I would like to visit Italy and I have a few questions: 1) What

>>1171929
1) Honestly, skip Milan. I don't know why so many people want to go there. It's a businessmen's city, not one for tourists.

>unmissable
Where would you get in, and from where would you leave? It's a big country, you can't just go from Rome to Venice for a daytrip.
At any rate, Genova is great. Central Italy hasn't ever disappointed me. Tuscany in particular is nice, but it gets very busy. Only Italians ever go to the Salento and it's very beautiful, but far away from everything else.

2)
>Rome
You can see shit for a week and still feel like you haven't seen a thing. Then again, seeing only museums, churches and fountains for a week straight might get boring. With a couple of daytrips to the countryside, you could easily stay there for 10 days or so.

>Naples & Pompeii
Three days, I guess? Never been a big fan of Naples.

3) Buy your tickets online. Yes, you pay €4 more, but I fucking hate queueing.

4) Y-yes? Why wouldn't it be? There's solo travellers all over the place. Not a lot of hostels or big parties, but it's very impressive.

5) Depends. Maybe, maybe not. Could be. Possibly. Vague question is vague.

>>1171934
I liked Naples and I was there for a week. Totally crazy and dirty city though. You gotta be in the right state of mind/mood I reckon.

There are only really three cities in Italy that are truly must see. They are Rome, Florence, and Venice. Of course there are plenty of other places worth a shout but it all depends on your time and money. As for Naples and Pompeii like the other posters in this thread and many travelers before have said, you really have to have the right mindset before going to southern Italy.

>>1171934
Not OP, but thank you for the Salento tip.

any other places like that? Not a lot of tourists but beautiful?

>>1172011
Toscana- Umbria- Marche, the 3 central block regions, are all beutiful and full of nice little medieval cities.

The only reason I want to spend some time in Naples is because it's close to the Pompeii ruins (which is one of the things I definitely want to see in Italy) and they apparently have the best pizza in the world there. I've heard that Southern Italy is very different compared to Northern Italy and I've heard that Naples in particular is pretty heavily controlled by the Mafia.

>>1172180
"Controlled by the mafia" is an exaggeration.
Anyway it's surely present in its local variation (camorra) but a tourist would never see anything, they act under wraps.
The real problem for a tourist has nothing to do with mafia but with local pickpocketers, they are very skilled and everywhere.
A tourist is like a walking target for them.
You must not keep anything of value in sight and keep tight your wallet.

I'm another anon going to Italy in May. What are the best forests/lakes/etc to see? I have the architecture and art stuff plotted out but want to see some killer mature. Staying mostly north Italy

>>1173006
Try Val di Mello. Anyway most of the Alps region is fine, you can go anywhere.

>>1172261
And who owns the pickpockets you think? But as you said as a tourist you won't notice much of the maffia during day to day visits.

But in London or Paris you are totally safe?

>>1173068
>And who owns the pickpockets you think?
Not the mafia, unless you want to make them laugh.
Feel free to believe whatever you want though.

>>1173068
If you want the 'mafia' experience just go to scampia, have a nice trip

>>1173006

Colli Euganei are also rather nice. The Dolomiti are wonderful mountains, and the area around Lake Garda is a tad tourist-infested, but still great.

>>1171929

1) Rome is great. Naples is a thing. Pompeii is great, but every time I see it it saddens me. Great secondary targets are Turin, Genoa, Florence. I'd prefer Florence to Naples, honestly.

Milan is a dump. Two-three things of interests, the rest of the city is a concrete dump.

2) If you want to rush, smaller cities like Turin can be done in two-three days. For bigger ones, a week is good.

3) As above.

4) Venice is both awesome and terrible, and I ask myself why people think of it as a "romantic" city. Nothing like Pakis and Chinese everywhere suggest to me romance. Venice is BEST visited alone or with good friends, to check the less known places quietly and without the ruckus. It's a dying and ruined city, but it's still a sight.

5) Uhhhh..... older people don't know English? Never sit down and order something in the central cafes as they will skin you alive?

>>1172171
THIS.
Toscana and Umbria are gorgeous. Literally the best places in Italy.
Umbria in particular is amazing. Food there is just something else.

I loved Naples. I was there for a week and it's really charming in a rundown, faded glory, still vibrant sort of way. Alcohol was absurdly cheap and the locals were friendly. Having done northern Italy on numerous trips I really rate Naples. Just don't go expecting cleanliness. Also vbari is great. B

>>1172180
If you can't make it to Pompeii and Naples then Ostia Antica just outside of Rome is a great trip. Also if you are into ancient ruins then make sure to check out Emperor Hadrians villa a couple miles east of Rome, just outside the town of Trivoli. If you do manage to make it to Naples and Pompeii, the ancient greek ruins and temples (still beautifully preserved) at the town of Paestrum.

Romefag here. I confess I haven't travelled in my country very much, especially in the northernmost regions. Nonetheless:
1) In a nutshell:
>Rome
you know, the Coliseum, the Vatican Museums, Imperial Fora, the plethora of churches and basilicae... plus the literal dozens of other museums scattered throughout the city (we have some contemporary art museums too, the MAXXI, the MACRo and others), but also the EUR (fascist-era district built under the principles of rationalism, quite a sight), Trastevere (medieval neighborhood on the other side of the Tiber), Castel Gandolfo (and the entire area of the Colli Albani) and many other.
>Florence
Heart of the Renaissance. Lots of museums, churches etc. Been there only once a very long time ago, can't tell you much.
>Venice
Spectacular. Very peculiar. You should really visit also the isles of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Just don't go there in summer and late spring, too many people, too hot and ridiculously humid.
>Pompeii
Blows your mind.
>Bonus trips if you have a REALLY long time to spare
Umbria, Alto Lazio (northern Latium), and countryside Tuscany for medieval towns and great food (and a bit of history, you can find the ruins of Etruscan cities), Dolomiti (especially Val Pusteria IMHO) for breathtaking nature and delicious rustic food. Also Turin, Bologna, Verona, Naples, L'Aquila, Catania, Palermo may be worth a try.

