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How to avoid eating like a tourist in Italy, according to Rick Steves

Why you should skip the mounds of colorful gelato and more from the europe travel expert.

Our bookshelves are filling up with Italian vacation inspiration . This year, author Katie Parla debuted the “ Food of the Italian Islands ” cookbook, which will tempt you to book a trip to Sardinia and Sicily, and Maria Pasquale released “ The Eternal City ,” on Rome ’s culinary traditions. Not to mention the godfather of European travel, Rick Steves , published his first food book, “ Italy for Food Lovers .”

Part travel guidebook, part food encyclopedia, Steves’s latest dives into Italy’s eating and drinking culture by region. Steves partnered with longtime friend and author Fred Plotkin, who is a Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia (essentially Italy’s version of a knight) for his career educating people on Italian culture.

How to eat on vacation without feeling terrible

The book covers it all, such as the history of Italian wine, the intricacies of antipasti in Florence and the units of measurement you’ll need at a market. It also has an extensive glossary in the back, so you don’t get your nocino (walnut liqueur) and nodino (knuckle) confused.

We talked to Steves about what he has learned about Italian culinary culture through his lifetime of eating and drinking through Italy and gathered some key tips for your next trip.

Skip towering, bright-colored gelato

If you Google “gelato in Italy,” you’ll get images of heaping mounds of vibrant ice cream. But Steves says “over-the-top displays where you’ve got … colors you don’t find in nature with a literal cherry on top — that’s all wrong.”

The reason? “A good gelateria doesn’t want to have their gelato exposed to the air by being a mountain like that,” Steves said.

Rick Steves: Don’t skip Europe’s second cities

Instead, look for places away from tourist hot spots with modestly packed gelato with lids. “Look where the locals are going,” he added. “Most towns have a go-to gelateria for the locals.”

Steves also suggests learning some gelateria phrases to improve your experience. “It’s okay to ask for a taste,” he said. “So you want to have that word for ‘taste.’” Other words and phrases to memorize: ordering a cup or a cone, how many flavors you’d like and what flavors are seasonal or that the staff enjoys.

Never eat on a high-rent street

When that pang of hunger or thirst strikes, pause to assess your surroundings. Are you on a major thoroughfare? On the corner of a popular piazza? Keep walking. Steves’s rule of thumb is to steer clear of establishments on “high-rent streets” when choosing a place to eat, whether it’s gelato or dinner. The more expensive it is for the business to operate, the more likely you’ll be disappointed by the experience.

Hunt a few streets off the main drag, away from the big points of interest. Avoid places with big signs in English that advertise “we speak English” and “no frozen food” or places with preprinted menus in five languages.

“You want a small handwritten menu in one language,” Steves said. “Then you want to see that it’s got a boisterous local crowd. … If it feels good, go in and sit down.”

When in doubt, go regional and seasonal

If you don’t speak Italian, it can be intimidating to scan a menu board or crack open a wine list at a restaurant. There may be words you do know (such as ragu and chianti) and exponentially more you don’t. The trick is not to get bogged down by the language barrier. Instead, Steves recommends asking your server for what’s good from nearby.

“In Italy, the passion is to eat with the season and eat what’s local,” Steves said. That goes for both your food order and drink order. Often, the best pairings come from dishes and drinks made from the same region. If a place is known for its pork, there’s a winemaker in the area that’s figured out the best balance of flavors to pair with it.

“It’s a celebration in Italy,” Steves said. “It’s more than just food; it’s a pride thing.”

You could also come prepared. “You should have a kind of hit list of things you want to try while you’re in [a particular] region,” Steves said. “You do polenta in the Veneto, and you do pizza in Naples, and you do wild boar in Umbria. … If you’re going to try wild boar, do it in places where they do it well.”

Order with a sense of adventure

After decades of hosting tour groups on excursions, Steves knows it’s easy for Americans to fall into habits when it comes to ordering food in Italy.

