UPDATED MAR 2020. I can’t believe it was one year ago I boarded a plane at the Honolulu Airport and moved across the pond. My husband left soon after we got here – seems to be the pattern with my moves and military lifestyle. I remember the isolating feeling of sitting in my empty apartment. I had no money, no car, no job, no friends, and now no-one to talk to. To be honest, I wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into. Though I spent most of my time here alone, a lot has happened in my first year. I survived my first winter after always living in hot climates, I stumbled through communicating with a language barrier, I visited too many lakes and cities to count, and I ate some a lot of the most delicious pasta on the planet. Here are my one-year reflections on the pros and cons of living in Italy so far.
Pros And Cons Of Living In Italy: The Good, The Bad & The Great
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Pros and cons of living in Italy – the good
There’s so much history
I think I especially like this one because I’m from such a young country in comparison. There are doors in Italy older than Australia! Learning about the history here in Italy is fascinating and never-ending.
You don’t have to dig your head in books either. It’s easy to look around and appreciate the history by what you see around you.
When I saw the defensive walls that are still standing in places like Marostica or Perugia I was transported back in time. I imagine guards on top of the walls providing surveillance.
There are plaques, museums, walking tours, and guides to learn more so you are not limited to what your eyes see.
The variety of things to do
There is something for everyone in Italy.
If you like beaches, you can head south for sparkling beaches. For mountains, you can head north to the Dolomites. If you’re more of a city-going, museum and lunch type, then each city has a lot to see and each has its own charm as well as plenty to see and do.
There are always festivals and events running from arts and crafts to cultural events to the hot air balloon festival and, my personal favorite, the chocolate festivals!
There’s a lot on offer and I think there is a place for everyone in Italy.
The pet-friendliness
Whether you’re going shopping at the mall, eating at a restaurant, or paying your bills at the post office – you can take your dogs just about anywhere in Italy. It’s also really easy to find pet-friendly accommodation.
I remember when I first moved here I got so excited seeing the cute pooches out and about. Sometimes, when passing, I even say ‘hi’ to the dogs and forget to say ‘hi’ to the human.
I often see water bowls left out by businesses and every time I take my spoilt princess dogs out they always get a lot of extra cuddles from strangers.
I should mention though, the standard of vet care is not as hygienic and professional in my opinion. I’ve been to the vet many times where the bench hasn’t been wiped down from the dog before. I’ve even had a few visits where there has been blood from a previous appointment still on it. The annual exams can only loosely be described as an exam, as it’s mostly a look over with no vitals checked or annual tests undertaken.
Pros and cons of living in Italy – the bad
The driving in Italy
This might be the thing I dislike most about living in Italy. When you are out on the roads you are likely to be surrounded by impatient, aggressive drivers.
Every time I drive, I have someone tailgating me only a couple of inches from the back of my car – even if I am going over the speed limit myself.
On the highways I often see truck drivers who, in most other countries tend to stay in the slow lane, zipping and zagging to overtake other trucks.
It’s weird because in other aspects of life Italians operate at quite a relaxed pace. But, as soon as they get behind the wheel, everything changes.
I find it quite intimidating, as well as unnecessary and unsafe. I used to love driving in Hawaii and would cruise the island all day, but driving in Italy has stripped any enjoyment from it.
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Italian food
I should start this one off by saying that Italian food is amazing.
I said this when I first moved here and it’s still true that the quality of the ingredients is by far a higher standard than anywhere else I have lived. This is especially true for fruit and vegetables.
The downside to food in Italy is that sometimes you have to choose between Italian and Italian for dinner. Good quality food in other cuisines can be hard to come by.
No matter how great Italian food is, sometimes you just feel like something different.
The public transport in Italy
Public transport is a bit of a grumbly subject everywhere really. Aside from the usual lateness of buses and trains which is quite common, I’ve noticed that public transport in Italy could use a little updating.
They’re ok between many of the major cities. But if you’re not on a major line then it’s common to be unable to find a screen to see the upcoming stations.
Some have English translations of announcements, some don’t. I’ve even been on a couple where they made no announcement at all of what station was approaching.
It’s been very different to say Switzerland, Norway, England or Iceland where it was a little more high tech and tourist-friendly.
