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10 Mistakes Tourists Make in Italy (And How to Avoid Them)
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10 Mistakes Tourists Make in Italy (And How to Avoid Them)

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Planning a trip to Italy? Then don’t make these classic tourist mistakes. After 20 years living and traveling across the country, I’ve seen it all—from flip-flops on cobblestones to cappuccinos at dinner. This video breaks down the 10 biggest Italy travel mistakes and shows you how to avoid them—so you can have a smoother, smarter, more authentic trip.

From what to wear, how to tip, and why booking ahead matters, to why you should always carry cash and never eat near the Colosseum—I’m giving you the cheat sheet.

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38 Comments

  2. @mariecurie7491

    Very impressive – sensible and down-to-earth. The thing that always gets me at my local café in Siracusa is the number of tourists that don't stop for their coffee. I actually taught my friendly barista that 'to go' is American, 'take away' is British. I wonder if they think it is cheaper? My local has a sign, 'No table service'. So you get your coffee at the counter and sit down at any of his tables – no extra charge. Also, a lot of tourists don't realise that at normal cafés (i.e. not tourist traps), you pay after, not before

  7. @ArnoldToporowski

    I always book restaurants in advance (before leaving home even!) for Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday lunch. the best restaurants at peak times are super busy … just like at home!

  13. @RMD_FreeLance

    Hi Gregor, I watch your videos and they are great👍 I wonder, Can you give me some advice about Udine, where to eat … Thanx and keep on!

  14. @carmenmcgowan3968

    Been watching you for the past year Gregor! Thanks for such fantastic down to earth suggestions. You’re so relaxing to watch with excellent advice. We were going to come in October but due to the death of the Pope, and the Jubilee Year, we are thinking Greece instead as we don’t want crowds etc. We will get there one day but it’s a long way from South Australia! 🦘🇳🇿

  15. @HomoErectusSum

    one thing you left out — DON'T order cappuccino after 11 a.m. among civilized people, it is for breakfasts. even many bathrooms take credit cards.

  16. @MemoriesDestroyUs

    1:55 ironic cause I ordered a chicken sandwhich from McDonald in Naples and it took 25-30 mins. For a single item. My sister got an espresso and they just completely forgot about it. Italy does what they want here and I’m all for it honestly lol

  17. @AngelSapundzhiev

    Greg, your Italy videos are full of value and spot on! Right to “the meat of the matter”, I had to learn all of that through experience and can confirm it’s ALL TRUE! Flexibility = Sanity, it is always fun being in Italy! 🇮🇹 Great job, my friend, thank you for all that you do! 👍🏻

  18. @cristinacucconi7411

    Gregor, guardo i tuoi video e mi piacciono tantissimo, sei eccezionale,.Una cosa che secondo me potresti raccontare ,è l'acqua buona che beviamo in Italia,

  19. @TheEstevenw

    We arrived at th train station really early in Rome, just asked one of the antedates if we could board the train leaving an hour earlier and he just sad"yes" and if anyone offers to put your bags up for you, the don't belong to the train, they are just looking for money.

  20. @jbird777

    I walked past you creating this video haha, I was going to say hi but didn't want to interrupt your hard work! Keep up the great work man, you helped a lot with the travel!

  21. @sdsidillon

    Another mistake is attending an attraction at the wrong time a day. Avoid peak periods like the afternoon. Try to arrive when they first open in the morning or after 3 pm, the crowds will be thinner and less stressful One of my favorite memories was visiting the Bargello Museum in Florence when they first opened. I walked around the only person therefor 30 minutes amazing, We will return this October to visit Umbria and Le Marche 🇮🇹 Ciao Gregor

  23. @gmnewlook

    Going to Italy in less than two weeks. Yes, we'll be doing Rome, Salerno, Naples, Pompei, Herculaneum and the Amalfi Coast. But we're also going to the Molise region, which doesn't sound like it attracts that many tourists. We'll be visiting Larino (pop. 8,000), where my paternal nonno was born, and there's a vineyard nearby that I want to check out and we'll also be visiting Termoli and maybe stop in Ortona and Pescara in the Abruzzo region on our way to Fiumicino near the end of our trip. So I'm guessing we're checking the box of the "off the beaten path" on the list.
    Always enjoy your videos, don't think you'll be in those parts in the next few weeks, it would have been fun to bumps into you and say hi.
    Ciao from Montréal, QC, Canada!

  25. @JoeySorge

    Gregor, when you do shots of espresso in Italy, is it usually a straight shot or do they put something in it? shot of cream etc…? Love the books BTW

  28. @tyhg22

    Excellent content as always. However, I suppose you're being hyperbolic when you state that tourists might be charged double for a gelato. Never had that happen in my 40 years living in Italy,

  34. @reddwarf63

    Is it true that you get charged more at Italian cafes if you sit down for a coffee, as opposed to standing outside?

  35. @travelingsweatpantsproduct9851

    I'm from the US. Why is it okay for me to visit LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, Kansas City, Missouri, New Orleans, New Your City, Miami and eat at tourist sports, but it's frowned upon and discouraged to eat at tourist spots in Rome or Naples, or Barcelona, etc. Oh, its because it's not authentic! Really? But tourists spots in the above mentioned cities are the "True Authentic" of their region? I don't think so!!!

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