7 useful tips when travelling to and in Italy

When planning your first time ever trip to Italy, wether it is to one city only, or multiple, these 7 tips might make your stay in Italy more comfortable. 

1. Museums are closed on Mondays. Most museums in Italy are closed on Mondays, which doesn't mean you have absolutely nothing to see or places to visit. 

Monday is a perfect day to take tours, as most tourist left the city on Sunday, or are packing to leave on Monday. City tours with a local guide help you to organise your itinerary for the following days way better than just a map, or a tourist book. Some sites look close in a map, while they might be distant and complicated to get in to. Besides during this pandemia season, some sites might be close, or with limited access, and their web pages might not always be up to date.

Also some shops might be closed. Usually grocery store, small grocery businesses and markets are open on Monday mornings and other shops in the afternoon. In the most touristic areas shops usually are open 7 days a week. And huge department stores and shopping malls are open every day.  The reason for this is that some shops have limited amount of personal, and can't keep the shops open 7 days a week. During the Christmas period thought, and usually the whole month of December, shops, even smaller are open every day. 

2. Start from Northen Italy. I you want to visit different Italian cities, I suggest to start from northern cities, such as Turin, Milan, Verona, Bologna or Genova.  As northern penisula difference from the southern one, with it's style of living architectural and cultural value, this soft landing leads traveller to an easier visit of this country. Cities, such as Turin offers beautiful occation to visit the city itself, and the Alps. From Milan you can take day trip to lakes (photos are about Lake Orta, Lake Maggiore and at Stresa ) Bergamo Alto, and to Pavia, just to mention few. From Verona, you can visit Padova, Mantova and Venice. From Genova with a local train Camogli, Portofino, Santa Magherita Ligure and Cinque Terre National Park. And from Bologna the Adriitic Sea, Ferrara and Firenze, Milano and so on. 

Most traveller have usually just a lay over to Northern cities, without knowing the potential of these beautiful itineraries. 

3. Eating and Drinking. Typical Italian breakfast is espresso coffee. Most people do not eat any breakfast until a bit later, and even then it is Cappuccino and Brioche. If you are, like me, a salty breakfast type, it is useful to check out and make sure your hotel offers a continental breakfast. It is lighter than a full English breakfast and allows you to have some space for Italian delicacy. 

Eating time varies. It is a common use that restaurants close after the major lunch time, to allow their personal some rest before the evening rush. Here follows the same rule as with smaller shops. Restaurant are often little family businesses, and have very little external personal. Luckily in the last ten past years, Italians have opened to the idea that not everyone need some food at the same time, and in the most popular touristic areas, restaurants are open from noon to midnight. 

If you prefer to experiment typical local restaurants, then keep in mind that they might have strickt opening hours. 

Vegans have no problem eating in Italy, and often those suffering from gluten/milk intolerance can use the regular menu, as polenta is made by corn, risotto has no gluten and steak are usually served with potatoes. Plenty of vegetable grilled, steamed and raw are also in most restaurants menu. You can order pizza without cheese, just like your pasta or risotto. To those suffering of Celiac need to find a special restaurant. 

Tipping is not necessary, but is accepted. There is not a certain % of tip locals and travellers are expected to leave. I suggest to make it round. Lets imagine my family meal cost €92, a tip of €8 would round it to 100. Not a lot, but leaves a great impact and makes happy waiters and chefs. I usually tip taxi drivers too. What comes to billing in the restaurant, we have this common use, witch is "The Roman Way". We just simply share the bill. €100 devided to 5 plus €2 for a tip each (everyone has coins in their wallet). But what if someone takes profit and eats a steak, drinks wine and has a huge dessert, while the rest eats only some pizza.  We can't really ask that person to put more, but in most cases is the person self who adds more according her his eating habits.  In some cases we also pay the bill on turn. Today is my turn, next time is someone else turn. This happens when a group of people gather often and socialise in a restaurant. It could thus happen to you that you can't pay the bill at all, if you are visiting Italian friends. Therefore a nice bottle of good quality wine as a gift to those who participate to pay on your behalf is well accepted. Or when they visit you, they might wait the same attitude. 

