If you are traveling to Europe and appreciate a great breakfast, there are some countries where you'll love getting up in the morning to break your overnight fast. For example, the breakfast buffets in Scandinavia are noteworthy as are the full English breakfasts you can get in Britain. However, such feasts aren't available in every country. The rule of thumb with European breakfasts is: The further south you go, the smaller the first meal of the day gets. By the time you get to Italy, you can expect little more than a coffee and a pastry. 

Italians aren't into belly-filling, savory, meat-centric breakfasts at all. The staple is coffee. It may come in the form of an espresso, macchiato, or cappuccino (a drink you definitely shouldn't order at lunch). The pastry in question is often a cornetto which is similar to a croissant. It is often filled with something sweet like Nutella, whipped cream, or fruit jam.