Rita

Some guidebooks said that the tap water in Italy is 'hard' water which needs to get boiled before we drink it. Is it true? Can we buy bottled water easily in Italy? How much is the price per bottle?

jahoulih

I'm sure I drank the tap water in hotels without thinking twice, and had no problem. But bottled water is ubiquitous and cheap--about $1.50 for 1.5 L. About every other storefront in Italy is a "bar" where you can buy bottled water as well as coffee, beer, sandwiches, and pastries.

Bill

I found water easy to purchase in mom and pop stores in Italy. The same bottles they have in the U.S. I would not risk drinking the tap water as it is easy to get sick in Italy but I saw people drinking out of the pipes that were shooting out water in the street (yuck). I drink lots of water so this was very important for me. In Munich I could not find bottled water for the life of me and would dream about cold water as I walked down the street. Three times restaurants in Munich gave me water with bubbles which made me even more thirsty even when I asked for no bubbles. Italy was good about giving me water with no bubbles and only messed up once during my whole trip in Italy.<BR>To the point - bottled water was about 2 Euro in central Rome which (besides Florence) is probably is as expensive as it gets. They don't serve water as cold as it is in the U.S. The Hotel Mozart asked for people not to store anything including water bottles in the mini bar.

John G

Of course you can drink the tap water in Italy. Can you drink the tap water in the US? Do you have to boil the tap water in Missouri before you brush your teeth? Let's stop being so ridiculous.

lisa

I thought "hard" water meant water that contained a lot of minerals, like we have in the SE US, Arizona, and many other places. (Have you tried drinking the water in Phoenix, by the way?) I've had water from the tap in Italy, France, other European locations without difficulty. They're pretty civilized there, after all....

Dayle

I drank the tap water all over Italy on two different trips with no problems. Now, if I could just say the same about my own home!

Y

TO: John G ([email protected])<BR><BR>It was a perfectly reasonable question, so keep you snide adolescent comments to yourself. There are plenty of places in Europe where the driiking water is questionable in some places, including "advanced countries" like Spain. <BR>

julie

Yes, it is drinkable. In public the sign will say "potabile" which means drinkable. There are fountains here and there and there will be a sign. At dinner you will buy water - aqua minerale con gass or non gassatto.

Joe

Boiling hard water makes it harder as it concentrates by boiling.

xxxx

"Y"...I agree with you. It IS a perfectly reasonable question for someone who has never traveled over to Europe as there are countries in Europe where you shouldn't drink the water. I happen to live in one of those countries.

m

JohnG-not knowing how everyones stomachs react to the water in different areas of the world, you should pipe down.<BR>There are people that come to the US from Europe and have had stomach problems, it is all a matter of what you are used to..No matter where we go,I keep a bottle of water in my hotel room, for taking aspirin etc, why risk stomach problems if it is easily avoided? I know someone who lives in NYC-went to a small town in Illinois,and had stomach probs,doctor said it was bacterial and could have come from the water.I say-better safe than sorry.

cheryl

Just returned from Italy, not only can<BR>you drink the tap water, but also from<BR>any fountain you see. We filled our<BR>water bottles all over the place. If<BR>for some reason you can't drink it they<BR>will have a sign posted "non-potable".

cheryl

By fountain I don't mean the Trevi or<BR>someother famous fountain....referring<BR>to all the "drinking fountains" around.

ellen

The outdoor water fountains in Rome are known to provide good quality water so don't worry about drinking from them. Just remember if you buy bottled water to tell them "senza gas" if you don't want carbonated water.

Carmen

To Y: I live in the "advanced country" you mention: Spain. We had roman aquaeducts to transport water 2000 years ago, so don't tell us how to deal with water. Are you one of those Americans who think we don't have cars, washing-machines and spend all day dancing flamenco? Well, at least, you know Spain is in Europe and not in Mexico...<BR> <BR> The main problem with potable water is, as m said, that your stomach is used to the local bacterias in it and these bacterias change from one place to another.If you have a sensible stomach I recomend you drinking bottled water (not because of the quality of tap water but because of the different element it may content) the first days. I drink bottled water when I travel to the US too and after a few days, when I think my stomach is ready, I change to tap water.<BR>Rita, I have drunk italian tap water and it's perfectly safe, but if you have had digestive problems before, then better safe than sorry!<BR>BTW, a water is "harder" than another when it has a higher percentage of Calcium and Magnesium.

z

Great answer Carmen! You hit all the high points and resolved all the conflicts in this hotly contested post!

Dina

You mean ya all don't spend the whole day dancing flamenco? Now my image is spoiled. In America we spend the whole day tap dancing, so we don't hurt other nation's feelings.

jjess2

I'd be careful. Just got back from a 10 day trip to italy.
Accidentally drank some water one day and another used tap water to brush my teeth and my stomach got really bad both times. Rest of the time I was fine!

jjess2

Oh and my stomach is not a sensible (sensitive) one Carmen.

michele_d

How in the world did you find this 11 year old thread???

I have a very sensitive stomach and drank the water everywhere in Europe with no issues at all. It was actually very convenient filling up our bottles at the running fountains throughout Rome and Orvieto.