2) As already said, for the bigger cities a week could be not enough, though the bare minimum for Rome, Florence and Venice IMHO can be seen with a bit of hurry in 3-4 days. For the smaller cities, 3-4 days may be more than enough. It all depends on whether you want to see just the most touristic sites or also other minor sites, that can easily be more beautiful than the places where the mob goes.

3) The queue is ridiculous, yes. If you can't stand the wait just buy the tickets online (through the official site). Just,don't bankroll the guys that sell you tickets outside the museums and the Coliseum.

>>1173907
[Continues]
4) I went there when I was a teenager with my family, and still enjoyed it really much. If you don't really mind, I imagine getting there with a gf is just a plus.

5) Oh, a whole lot of stuff.
>if you don't want to waste your money in the mediocre food those tourist-trap restaurants sell you in the streets of the inner city, just move some kilometers out and you'll find plenty of good restaurants, the ones where the local people actually go to enjoy a good meal
>use Groupon coupons for moar savings on restaurants
>mind your fucking bag and luggage, especially on the metro, especially in Rome. Watch out for young gypsies, they will rob even your underpants if you loosen your guard. Don't give money to the beggars, they're all controlled by some sort of mafia.
>Learn the more Italian you can before you go, since A LOT of people here can't even count to ten in English. Neither the elder, nor the younger ones.

>>1173917
What are some supermarkets in Italy that are decent? I plan on mostly pic-nicking when I'm in Italy in order to save time and money.

>>1173953
It depends on the area. There aren't strong brands that have a lot of shops all over the territory from north to south.
In most touristic cities you can find places that sell a couple of slices of pizza or a sandwich and have lunch with 5-6€.

>>1173953
Carrefour, Esselunga, Coop, Pam.

>>1173953
>>1174111
In central Italy you can also look for Conad (nice quality though being a consortium a few prices may vary from one store to another; overall my favorite supermarket), Coop (good quality but higher prices) and Todis (discount). God tier would be Lidl, but usually their stores are in the outskirts and thus difficult to reach.
Stay away from Carrefour, Pam/Panorama and Simply Market (overpriced shit) unless they are making sales on stuff you are looking for. Other brands and unbranded stores are usually meh-tier in terms of quality/price ratio.

Anyway, you will find the best produce in neighborhood markets, very likely at half the price of the supermarket and with a better quality. Avoid mini-markets run from Indian people.

>>1174199

Are you a sindacalista? Esselunga and Pam are so much better than communist supermarket, where things that are cheap are also shitty and cashiers are lazy and rude as fuck

>>1174258
not him, but Coop/conad are cheaper than the other 2 for the same things.

How's the weather for you guys in Italy right now? I'm coming out to Northern Italy in a few days.

I live in California... So I'm expecting it to be shockingly cold and wet. Is that an accurate assumption?

>>1171934
>Skip Milan
>Genova is great
What!? I've been in both in April and Genova was the shittest city I've been in my whole travel. Dirty Old Town (I was really afraid when I walked through de Re Street) and polluted as fuck. It's only useful for knowing Cinque Terre. Milan, otherwise, is cool - and can be cooler if you achieve to see da Vinci's Last Supper.

I'm moving to Trapani in a few weeks. Any tips?

What are the people like in general?

I'm not expecting many English speakers at all but if I arrive having learnt some Italian will I even be able to understand their accent?

Is the mafia a major part of people's lives and if so how can I avoid them?

>>1174331
It's not summer anymore but it's only slightly colder than california I think.
Milan is 18 C° max today.
As for wet, sometimes it rains sometimes not. I'd say more often than cali though.

>>1174467
>What are the people like in general?
Look arabs and move hands when they speak. Friendly enough though.
>I'm not expecting many English speakers at all but if I arrive having learnt some Italian will I even be able to understand their accent?
If they speak their dialect no, I'm italian and even I can't understand them when they do.
Probably when they realize you don't speak italian well, they will try to avoid dialect.
>Is the mafia a major part of people's lives and if so how can I avoid them?
Not major as in having direct contacts, definitely is if you consider indirect ones.
You don't need to avoid the mafia though, actually you are never going to see them.
Mafia is about weapons and drugs trafficking, racket, public contracts. Not tourists.
And if you dare to ask everybody will put a surprised face and pretend they don't exist.

>>1174558
Thanks mate

I'll be a tourist of course but living there for 8 months.

I must have a million questions, mainly to do with money and tax but I can't think of anything you might know.

Is there a local council tax or something? Or a national health thing you have to pay into?

Ideally after Christmas I'd like get my car and drive down via Belgium, France, Switzerland and the west coast of Italy but the petrol cost will be massive.

>>1174564
>taxes
>in Sicily

Don't worry, everything you have to pay will be on the bill of your rent.
National care is totally free if you are sick, you to pay some money only if you want some non urgent exames, and it will take forever to get an appointment for that and probably get home before the actual exam.