Pros and cons of living in Italy – the great
The Italian Dolomites
I remember when I first moved here and began taking trips up to the Dolomites. Since I didn’t know much about the area, I would just pick a spot and drive around to hike and explore.
I quickly found that it’s an outdoor lovers dream. There are many different outdoor activities to do including hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and tubing.
If you just want a more relaxed day in the outdoors, it’s nice to go for a drive up to the mountains and relax with a picnic or a good book.
I’m very biased because I love being in nature, but experiencing landscapes with beauty on this scale has been a huge highlight.
Encounters with people in Italy
I have experienced a lot of rudeness with locals here. I’ve been refused service at cafes, I get glared at up and down every time I go out, and even my post office refused to serve me when I tried to get my own mail.
At the same time, I think of my neighbor who gave me homemade jam and helped me set my heater up in winter.
Or the lady at the coffee shop who noticed I was always alone when I go there and stopped to chat with me. Or my jazzercise teacher who wouldn’t let me walk home in the rain and insisted on driving me.
I have experienced some of the kindest and loveliest people here. My impression of Italian people is that they don’t give it away for free – they have a cold exterior. But once they get to know you then they will treat you like family.
When I think of people in Italy, I think of the generosity and kindness instead of focusing on those bad encounters.
The lifestyle in Italy
There are two things that I love about the Italian lifestyle the most – the sense of family and community and the relaxed pace of life.
You won’t notice it as much in the big touristy areas, but where I live, almost everything closes at lunchtime. People go home to their families for a long lunch break. Even the kids at the local school come home for lunch.
The attitude is not go-go-go-time-is-money and everything is not accessible 24-7. It’s more about slowing down, enjoying life, and spending quality time with those around you.
At the community level, it feels like there is a strong sense of importance when it comes to community and family. From what I’ve seen the family unit is still alive and well. People aren’t too busy to spend time with their kids and I often see families going for evening walks or weekend outing.
When you see families out and about they’re interacting with each other, not putting a screen in front of the kid to distract them.
The pace of life and the importance of family and community is inspiring and continues to be a refreshing change.
Other guides to prepare you for life in Vicenza:
My Favorite Local Businesses In Vicenza That Will Make Your Life Better
- The Ultimate Vicenza Bucket List
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Let me know if you ever decide to come to Slovenia, small and beautiful country. And they’re super friendly here, I get odd looks or the double look every now and then. But it doesn’t bother me too much. Your adventures have been amazing!
I have been to Slovenia once – it’s awesome and lots of beautiful nature. I can’t wait to see your adventures out there! I’ll let you know if I’m visiting again 🙂
Yep, please do!
I’ve spent time in Italy and totally agree about the food and driving. Nice to hear how pet friendly it is! Would love to hear your recommendations for the Dolomites!
I have a few posts here on the blog if you want to see a few of the places I have loved in the Dolomites and there’s more on my Instagram – Lago di Carezza, Lago di Fimon, Lago di Corlo. Also I don’t think I have blogged it yet but I love Lago di Tovel too!
Love it, all very true. We have the same experiences as you may read in my book Living in Italy: the Real Deal.
I enjoyed this post! It’s my first time here, which I happened upon after discovering this place from some pictures on fb… long story. Anyway, I was curious why the locals refused you service and gave you the “look” at times. Is this normal? Do they not like ‘non-locals’? I would have been saddened. I like the way you found the niceness in the locals as well.
Yeah definitely experienced the good and the bad with people here. I don’t know for sure why I was refused service but I’d hazard a guess that it’s because of being foreign. Some people are not welcoming if you don’t speak fluent Italian. I’ve experienced rudeness a lot for just being an outsider, but in saying that, I’ve experienced a lot of niceness too so I’ve really seen both sides.
how good are you at speaking italian? also what app would you recommend to learning the language?
I just learned the basics to be able to get around and order food etc. and I used Duolingo mostly which I found super helpful to learn the language. Just a little each day really made a big difference!
We lived near Vicenza for years and we’re never treated rudely or poorly. But then the first priority upon arriving was enrolling in Italian class on base. While it was a bit of a learning curve the attempt to speak Italian with the locals went a long, long way! We were there 4 years and although we worked on the base we basically hung out with locals which made the experience fabulous. We’ve been back in the US for 10 years, are now retired and have just gotten our visas to move back to Italy – permanently. Can’t wait to get back there!