Italy, the land of food, fashion, art, history and beauty. Starting from Colosseum and Vatican in Rome to gorgeous vineyards and picturesque landscapes in Tuscany – Italy has a lot to offer. However, there are some things to keep in mind and to know before you visit this mesmerizing country, just to make your trip a bit smoother.

Here are some common mistakes that most tourists make when visiting Italy

Bring cash

Using cash is the easiest way to pay in Italy. Most places do not accept credit cards and more often there are minimum charge amount you can pay via credit card (usually if your bill is lower than 10€). Tipping in Italy

Tipping is not common in Italy and it actually can be taken as an offense. It’s good to remember that tipping in Italy is considered a “bonus” and usually in restaurants there’s tip already included to you bill (the Zervisio or Coperto, usually 1.50€ per person) Be aware of the scammers

Crowded streets and world-famous tourist attractions are favorite places for pickpockets. Be careful with your belongings and don’t carry too much cash with you.

Here are some most common tourist scams:

Rome Gladiators, even though they are banned, you can still spot them near Colosseum. You should avoid them and taking picture with them, because after taking picture, they are quite aggressive to get your money.

Don’t take roses/bracelets and other “free” gifts. Yes, they are quite aggressive, and they want to give you free gift, but be aware, they ALWAYS want your money, stay away from them.

Water sellers! Don’t buy pricey water bottles for people from the streets. First, they are quite expensive and second, there are public fountains with fresh, clean and cold water all over the Rome. You can fill your water bottle for free, save your money and environment.

Always purchase your tickets from official sellers or buy them online from trusted place, if anything sounds too good, it most likely is. Don’t drive in the ZTL

Zona traffic limitation or simply just limited traffic zone – is a zone where non residents can’t drive. There can be couple of regulations, but it’s safer to NOT enter this zone, or you will end up getting a ticket.

Cameras surround ZTL zones, taking photos of license plates. It’s unlikely that you’ll be pulled over immediately, but people have reported getting a ticket in the mail six months or even a year later (often through your rental car company). Don’t order latte if you don’t want plain milk

Latte mans milk in Italian, and if you order it, you will end up getting a glass of milk. You should order cappuccino instead. If you order coffee, you will get espresso. Italians usually don’t drink cappuccino after noon, but its okay to you to order it. Also, Italians usually don’t drink coffee together with their meal, or even together with dessert. Coffee is served usually after meal. Standing in ticket lines

Specially during the high season, ticket lines can be easily up to two hour long and during the summer, Italian weather is hot and humid. These days it’s easy to buy the ticket online and there’s skip the line tickets available for most of the biggest tourist attractions like Colosseum and Vatican City. Wearing shorts and top at church

Italian churches and cathedrals are and unique experience to visit, they hold so much history and important works of art. You are not allowed to wear shorts and short skirts/dresses in there, also you can’t enter in churches or cathedrals while your shoulders are bare. Women should carry a scarf to cover their shoulders when wearing sleeveless tops. Over planning and over scheduling

Italy has so much to offer and so much to see that you may found yourself a little overwhelmed by all of this. Hordes of tourists, long lines, hot weather and so much to see and experience. Leave some time just to hang out and rest! Buying water in Rome

It’s really good tip actually – don’t waste your money and environment, just carry an empty bottle with you. In Rome there are more than 2500 public drinking fountains, called “nasoni”, you will get nice ice cold water from there, and it’s totally safe to drink. Don’t drive in Rome

Honestly, don’t. Traffic in Rome is crazy. Even a Roman taxi driver told us not to drive in Rome. The streets are super narrow, and traffic is full of chaos.

So, here are few tips that hopefully help you to have a smoother trip. We wish we knew about these! When you are confused, go as the saying goes – do as Romans do.