4. Public Transport works perfectly connecting cities. Wether it is a bus, a train or a plane, there is no worry to get there, and most likely on time. But reserve always that extra, in case of...

A totally different story might turn out if you want to visit destinations a bit further. there might be just one bus getting there and another to get back. Most likely during the school hours. In cases of remote destinations, my suggestion is to rent a car. It gives you the freedom to choose your own itinerary. If you  do not feel comfortable driving, local guides may help you out. Such as driving you and your travel group to visit wineries, cheese farms, and archeological sites, often out of the beaten track. 

5. Travel Budget My usual travel budget is €100 a day, regardless what I purchased in my travel package.  It doesn't include hotel reservation. A local private guide charge proximately €180 for 2/3hours for a certain amount of people. More you are, less you pay p.p. While organised day trips cost €100 p.p. I mix these two. In a city, I prefer a local guide only to my needs, and to be able to have the guide's full attention. And I also participate on group trips. Most museums cost about €12/ €15 and for a light lunch I reserve €10/€20, while for a diner my budget is between €25 and €40. At this point, you may ask, how I manage to visit places with €100 a day. Well, its a bit of a question of organising. As I am planning to go to Naples this year, I calculated following:

- Day of arrival, taxi to my hotel €12 p.p. , a sandwich lunch with €10 max and a local guide €50 p.p. + tips ending with a diner €25 max, including the tip. A bit over €100 ( I have to save some other day!)

- The very next day I have reserved for an organised group tour including lunch €100 p.p. and later in the evening nice diner €35 ( yes, I exceed my budget) 

- Third day some museums, and chilling around, saving those €35 from the day earlier. 

- The fourth day I am going to have a trip on my own, using local transport, to another city and visit a local museum. A light lunch, seeking some local souvenirs and diner once back. 

-The last day, perhaps another site or group visit to a site, I might have missed and a taxi to the airport. 

It is always a great pleasure to get back home and learning that my budget worked out, or exceed just with tiny little bit. 

If you wish to buy souvenirs, then add €25 a day to your budget. 

I must add at this point, that I am an over 50 traveller, and I have totally different needs of those of 20 years old, and those who manage budget travelling with few € a day. 

6. Getting in touch with local people. Italians are really kind and generous. And it is easy to get along with Italians, even if the common language isnt the same. There are some topics that might help out, such as soccer, and food. If you have been travelling quite a while and you are in the last few destinations, showing photos of the places you have visited is another topic, that helps connecting with locals. 

7. The best period to visit Italy is at any time. Just remember that during the hot summer season, between June and August, the midday hours might turn out difficult to digest. The third week of October is usually the last summer week before autumn. The fall is mite, and specially in southern Italy dining out can be done the year around. January and February can be pretty cold and rainy in the northern Italy,  all thought like this year, it has been extremely dry and warm. January and February gives great opportunity for shopping with numerous discounts. 

March opens the spring. Italian cities are filled with new life, with blooming trees. 

There is thus no special season or month, when your trip to Italy should take place. Come when you feel like, and you shall be surprised. 

Welcome to Italy. 

Photos are taken by author. Please request a permission to use them. 

South Africa part 5

Where to stay and what to buy

Our journey started from Cape Town and we stayed in a hotel of 3* in the district of Gardens, just under neath of Table Mountain. It was a nice hotel with extremely kind personal. Breakfast was regular and we had plenty of fresh fruit each morning. Coffee, tea, water and apple juice are available 24h for the hotel guests. Near to our hotel are plenty of restaurants, and locals to chill out. I found a beautician and thai massage close to our hotel.

Long Street Cape Town

At Oudshoorn we had a lovely residence, again in a 3* hotel, with swimming pool so clean that even frogs swam in it. We tried to kiss them but by the morning they were all gone. The owner told us that he sold all his properties 20 years ago and started this hotel business. On our arrival day we were nearly the only ones, but by the weekend it was fully booked. 

The place offers a bbq area, swimming pool and small cabins for 3 to 4 to sleep.

(Two beds are upstairs with no light.) 

