Italy

Respect & manners

• Say "Buongiorno" (or "Buonasera" after lunch) when you walk into a shop or a café.
• Cover your shoulders and knees to visit churches and the Vatican: you can be refused entry.
• A "coperto" (cover charge) on the restaurant bill is normal. Tipping is not required: rounding up is a nice extra.
• Don't sit on or eat on the steps of monuments: it is forbidden on the Spanish Steps in Rome and can be fined in several cities.
• Never bathe or wade in fountains, like the Trevi Fountain: fines are heavy.
• Italians dress with care: beachwear is for the beach, not for the city centre.