“I know from my experience as a tour guide, a lot of people go to Italy, and all they get is spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti Bolognese,” he said. “Always pizza, pizza, pizza, spaghetti Bolognese, tiramisu, tiramisu and house wine.”

Break the mold. You may have favorite dishes you’d like to revisit, but “have a little spirit of adventure,” Steves said, arguing that it’s important for travelers to branch out to get the most out of travel. You don’t have to order something that sounds unappetizing to you; rather, Steves encourages asking for recommendations and to “try something that you’ve never thought about before.”

“I had zucchini flower pizza the last time I was in Venice, and it was really the best pizza I had in my whole trip,” he said. “It looked like a big bouquet of zucchini flowers on the pizza, and it was wonderful.”

He added: “And I wouldn’t have ordered it had I not asked the waiter what would be a memorable, special thing to order today.”

Eat with strangers

One of Steves’s best tips for dining in Italy has nothing to do with the food, but the company (and it applies no matter where you’re traveling). “When I’m on the road, it’s nice to freshen up the conversation by finding an excuse to eat with new people,” he said.

This isn’t a slight against your travel partner or group. Even if you love sharing meals with them, “it’s the same person over and over and over again,” Steves said. “You’ll both have a more fun conversation if you just team up with a couple of other travelers, or some locals you’ve met, or get to know the people at the next table.”

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Rick Steves Italy (Travel Guide) Paperback – Folded Map, November 15, 2022

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Fully updated, comprehensive coverage for planning a multi-week trip to Italy
• Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites
• Top sights and hidden gems, from the Colosseum and Michelangelo's David to corner trattorias and that perfect scoop of gelato
• How to connect with local culture: Walk in Caesar's footsteps through the ruins of the Forum, discover the relaxed rhythms of sunny Cinque Terre, or chat with fans about the latest soccer match ( calcio , to locals)
• Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight
• The best places to eat, sleep, and experience la dolce far niente
• Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and museums
• Vital trip-planning tools, like how to link destinations, build your itinerary, and get from place to place
• Detailed maps, including a fold-out map for exploring on the go
• Over 1,000 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down
• Coverage of Venice, Padua, the Dolomites, Lake Country, Milan, the Italian Riviera, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Hill Towns of Central Italy, Siena, Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Capri, the Amalfi Coast, and much more
• Covid-related travel info and resources for a smooth trip
• Print length 1280 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Rick Steves
• Publication date November 15, 2022
• Dimensions 4.55 x 2.25 x 7.9 inches
• ISBN-10 164171459X
• ISBN-13 978-1641714594
• See all details

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What sets Rick Steves apart from other travel guides?

A personal and experienced take - Rick Steves has spent over 40 years traveling Europe and he shares his favorite spots and essential travel strategies with you.

Are these books updated for current travel?

Rick and his team fan out across Europe personally checking and updating each listing in his guidebooks. These are the most accurate guides to Europe!

Why should I use a Rick Steves guidebook?

Rick will point you toward worthwhile experiences and help avoid expensive mistakes. A Rick Steves book is like having a tour guide in your pocket!

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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rick Steves; 27th edition (November 15, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1280 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 164171459X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1641714594
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.37 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.55 x 2.25 x 7.9 inches
• #1 in Hotels & Inns Travel Reference (Books)
• #1 in general Italy Travel Guides
• #2 in Tourist Destinations & Museums Guides

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Guidebook author and travel TV host Rick Steves is America's most respected authority on European travel. Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. As an 18-year-old, Rick began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started his business, Rick Steves' Europe, which has grown from a one-man operation to a company with a staff of 100 full-time, well-travelled employees at his headquarters in Washington state. There he produces more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, America's most popular travel series on public television, a weekly hour-long national public radio show, a weekly syndicated column, and free travel information available through his travel center and ricksteves.com. Rick Steves' Europe also runs a successful European tour program. Rick Steves lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school.