Our hotel at Oudtshoorn

At Knysna we had a major surprise; it was nearly unpossible to fit us 5 in one place and the only one we could find was a house to rent for those three days. What a pity. I would have loved to tay there much longer. We stayed in this marvelous place called Thesen Island, where to get in, in order of security reasons, our driver needed to registrate his fingerprint, that was used as a key to the gate. And thos one here; this was the view from our terrace:

The first two nights were so bright due to the wind of erlier days, that I could even catch a shooting star, by laying one of those beach beds the landlord had left us to be used. 

I felt in love to this place. I feel I wanna go back and perhaps rent some of these houses for a longer period of time. This island offers nice boutiques, and beautifully elegant dining. 

We had a lovely neighbours too; three german ladies that kindly borrowed some coffee at the first morning to be able to wake up. Our land lord had left some coffee, but we are Serbian, Finnish and Croatian. We bath in coffee: We need a lots of coffee. 

Our last overnight place was at Franschhoek, known for it's wineries. We rented again one house with three bedrooms and it looked like this: 

Our landlady was a really nice person who had left to us some of their own wine to taste, among some olive oil (to be payed apart). As a dog lover it was to our pleasure to notice they had 5 dogs. 

And again I felt I want to come back some day soon. In this very same house. 

Generally speaking, South Africans are really nice and it attacts to those that work there although they might come from other countries. 

If you plan your older days and do not want to spend winters with dark and snow or icy rain, South Africa can be a valid option. There are several houses to buy or rent and depending of the location and the estate, houses with garden, swimming pool, view and other extras these houses are still less expencive than in most EU countries. The choise of a real estate to custom your needs is various. 

I am seriously thinking of invesing to South Africa, as soon as I am finished with my parental obligations. 

If house is a bit too much to buy, then try other options. 

If you love Italians shoes, hand bags, and design, South Africa is not the right place to plan such purchases. South Africa is certainly wellknown about diamants and stones called tanzanite. It is a bright blue stone and beautiful with diamonds. 

For a modest souvenir, there is plenty to choose in order of local jewerly and bigotterie. 

pinterest.com

At Cape Town the Green Market Square holds a local African market, where visitors can buy painted and printed art, fabrics or small statues. It is normal to bargain. 

For the bigger statues, I suggest Franschhoek 

You may also like to buy some wild food cans, available in some small shops, and in the airport, or perhaps wine you have tasted. Wineries are more than willing to  deliver it to your home, unless the suitcase can handle the weight of these bottles. I am an expert traveller, and I can proof to you that in a small hard covered trolley I can fix up to 8 bottles of wine. But it must be able to carry up to 20 kg of weight. Each bottle holds 750 ml of liquid and the botel with the liquid weights 1,5-2 kg and I use some laundry to soften the area around the bottles. Nowadays, and to my own comfort I let the delivery company to handle it to me, or I contact the import company. Witch is actually really hilarious, since they allow you to taste them all over. We felt in love to this Sauvignon Blanc and thought that it might be available in every liquor store, but it wasn't. It is produced near Mossalbaai and we couldn't find the winery to go and purchase some of it. 

I never found any pearl in my oysters, but I noticed that ostrich leather is available every where: Also the fake ones. And so are the pearls; fake and real ones. 

At Outdshoorn we found beautiful lama wool covers for reasonable price. 

The local lamb's skin oil is available as skin care items. It didn't smell. 

One of the first thing I bought was a hat. The sun is really strong and there is no way to put sun tan lotion, nor sun protection to the sculp. 

My souvenirs cost about €300 all together and some of the daily extras I payed in cash, that makes my pocket money to €500 for two weeks. 

Hair dresser for wash and blow dry my hair and nails done with a nail studio cost like in Italy; €12 to €15

We also used laundry services and for few € all our clothes came back clean in just 24 h. 

Hotels may charge more for their laundry service. 

In smaller towns shops close at 5pm while supermarkets stay open until 8pm, and restaurants close 9pm mostly. 

We had some trouble by changing currency. Some of the exchange offices are closed on weekends and they do really a lot of paper work. Be prepared to wait a half an hour before you change €100 to Rands (ZAR) 

You can also withdrawal money out of cash dispenser, remembering to switch it to international withdrawal. I forgot to do so and I had to use the exchange offices instead. 

In one of those I met a flirting guy who promised o pay a visit to my hotel. 

But I guess he was married, because he never showed up. 

Wanna join to my next south African tour in January 2018? 

