That a map in Venice is totally useless.

I wished I had known that you can't hail a taxi on a street in Rome but rather have to walk to an offficial "taxi" stand - - stupid policy - -- if I wanted to walk that far - I wouldn't need a taxi!!

I wish I had known that when you ask a hired driver to take you to a nice place for lunch - he will take you to an expensive place and order the most expensive wine and share with you! (at least that is what happened to me).

I also wish I had somehow investigated the closing hours of the village cemetary in Sicily before arrival. I had a very short window to look for my grandparent's grave but as it happened - the cemetary was closed that day.

SAnParis: I have to smile when I read your posting about Venice, my wife said exactly the same thing. I told her to bring a portable navigation system next time as map reading is not her forte.

freytag & brendt's map of Venice is perfect! never got lost. got from Barnes & Nobles. also local map shops carry them or can order them.

Julie

This thread is an example of why people shouldn't tell people about rules in other countries when they don't really know them, and are making up rules based on one experience or are repeating what someone else told them who may be a certain class or age or dines only in "white cloth" restaurants, etc. I've dined in many restaurants in France in many years and usually do not make reservations, and I've been treated well almost every single time. I'm not of an older, snootier, conservative class who dines only in "white cloth restaurants" and has friends who would never go to a restaurant without calling in advance.

I wish I'd known that there is a gelateria a bit off Piazza Tasso in Sorrento that opens by 10am :-)) Sadly, I didn't discover it at all during our visit in 2005 and only found it on our last day in Sorrento on our trip this past June. Tragedy!

ok, kybourbon, I must interrupt to ask:
"...Oh, and break the corner of your phone card before you try to use it in the pay phone." Is this a joke, or what's the story here? Thanks!

I wish I'd known every other person in the universe would be there at the same time.

If you buy a phone card to use in a pay phone, it will not work until you break one corner off. You will be able to see which corner you should snap off.

Very interesting, kybourbon. Thanks for the info.

Dorgal: oh yeah, the driver for lunch! Ours dropped us for lunch at a restaurant that was very unattractive on a busy rode with no electricity. We did have a rather tasty cold seafood lunch, but the place was ugly and hot. The same driver stopped at his house (really! we met his wife and baby).

He worked for a very highly recommended car service and he was awful.