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Tourists Look 'Silly' Wearing This Article Of Clothing In Italy, Per Rick Steves' Tour Guide

A s you get ready to take that dream vacation to Italy, you may be considering different ways to prepare for your trip. Your itinerary is planned, and you've made the reservations to visit your favorite museums. You have  learned a few Italian words and phrases to help you converse with the locals, immerse yourself in the culture, and enjoy the Italian experience. You have even studied up on Rick Steves' advice about how to avoid eating like a tourist in Italy . But what about dressing like a tourist? Are you filling your luggage with outfits or accessories that are a dead giveaway that you're from out of town? As it turns out, one particular piece of clothing will tell every local that you're not a real Italian: a pair of shorts. Cameron Hewitt, co-author with travel expert Rick Steves and one of his organization's tour guides, discusses why this simple piece of clothing will mark you as a tourist immediately.

On his blog on Rick Steves' Europe , Hewitt lays out some advice to help travelers pack for a trip to Europe, particularly if you happen to be an "unfashionable male." He explains that he happily places himself in this category, by the way, for one reason in particular. "Being a snappy dresser can be a hazard for travelers who want to pack light," Hewitt sagely admits. However, he advises any visitor to think twice before throwing a pair of shorts into a suitcase.

Read more: This Is What You Should Never Do When You Travel

Italy Represents Classic Style

Italians have an innate fashion sensibility that is part of their heritage and culture. Sicilian designer Fausto Puglisi tells BBC Culture why Italian fashion is so sought after and admired around the world. "Italian craftsmanship is totally unmatchable. And in Italy it is something that is extremely connected to society," he says. It's this sense of pride in looking fashionable that dissuades most Italians from wearing shorts, even in the hottest months of the summer, Hewitt explains on his blog. "There are some cultures — for example, Italy, especially in the cities — where grown men who wear shorts look silly," he says. "It's not 'offensive' or 'insensitive,' exactly. Just... a little strange." Hewitt points out that the reason for this opinion is that shorts are often associated with children's attire or maybe a trip to the beach.

Many establishments in Italy have dress codes, and these formalities can be strictly enforced. In fact, the mayor of Viareggio, on the Tuscany coast, was once refused service and asked to leave a restaurant simply because he'd shown up for dinner in shorts, per BBC . Mayor Del Ghingaro had unknowingly violated the dress code that required men to wear long trousers after 7 p.m., so he and his companions were forced to enjoy dinner elsewhere. Yet it's not only restaurants that may require a more formal attire. Hewitt cautions, "In some Catholic countries — Spain and Italy in particular — some churches deny entry to men who are wearing shorts."

Choose Between Fashion And Comfort

Hewitt emphasizes that it's important to check dress code requirements on any stops on your itinerary. However, he also defends a traveler's right to wear shorts in other situations, even if it makes you look like a tourist. He explains how he makes his decision. "On the shorts issue, the question is, what's more important to you: being comfortable or not looking silly? This is a sliding scale, which is calibrated against the current temperature." If he's traveling in Italy during the summer and the sun is shining, the decision is easy. "If it's very hot, I'll wear shorts even in places where it's very silly," Hewitt declares.

He says that a tourist wearing shorts in Italy might receive a similar reaction to a European tourist who visits America. "For comparison, think about those breezy, shin-high capri pants that men wear proudly in many northern European countries. "If you saw a guy in the USA walking around wearing those, you wouldn't think, 'Wow, what a FREAK!' or 'Well, I never! How RUDE!'" he jokes. Instead, Hewitt believes that most people wouldn't give it much thought. "At the end of the day, it's all pretty harmless. I find most Europeans are pretty live-and-let-live," he claims. So the choice is yours of whether you decide to let fashion rule over comfort. The perfect solution, of course, is simply to pack your shorts and head to a hidden Italian beach, especially one that offers a secluded, coastal escape .

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