Read my earlier posts and mail a request. 

For group hotel reservations only contact www.kairos-travel.eu

All photos above (behalf one) are from the author. Please ask a permission to copy and paste them elsewhere. 

What kind of accommodation would I prefer?

picture by clipartkid.com

When I was 16 years old, it was normal to me to go to a camping in every weather circumstances.
Later on I chose youth hostels if possible. That turned on Bed and Breakfast. Sometimes I rented a flat. Or had a room in one of those Airbnb locations.
But my favourite keeps on being a nice comfortable hotel room.






I once rented a flat for entire month. I don't know about the standards people are used to live and leave their houses to others, but this was a real nightmare. 
We payed very little of it, but it was wilthy; cupboards were full of food that had expired. Not from last year, but from many years ago. Food in a fridge was also so old that it could walk away by itself. 
Wardroabs were so filled in that we had no place where to put our clothes. 
Imagine me having my clothes and those of my kids in a luggage for 5 weeks. 
I cleaned the house for one week. Bathroom was really disinfected and kitchen finally so clean I could let my kids eat in it. I dusted all the furnitures and all those tiny little objects the owner was so found of. 
Actually I should have been payed insted letting me pay the rent. I learned a lesson.
That was the last time I ever rent from a private ones. 

My last stay was outside the old town at Rome in a room I had from Airbnb. 
I iniatially booked a room in a B&B, but it turned full, and they moved me to this Airbnb. 
This flat is owned by a young couple who takes really good care of their house.  
It was just outside of the centrum circle, and Rome is large, so this was far to my standards. 
Then it was in the 4th floor, with no elevator. Forth floor in an old Italian house is actually like fith floor, because the first one is at the level of half floor. Then the flat had just one bathroom in the use of six customers. The owners are planning to fix another room to let. That would make 8 people queue to poe every morning, not to mention the shower. 
Although the owner was kind to carry my luggage to the 5th floor after few complications and delays, he wasnt that available to carry it down when I was leaving although he had promised so. 
I also found the location complicate to my purpose of the visit. It was far too far from everywhere althought it could sound comfortble to those who live in the city. 

photo by lastampa.it

I travel a lot due to my job and also because of the hobby I have: Travelling.
What I look as a first thing with the accomodation is usually the location. The nearest it is to the city center, the better I manage without taxi, car hire, or public transport. I walk nearly 10 km everyday. 
Just to give out a short calculation: If I pay a hotel room in down town like €100 a night from where I am with a walking distance to every thing, I save proximately €20 daily taxi or few hours time if I use public transport system. And time is money. Just a drop of a stone from down town I can have accomodation for €80 and pay the €20 for a cap daily. 
Or I could go further away and then pay more for each time I need to go anywhere. 

This suits me if I am a guest at someones home. "Never look at the mouth of a gift horse"
But if it is me paying for it, the I do have some serious requests. 

Most accodomations do not have international way to categorise them. In some countries a 4* hotel can be equal to my country 2* hotel. This makes a lots of confusion among travellers. 
In New York I stayed in a 4* hotel that was a bit more confortable than a youth hostel to me. We had our own bathroom. The room was tiny, windows dirty and we payed far too much for it. 
Then again, one 4* hotel at Bangkok we had better service in more spacious rooms than we had got in Pejing in a 5* hotel. 
Also in same country there are differences. Or in same city. 
In Sardinia, in Alghero, two 4* hotels have similar price. But only one qualifies to 4*. 
4* hotels shoul be neat with nice halls. Not tiny rooms and old furniture and bedlinnen that are sewed. 

Photo by grandhotelplazamilano.it

When I have time, I like to fancy in a nice hotel with a Spa. Then I don't except that being in a center of any town. My travel prospective changes. Taking baths and massages is so energy consuming that it is much better to stay in a hotel and enjoy what they have to offer. Too bad that some of the hotels do not play a fair role in that.
I have this one special spot in the mountains at the Italian Dolomites. Hotel Luesnerhof. Its like 10 km from the nearest town Bressanone. There I can snow walk or go to ski. Or just walk around. Take the bus and visit the town and get back to the afternoon tea and go to the Spa. They have excellent food due to the hotel school near by that sends pupils to exercise in hotels. I love staying there also evenings, because they organize things to customers. One night they have wine tasting, other night table games and so on. Those three days or a week is so relaxing.

photo by luesnerhof.it

But not all the hotels have arrived to make business. Real business.

