When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is one of those maxims that tends to come in handy wherever you go, but it’s especially informative in Italy where local festivals, seasonal eating, and a more relaxed pace of life are important parts of the culture. You can certainly visit without adopting any local habits and customs during your stay, but we don’t recommend it.

Perhaps our favorite Italian tradition is the aperitivo, a drink/light meal that takes places at the end of the workday as a kind of warm up to dinner. Despite the intensely regional character of Italian culture, this is one observance, along with Sunday mass and soccer, that you will find in almost every single town and city in the peninsula. If you don’t take part when you visit you are missing one of the quintessential cultural expressions Italy, not to mention the best way ever conceived to enjoy the sunset.