Things not to do in Italy

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Very rarely, tours to Italy for our compatriots do without a short course on the rules of conduct in this country of refined tastes and ancient history. It just so happened that Italians stand apart from the rest of Europe, actively demonstrating their own traditions, customs and rules. To know all this for the one who goes to Italy for the first time, you need, otherwise – unpleasant situations cannot be avoided.

So what is so special about Italian laws and traditions? How not to behave in certain places? That's what our next collection of things not to do in Italy is about that.

Tips

Giving a tip to service personnel

Absolutely all establishments in Italy that provide service include the so-called tip of the final check. Despite this, there are always especially generous tourists who want to thank the maid for her work, for which she already receives a very decent salary. The consequences of such generosity are likely to be extra charges from the guest, which cannot be called a pleasant end to the vacation.

Violate the dress code

To dress code in Italy they are just as zealous as in France. In some restaurants it will be impossible even to enter without a classic suit, dress or a certain type of tie. With cultural institutions, everything is much more complicated – theater La Scala, for example, has had established requirements for the appearance of viewers for more than a century, which cannot be violated.

Important: At the beach resorts in Italy there is a strict rule – outside the beach to be dressed. Even if a bar or cafe is located a stone's throw from the coast, be sure to wear a T-shirt and at least shorts in order to avoid unhappy glances.

La Scala Theater

Forgetting to buy a bus ticket

Italian shuttle buses still have composters forgotten by Russians. Bus tickets are sold in supermarkets, kiosks and other retail outlets. Far away not every stop has a terminal selling these tickets, so you need to take care of the purchase in advance. The controllers on regular buses are working properly, therefore, in order not to pay a large fine for a ticketless ride, you need to make sure that you have a ticket on hand and it is validated at the entrance to public transport.

Be careless with gestures

It just so happens that gestures in Italian – an indispensable attribute of a conversation. Because of dozens of dialects, locals actively help words with their hands to speed up understanding of the interlocutor. Each gesture has its own meaning, and not always appropriate. It is worth mentioning a couple of well-known gestures separately, because they have frankly indecent overtones. Okay gesture in Italy and Greece there is only one meaning - and ndash; accusation of homosexuality. Another gesture – the famous rocker 'goat', seeing which an Italian might think he was called a cuckold.

Use the word 'siesta'

Essentially, the Italians' afternoon break and the Spanish siesta are largely similar, but in Italy this Spanish word is extremely not recommended, so as not to be considered ignorant. And the point is not at all in the tradition of resting in the middle of the day, but in the strict schedule of meals. They have breakfast here at their discretion, but they have lunch and dinner at strictly allotted hours: from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 20:00 to 22:00, respectively. There is a great risk in between these hours that many cafes and restaurants will simply be closed. Stores in Italy, except for large supermarkets, do not follow a strict schedule at all and can open and close at any time.

Pepperoni in Italy

Confuse the names of dishes in restaurants

Classic example – the word `` pepperoni '' in Italy, it means only a variety of bell peppers, and in no case the presence of hot spices. If there is a desire to eat something really spicy, then the name of the dish must include the word `` picante ''. Another common mistake is – call pasta only long spaghetti. In Italy, pasta – this is absolutely any kind of noodles, even the one that we call `` shells ''. Separate 'minefield' – these are the names of the types of coffee. Don't be surprised if an Italian waiter rolls his eyes at the wrong stress in the word `` latte ''.

Do not follow the rules of conduct in stores

Another rule that is somewhat similar to French etiquette. Clean Italians in every grocery store provide shoppers with disposable gloves for picking up fruits, vegetables, and other foods that shouldn't be touched with bare hands. It is also not recommended to point your finger at the product – sellers in Italy will always choose the best apple or tomato for the buyer. In order not to offend the seller, you must always respect his work and opinion, it is not customary to deceive the buyer here.

Be too punctual

Punctuality – it's definitely not about Italians. Being late has never been considered a terrible thing in this country, and the exact time of the meeting means that you can easily arrive half an hour late. Whether it's a business meeting or a romantic date – never mind. There are also difficulties with the schedule for vital things – for example, intercity buses sometimes have to wait for an hour, and not at all because of traffic jams, but because several drivers didn't show up for work on time.

Outdoors

Talking to beggars

Italy in this regard differs little from other countries – very often elementary pickpockets and even robbers turn out to be beggars. The police fight against these elements regularly, but not always successfully, so on the streets you need to bypass the gypsies, as well as Asians who offer a bouquet of flowers for free. Most often these are illegal migrants working in pairs – while one presents the tourist with flowers, the second empties her pockets or rips off expensive jewelry.

Relaxing on the beach at night

Since 2008, throughout Italy, a law has been passed that prohibits being on municipal beaches since 22 : 00 to 6 am. This was done for the sake of many tourists who decided to swim in the sea, having had a fair amount of drinking – by the early 2000s, cases of drowning were rampant. In addition, many guests of Italy, and the Italians themselves, very often indulged in love pleasures right on the seashore, which is a flagrant violation of European laws. For public display of passion in Italy, a tourist faces a fine up to 1000 euros.

Ignore local laws

Italian law, like the mentality itself, is extravagant. The historically formed fragmentation between individual regions has now resulted in extremely absurd laws, nevertheless, prescribed by the local authorities. For example, in the town of Lucca you cannot feed pigeons, because arrogant birds shit on architectural monuments. On the outskirts of Venice, tourists will be fined for building sand castles on any beach. As a rule, there are many signs about such prohibitions, which you just need to read carefully.

Night beach
prescribed by local authorities. For example, in the town of Lucca you cannot feed pigeons, because insolent birds shit on architectural monuments. On the outskirts of Venice, tourists will be fined for building sand castles on any beach. As a rule, there are many signs about such prohibitions, which you just need to read carefully.

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Topic: Things not to do in Italy.