I remember 80's when hotels were in. They organized parties, and brunches everyone could affort. 
I remeber going to disco's that were in Hotels. My parents used to go for a sunday afternoon dance to a hotel.
What happened to them? 
Nowadays hotels do not care that much about their customers. And that leaves really bitter aftertaste. Specially if I think of hotel restaurant. 
Consider this. I can have a Pizza and a beer with €15 anywhere. Why would I pay €25 in my hotel? Make it €15 and you earn other customers. It looks good to your hotel and in the eyes of the customers when the hotel restaurant is full, also by the locals near by. It means the food is good. 

Hotels seem to have the policy of airports. Everything must be more expensive. Why? 
Why do I need to pay €1,50 for a half liter bottle water, if I can have 1,5 liter with 30ct from the store next door? Why do not the hotels pic up the profit?
If they would ask just like any bar for the same drinks they have deposit in a fridge, I could even buy them. What hotels are offering is limited quantity of drinks self service and to be drank out of plastic cups. The pub next door offers me several brands of beer, brings it to the table and tips including it is less expencive. 

Just to give you an idea of one hotel I was in Bangkok. At the Eastin Grand Hotel Bangkok. 

photo by Eastin Hotel and Residences 

We had this fantastic deal by taking superior room by paying just few extra. We got rooms on top floor, breakfast at the area of suites and happy hour every evening. Plus free use of gym and the swimming pool.
As it was rainy season in Bangkok, that gym was just perfect to those rainy mornings. Also the tube tickets were included. The hotel actually had its own tube stop. Well... not really. They had a tunnel that led to the tube stop. Very handy, and easy to get back.
This hotel had made a real business out of it. Rise the price a bit and include all services. I counted that we spent equal by doing so than going to some fancy club and get the same service. 
And this hotel was smart. Why would let customers spend their money elswhere if the hotel can have it all?


An other hotel I just recently visited in Costa Smeralda in Sardinia was Hotel Balocco. 
We had a beautiful room for 100€ a night including breakfast, and use of the swimming pool. It was sadly too cold for that, but I appreciated the service. Our luggage were brought to the room.
I really liked it out there, except one thing: They had far too expencive restaurant. 
After one day around I don't want to drive any more kilometer, nor I want to spend money for a cap, because it would turn out as expencive as dining in a hotel with their over priced menu.
If the price in such hotel restaurants were resenable, I could easily eat for more and make them earn better. It is not the €20 for a pasta dish that I am short of. It pisses me off to pay that amount. Knowing that in the normal restaurant it would be €12. 
I understand that the deal we had was better they usually give to customers. We were out of the season. But I don't think the hotel roomservice earns less in October than they do in July. So if a hotel can give out rooms cheaper in october, also the food in the restaurant should be cheaper. Right? 

photo by TripAdvisor

One of my best hotel chains is the accord hotel group that has Ibis hotel in it. The comfort of this hotel group is  that all the hotels are the same. They have same furnitures, same matras and same pillows. I know I can sleep well when I stay at Ibis hotel. 
The best Ibis hotel  I found at Saragoza. We were just across the river and walking distance to everywhere.
Rooms were comfortable and I had a river view.
Breakfast untill noon made us save money not needing a lunch since we travelled with a low budget and wanted to see as much as possible with the money in our pockets.
Zaragoza is really a pearl of a town many people do not even know the excistance. 
At Cannes the same hotel group has this Novotel Suites I once booked. With bicycle it is really handy. 
It takes a bit to rise up hill, but going to down town is all down hill. Walking distance perhaps 20 minutes from La Croisette. They had a huge room for us and a beautiful bathroom, with separate toilet. So French to me.

photo by novotel.com

As a closing statement: My best hotel bed experience was at the airport of Bruxelles. Sheraton hotel. 
It was far too expencive to my taste, with it's €20 breakfast, considering that the same menu is sold at the airport for €12. 
But they had a heavenly bed, I shall never forget. 

photo by TripAdvisor