- Emergencies
- 112. 112 reaches police, ambulance and fire from any phone, free, with English usually available. For non-urgent medical help, a pharmacy (green cross) is the first stop.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good table service is a nice extra, never a duty. Many restaurants add a cover charge (coperto, usually €1–4 a person) for bread and the table, and some add service (servizio). It's legal if it's on the menu; check before you order.
- Cards and cash
- Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere, even for small amounts. Small bars, markets and some taxis may still prefer cash. Carry €20–50 for markets, coffee and tourist-tax payments at check-in. Use bank ATMs (Bancomat) and choose to be charged in euros, not your home currency.
- Phone
- eSIMs bought online before you go work well for data and skip the shop. Check your phone supports them. TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in their shops; bring your passport, as a SIM can't be bought without ID.
- Plugs
- Type C, F, L, 230 V. Type L is the Italian three-pin; most two-pin European plugs fit it too. Australian and NZ plugs are Type I, so bring an adapter.
- Tourist tax
- Each town sets its own tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno), usually a few euros a person a night, often only for the first few nights and not for young children. It's usually paid in cash at check-in, on top of the booking price.
- Afternoon closures
- Outside the big cities, many shops, churches and small museums usually close for a long lunch, roughly 13:00 to 16:00. Plan sights for the morning and late afternoon.
- Many museums close on Mondays
- Lots of state museums and galleries are shut on Mondays. Flewaway plans around the ones it knows; check any others.
- Quiet Sundays
- Many shops close on Sundays outside the centres, and regional buses and trains run less often.
- August holidays
- Around Ferragosto (15 August) many family-run restaurants and shops in the cities close for a week or two, while the coast and lakes are at their busiest and dearest.
