If the Italians start shouting at you don’t be alarmed, they tend to shout at one another like its normal conversation... Make sure to barter when buying anything from stalls its a very normal thing to do there, honest. If your unsure just show them the money your willing to spend, they wont turn the money away. If you happen to drop by Naples while in the south then make sure to buy a pizza (magherita), Neapolitan pizza is in my opinion best pizza on our planet but a pizza no matter where in Italy will always be a delight.

Watch yourself when crossing the street.. no seriously, its very chaotic and there are mopeds all over Italy just waiting to knock you down. Oh and one suggestion, I know its normally customary for most when on holiday to eat out everyday but I would definitely recommend you try eating in at least once with the fresh produce you can find in the marketplaces all over Italy.. the vegetables and fruit will taste better than anything you have ever eaten from your local grocery store I promise.

Throw your weight around, Italians only respect aggressive and overbearing men.

Have fun though

Italy is the most beautiful place I've ever  been to, man. You'll love it. Italians can be the nicest people ever. Be sure to see plenty of the countryside.

Oh and I think Massy2k6 means BARGAIN, not BARTER.

Uh...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter

Barter is a type of trade in which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods and/or services, without the use of money.

Barter means haggle/bargain...

Yup, I meant barter... alot of the sellers at stalls for example in market places will give you their highest price so most off them expect you to haggle. I remember my mum doing this at every stall at the local market when I was last there, she got a better price on everything she bought.

Uh...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter

Yea but bargain is still synonymous with barter.

Yea but bargain is still synonymous with barter.

Not that I am implying that you are incorrect, but can you point towards a source that uses it in this context? I could only find definitions that describe it as a type of system that doesn't use money.

I've been to Italy like seven times no joke. Stop by Lucca if you can that city is beautiful as hell also the Cinque Terre is an amazing walk you'll remember for the rest of your life if you take the time. Italy is most beautiful during summer though why are you going there now!

Also Venice is pretty cool, but be prepared for tiny and old fashioned hotels that cost a shitload. Also try feeding the pidgeons it is great fun.

When in Rome be sure to check out the pantheon and the ruins that lie close to the Colosseum. Also drop by the sixtine chapel in the Vatican. If you can go to Milano and go to the top of the dome. That's also one of the best experiences you can have while vacating in Italy.

All things considered I doubt there are many tourists there at this time of year so you'll likely be free to do all those things without a hassle.

But these three things you really have to do:
1. Visit Lucca/Luca, and stay for a day or two. Try walking on the city walls or just sit there drinking red wine and eating olives (this works best during summer, but is probably still fun).
2. Do the cinque terre hillside walk. As I said, it's amazing, and it's pretty much a coastal hill walk where you'll walk through four (or was it five?) villages that are all among the most beautiful villages ever.
3. Got to the top of either the dome in Milano or the Vatican. Both are amazing walks and really makes you feel alive, especially after the 300 or so steps to the top. I've done this quite a few times already and it's really worth it every time.

So yeah my dad is a sucker for Italy so we go there a lot. If you intend to visit Lucca or the Cinque Terre be prepared for not many people speaking English as opposed to Rome or Venice. In Lucca we couldn't find a single person that spoke English but I'm pretty sure they're there, especially since it's becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination (although still underground).

Other than that...uh... venice is most definitely not beautiful, it just stinks absolutely horribly. The majority of italy is so very good but venice is awful.

I thought Venice was pretty cool since it's pretty much 17th century houses on a shitload of water and there's fucking bridges and boats EVERYWHERE. It's a really unique city but yeah it's a bit filthy but overall I thought it was rather great. Also the war museum is p. cool.

Also drop by the sixtine chapel in the Vatican.

Don't do this. You'll be queuing for over an hour, and you can't take pictures or sit down in the Sistine Chapel (plus the guards are rude). It's like going to the Louvre just to see the Mona Lisa for five seconds and then walking out again. There's a ton of great (and better) art to see besides the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museum. So yeah, get a proper tour guide if you can.

Oh, and when in St. Peter's, keep your hand on your wallet. It's swarming with pickpockets (mostly of the sweet old granny variety).

yeah the sistine chapels requires women to cover their shoulders iirc and probably men too.

anyway i seriously doubt there's too much tourists in the sistine off the summer season so it'll be ok. I enjoyed all three of my visits to the Vatican city and any queu is going to be forgotten if you keep your focus on the right things.