Italy - The Basics
This page covers the basics of travel in Italy, including souvenirs, driving, money, and language. Check out our related blog pages: Mt. Etna Sicily Food Festivals Sicily Sweets of Sicily Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples,
Money
Italy is part of the Eurozone, so euro is the currency used everywhere. ATMs typically have much better conversion rates than currency exchangers either in your home country or in Italy. However, we found on our trip in 2026 that an 8% charge is levied--and we found the same in Belgium--so this may be a new normal way for European banks to tax tourists.
ATMs can be found in practically all towns and particularly any tourist area. You can find ATMs at convenience stores (typically the worst conversion rate), banks and Poste Italiane offices (often best conversion rate). We use and recommend Charles Schwab Bank (not an affiliate link) for ease of accessibility to ATMs globally plus refunding of all ATM fees (6 transactions per month).
Souvenirs
Rose Water--the original Manetti & Roberts in the blue bottle costs 3.50-4 Euros. You can find it at beauty supply stores, and some grocery stores.
Gluten free items (including a trip to Celiachiamo Prati grocery store in Rome)
Pasta! So many beautiful, interesting pastas.
Herbs and spices: make sure they are vacuum sealed/processed for import.
Cheese--aged, hard cheeses, at the end of your trip, vacuum sealed. Put them in your checked luggage as it is cold in the stowage area of a plane
Wine, liquor, and vinegars--note that Italy permits 2L bottles in carry-on luggage as of 2026! But if you have a connection within the US, it is not allowed. Regional liqueur specialities, like pistachio and walnut liquor, are often found only in the regions where they are produced. Amaro, a digestive with herb infusions, varies by region and makes a unique souvenir.
Pistachio cream (Sicily), jarred vegetables and pestos, local jams and honey.
Pharmaceuticals: Elmex professional sensitive toothpaste is something we always buy while in Europe. Other brands to consider are Marvis and Pasta del Capitano, which are both made in Italy. While Marvis can be found in the US sometimes, it is always without the fluoride formulation. Both Marvis and Capitano come in flavors we don't get in the USA, like anise, lemon, ginger, and limited edition flavors. Pain relief patches with ibuprofen-like formulas are standard in EU and Asia, not available in the US, and are FANTASTIC. (Note that they come with and without menthol, so if you don't want menthol smell, communicate that to the pharmacist.) Other medical issues? Ask the pharmacist. You might be surprised that they have the same or better treatments available for pretty cheap over the counter.
Antiques including linens and the remains of immigrant belongings from everywhere over the centuries.
Roman and Greek-themed items: books, children's activities, replicas
Religious items: there are a lot of churches here, many with gift shops.
Above: Rose water tonic; sauces and pastes; walnut cracker invented in Sicily; antique linens; Elmex toothpaste; gluten free pasta; leather jackets and other goodies at the flea market
Tipping
Tipping is not done in Italy. In some places, it can even be considered an insult. However, there is almost always a 'cover' charge at restaurants. This is typically charged at about 3-4 euros/pp. Sometimes the bread service is included as the cover charge; sometimes the bread service is considered 'free'. FYI, in Rome, some restaurants have started to expect tips (perhaps from foreigners) - at one restaurant, we were shocked to be accosted by our waiter who asked us to add a tip to the bill. We politely declined.
Language
In most of Italy, of course, Italian is the primary language. In Sicily, though Italian is spoken by just about everyone, Sicilian is a distinct (though similar) language to Italian. Here are a few Italian and Sicilian words and phrases that are helpful to know:
"Please" Italian: Per favore. Sicilian: Pi faure (Fa-oo-ri) or Pi favuri (Fa-voo-ri)
"Thank you" . Italian: grazie. Sicilian: grazzi
"Thank you very much" Italian: Grazie mille. Sicilian: Tanti grazzi
"Cheers!" Italian: Salute! Sicilian: Saluti!
"Where is the bathroom?" Italian: Dov'e il bagno? Sicilian: Unn'è u bagnu?
"I don't speak Italian/Sicilian." Italian: Non parlo Italiano. Sicilian: Un parru sicilianu
"The bill, please" Italian: Il canto, per favore. Sicilian: U cuntu, pi favuri
Driving and Renting a Car in Italy
Previously, when we have rented a car in Europe, we used a rental consolidator like Expedia. For Sicily, I simply googled major car rental companies in Italy, and identified several that also have US operations (and therefore I had an account and the site was native English). I was then able to make (and change) reservations easily via my US account. Also, you can manage supplemental charges better, as some consolidators force you to buy supplemental items (e.g., extra insurance beyond that required by law) as part of the rental. For example, if you have a credit card (e.g., USAA) that covers car damage deductibles, you'll probably not want to spend extra on double coverage. US car rental companies in Sicily include Budget, Avis, Enterprise, Alamo and Hertz.
Driving in Italy is pretty straightforward. You drive on the right-hand side of the road, there are lots of roundabouts, and the signs are relatively self-explanatory even if the words are Italian. Many blogs warn that drivers in Sicily (and Italy in general) can be aggressive, and fast and loose with traffic laws. I found driving in Sicily easy and drivers were reasonably polite. A few drivers tailgate or otherwise push their way onto roundabouts, but that feels like regular driving in the SF Bay Area.
There are a lot of towns with narrow roads, so consider getting a small car, like a Fiat 500, Lancia Ypsilon or Opel Corsa. Anything much bigger and you will have to be a bit careful on some turns, one-way streets and in parking garages.
In Sicily, rental car companies do not give out Telepass (the toll system like Fastrak in the SF Bay Area); you'll just pay as you go. Every toll road entrance has a lane for getting a ticket (labeled "Biglietti"; note that these lanes may also say "Telepass"), and every toll road exit has a lane for paying with cash or credit card (labeled "contanti"), usually with a human attendant. Note that sometimes there are entry lanes that DON'T have signs but do give tickets. It's a good idea to have some 1 and 2 euro coins and/or small bills in case you enter a lane that only takes cash and has no attendant. If all else fails (e.g., you accidentally get in a lane and can't figure out what to do), there is a help button on the payment/ticket panel and you can speak to a live person. Tolls range from 50 euro cents to 5 euros; even for relatively long distances on the toll road (15-20 miles), we never paid more than 2 euros.
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