, and discarded our old Lira. You can't use other currencies to pay but, aside from small rural villages, you can easily find ATMs and shops accepting cards; some may not take them for small payments, so it is advised to always bring some change with you. Visa and Mastercard are very common, American Express, Google Pay and Apple Pay a bit less. We also accept them; however, since we use a mobile card machine that relies on phone coverage, it might not work somewhere, so please try to have enough cash as a backup method if you want to pay on delivery (you can also pay in advance by PayPal or bank transfer, if you prefer).
In Italy, it is common, but absolutely not mandatory, to show appreciation for a good service by leaving a cash tip to the staff. It's a custom for most tourist services, like accommodations, restaurants, drivers or guides. The appropriate amount is usually between 10/20% of the final bill, but you can also just leave the change (if not far from that range) when you pay in banknotes. Most restaurants with service at the table apply a cover charge for each client ordering food; this has to be written on the price list and it's not considered a tip. Sometimes waiters may keep a grudge if they try real hard to please you and don't receive a tip, however it is a mistake on their end, as it is a reward and not something due. Same with us: no pressures, and we won't keep a grudge either way!