Shirley

I will be traveling to Italy in two weeks with my 9 year old son. I do not drink coffee or wine. My son drinks a few soft drinks. We mostly drink tea, juices and water. He also drinks alot of milk.<BR><BR>I need you advice, I know everyone drops into bars for coffee. Do they also serve tea or soft drinks at the bars? What about restaurants, do they serve iced tea or soft drinks? Is milk available many places? <BR><BR>This probably sounds kind of dumb but I really hate to get there and make a total fool of ourselves.<BR><BR>Thanks for any advice.<BR><BR>Shirley

Coffee Nut

Shirley, don't go to Italy if you don't drink coffee or wine. All other drinks are forbidden, soft drinks are relatively unheard of, and milk is given only to babies.

AR

Everywhere sells soft drinks (Coke, etc) and mineral water - especially San Pellegrino.

Lynn

Shirley. I am just back from Italy. Tea, juice and soft drinks are widely available, including at coffee bars and restaurants. Ice Tea is hugely popular in europe.

Ira

Hi Shirley,<BR> You will be able to get tea, juice, water and soft drinks.<BR><BR> At least try the coffee. It is not like anything you have had in the US.<BR><BR> Unless your aversion to wine is based on religious beliefs, please do try the wine. You can start with some of the less dry Italian whites (Asti) or reds (Lambrusco). Mix with water for your son.

Shirley

Thanks for the advice and info. Now I feel better. I was envisioning a very dehydrated trip for us.<BR><BR>I will try the coffe and wine. You never know!<BR><BR>Thanks again.<BR><BR>Shirley

Ira

Hi again,<BR><BR> Forgot to mention, when you buy bottled water (comes both con gas- sparkling and naturale - still) check to see if it is mineral water (acqua minerale). Too much mineral water can have a laxative effect.

Patrick

The comment above about iced tea being wildly popular in Europe is true -- to a point. But I cannot stand sweet iced tea, and have yet to be able to find any unsweetened tea in Europe. I have bought a number of the canned products which said absolutely nothing about sugar or sweetner and they are still sweet. The flavored iced teas are really popular now -- peach or mango, for example, but again -- all sweet. I have tried to get a pot of regular tea and make my own, but if you've ever tried to get ice -- more than one cube -- in most of Europe, you know how hard that can be.<BR><BR>I think I miss iced tea more than any other thing while I'm traveling in Europe.

Sherlock

Hey Patrick,<BR> From your post, I deduce that you are from the North. Am I correct?<BR><BR> In the Southern US, we have tea (hot) and sweet tea (cold). It is possible, in the larger cities, to get unsweetened iced tea, but you don't know how old it is.

Shirley

I have to admit I am pretty addicted to iced tea myself but I do like it sweet. I don't like it syrupy sweet and I usually mix 1/2 sweet with 1/2 unsweet when I can and tend to get exactly what I like. If I can get tea at all though, I will be a very happy tourist!!<BR><BR>Thanks again,<BR><BR>Shirley

Patrick

Well then Shirley, you will be very happy because there is the &quot;new&quot; iced tea everywhere now in Italy. I saw signs for Lipton iced tea everywhere, and even vending machines offer the canned variety.<BR><BR>Yes,Sherlock, I am from Ohio. I spent a couple summers teaching at the University of Georgia in Athens, and other than Europe, it was the hardest place to get unsweetened iced tea I've ever seen. And that stuff is like syrup -- really sweet. I think many of the good old southern ladies still make their tea the same way -- by boiling the tea bags with sugar until they get a syrup. I do know that no self-respecting true southerner would ever add sugar to cold iced tea -- the sugar has to be part of the original process.

Karen

Shirley,<BR><BR>Be sure to try the hot chocolate (ciocolata calda). It is simply divine!! Sweet and thick and delicious - but then I am a bit of a chocaholic - for some people it might be too sweet!

Melissa

This may sound wierd, but if you like fresh squeezed orange juice.....my sister and I got hooked on the fresh squeezed blood oranges when in Italy (from the bar no less). Yeah, yeah, we can get fresh squeezed juice at home, and we can get blood oranges, but these tasted different and much more delicious. Of course, everything tastes more delicious when vacationing in Italy!

AndNowFor

Shirley, be sure to sample the Italian sodas. Many interesting flavors!

Laura

Shirley, my husband and I were in Italy in 2000. Wonderful place! He is a coffee addict and I don't like it, but he insisted that I try a Cappuccino in a coffee bar. Reluctantly, I tried. Much to my surprise, I found it delicious with the addition of some sugar. It was even better with a chocolate filled crossaint. What a great way to start the day! The coffee bars also had sodas and milk. You won't have any problem finding things to eat/drink that you like. Just remember to ask for &quot;no gas&quot; water if you don't like sparkling mineral water. Have a great trip!<BR>

xxx

<BR><BR>Shirley, no one in Italy is going to force you to drink coffee or wine, or laugh at you if you don't. Don't know about tea or juices, but mineral water is always available.

gb

I had a decent ice tea at a McDonald's

Karen

Melissa brought many good memories flooding back to me with the freshly squeezed blood oranges. She's right - they definately taste different in Italy and it is different in a very good way! Maybe it's the freshness?!!

Karen

not trying to flood this thread or anything, but also...<BR><BR>I am not a huge soft drink fan, but spurma is a winner in Italy!

xxx

I don't know where you guys have been, but surely not in Italy. When you clear inmigration, the Italians officials will make you sign an agreement in which you state you'll only drink coffee and wine during your stay. <BR>No sodas, no water, no juices, no milk for tourists. That's only given to the locals.