Throughout numerous years of traveling and now living in Italy, we’ve assembled these tips from the (many) errors we’ve made as well as the more common experiences reported by and observed about other travelers.

1. Leave home behind.

This sounds like obvious advice, doesn’t it? Yet, we feel compelled to make it our number-one tip. If you’re not a frequent traveler abroad, it can come as a shock that people do things differently elsewhere, for a variety of reasons, many of which we don’t understand because we don’t live there. At home, we know what we like and can expect, feel perfectly comfortable demanding it and being accommodated accordingly. Once abroad though — especially in Italy — it’s best to shift into discovery mode (oh, that out-of-control feeling) to get the most enjoyment out of your trip.

If you instead adopt the “Let’s see how good you are at giving me what I want” attitude (sadly, not uncommon), you’ll surely be disappointed, and often. You might be happier in Switzerland or Germany. . . or Florida . . . where order and logic reign supreme.

2. Book early to get that Room With a View.

This rule is applicable mostly from Easter thru October, especially in the most popular destinations). There are two to four million of us traveling to Italy every year (along with eight million Germans, by the way), and all of us are reading the same guidebooks and researching the same Web sites for every charming twelve-room hotel from Venezia to Palermo. If you’re traveling from May to October, especially on a weekend, and you’re not willing to do without a view, bathroom, or an ideal location, book lodging on your preferred travel dates as early as you can; then snag airline reservations later when you’re comfortable with fare offerings.

3. However much luggage you’re taking, it’s too much.

There’s a common ‘take everything’ approach that makes much more sense when you’re loading up the car for a family vacation that for traveling in Europe. Be as efficient as you can — you’ll be much happier unencumbered when navigating unfamiliar territory (even the Florence train station). This is not the Antarctic– you can always pick up the occasional item ’round almost any corner.

4. Don’t try to see too much in too short a time; whether in one day or ten.

Remember, every time you change locations you lose at least a day. Relocating always involves preparing and re-packing, departure and transfer, locating & checking into new lodgings, and re-orienting to the new surroundings. In a travel period of less than two weeks, this can easily mean you’ll spend far more time in transit than doing anything else. Make sure you allow time to absorb what you do see, along with somee for rest and renewal. You don’t have to see everything this trip; if you like it, trust us: you’ll be back.

5. Remember you’re visiting a country, not a theme park.

Because there’s so much to see, it’s only natural to view Italy as having been created specifically as a tourist destination — it’s been one for millennia. It’s tempting to expect English translations everywhere, crystal-clear directions and signage throughout the country, along with opening hours convenient to our needs. Before you even begin researching airfares, understand that this will simply not be the case.

Italy is forever trying to refine the system that allows visitors to sight-see to their heart’s content without destroying the “site” in the process — which includes traditional Italian values, culture, and approach to life. The more you search for this authentic Italy, the more important it will be to surrender to whatever you find there.

6. Plan ahead for the experiences that are really important to you to include.

Allow ample time while traveling to make connections or decisions. If you have your heart set on a particular activity, waiting to figure out everything once you arrive will inevitably fail, because you’ll use up all your time trying to obtain good information on where and how, something that can rarely be done expediently. Can we do a wine tour? (Yes, but it’s booked up today, not offered tomorrow, and you’re leaving the next day.)

7. Travel with less of an intention to ‘do’ a town and more on finding a way to absorb a bit of the Italian-ness of it.

We travelers can have a tendency to quantify everything: How much did you see? Were you here or there or there? “We found the very best cantina” (out of thousands?), or, visited that famous butcher (Oh, yes, Sting Was There)

But, if you’re looking to connect more with the culture itself, also look for opportunities to incorporate a bit of Everyday Italy, and not just the prepackaged one. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to visit an absolutely unknown coffee bar more than once — you’ll be recognized the second time, without a doubt (then don’t tell anybody where it is).

8. There’s driving…and there’s driving in Italy.

Review maps carefully before head out; it’s easy to get confused at critical intersections and exchanges. Don’t be surprised that outside tourist centers it will be difficult to eat after 2:30p and before 6p, and difficult to get gas off the autostrada or superstrada between 12:30 and 3:30p.

9. Take a DEEP breath before drawing the conclusion that something doesn’t work or isn’t there because you’re not familiar with it.

Breathe once more, and take a second look; the answer is probably available if you can look with a more tranquil pair of eyes.

10. Remember there’s always someone nearby who understands what you are saying, good or bad.

As Mark Twain famously warns us in Innocents Abroad, “The gentle reader has no idea what a consummate ass he can become until he has traveled abroad.” We Americans, for example, are known for our gregariousness (hey, not a bad thing), and for speaking ad alta voce, and in our own expansive surroundings, we’re not necessarily be overheard.

In the more compact European environment however, it’s all to easy to unintentionally insult passersby en masse in a moment of frustration. Take some time to read up on how things operate, double-check openings and closings, get the maps you need, and allow plenty of time to handle the unexpected.