Here"s some common things to remember in Italy. After we spent 3 weks in Nov. in Rome,Florence.Siena,Luca,Cinque Te<BR>rra,Venice,Chianti,Orvietto.1)Bring lots of Bandaids for your blisters(thy willbe needed)2)sit in corners of restuarants if you don't like smokers3)validate your train tickets before boarding4)don't sit in first class if you bought second class tickets. The indidual car will indicate for you.5)move fast when your on the rome streets,scooters and cars do not slow up.You must have eyes behind your heaD60INVEST IN A GOOD STREET MAP FOR ROME,FLORENCE7)the best gelato in Rome is La Crispina near Trevi fountain and not Blue Ice. In florence it's Caribe near Acadamia clearly not Vivoli.8)Check for museum times Vatican museums close early in off season.9)don't take too much cash,travellers checks When you exchange them at the money exchanges you lose on the rate and they take commission. Use ATM"S.10)If you can't drive in a city don't drive in Italy.and if you do drive be aggrssive.11)don't worry about high tides in Venice they only last three hours12)getting around Venice isn't hard if you allways center on the three major routes accadamia,riolta and san marco13)feed the pigeons and have plenty of film14)house vino is very good no need to buyspecial wine unless you want a reserve chianti where alcohol levels are higher 13% vs. 11% 15)Finally Italy is safe,friendly and exciting enjoy . especially the food,wine and arts.

I pretty much agree with all except the house wine rule. I have tried and tried, but have never seen so much bad wine as they pass off in Italian restaurants as house wine. If you don't care what you drink it may be fine, but if you enjoy good wines, you will most assuredly usually want to order by the bottle and experiment to find your local "favorites". I have also learned that if you are in doubt, you can usually ask for a taste of the house wine before ordering, but I always feel that if I do that and then don't order it, I will be considered insulting the house's selection.

Oh Thank you for bringing up La Crispina!!! Yum Yum Yum, I thought I wasthe only one who found it the best!!! Chocolate with Hazel nuts.....You awoke a treasured memory, thank you Ron.

I agree about the house wine not always being the way to go. First of all, a 'better wine' is not just a higher alchohol content, it is often a better wine. While in Italy, I try to drink wines I cannot find in this country and they, often, are very reasonably priced. <BR>It's more about value for me. I have had my splurges on Sassacias or Brunellos, but am as thrilled to find a great, never-tasted-before Chianti. Sure sometimes the excellent vineyard down the road may provide the restaurantwith some of their product, but it's not always stored properly and can be bottom of the barrel stuff (so to speak). So, for what it's worth, I say choose your own.

I have never had a drinkable house wine in an Italian restaurant, either, and I thought it was my dumb luck. Usually you can get good house wine in French restaurants, but in Italian, it's awful. I'm not that picky, either, but I do like good wine so notice the difference when it is really bad

You are all right about the horror of Italian "vino de la casa." The first time I order it, years ago in Rome, the waiter looked me up and down and said, "You don't want that, I will pick something better for you." And he did. Later, I did try the house wine just to see the difference and I had to spit it back into the glass it was so awful.

Hi ron! Where did you stay in Florence, Siena and Orvieto?

I guess il vino alla casa depends on la casa. If I had the option, I always got the house wine and it was fine. I guess it depends on what you're used to.

in florence we stayed at Hotel Casci(service,location excellant)95 a nite.Siena was a day trip by bus from florence andOrvietto was Hotel p.(forgot the spelling at this moment)110 a nite