Pinoy in Singapore

Ms. Tsiken recently just got back from a 10 day babymoon with hubby in Italy.

Here’s some tips we can share when going for a vacation to Italy:

1. A rented apartment might prove cheaper than a hotel if you’re staying for at least 3 days.
2. If you’re renting an apartment, the tourist offices would be the place to get your maps for free.
3. Consider taking the train to and from the airport to the Termini station. It costs only 11Euros per person compared to a 40Euro taxi ride for 2 going to central Rome.
4. Buy the ATAC bus tickets (valid for 24 hours/3 days/7 days). Getting lost in the bus is cheaper than getting the bus tour. We got the 16 Euros ticket each for 7 days which was so worth it. It lets you get on the bus and metro free while it’s valid.
5. Eat your breakfast standing up by the bar! The Bars (Cafes as we know them) charge extra (almost double) for sitting on tables. Be wary of bar servers asking you to sit down. They probably want to take advantage of you being the ignorant tourist.
   Once we ate at this bar along Via del Babuino near Piazza di Spagna. The bar server (tender?) asked us to sit but we insisted we’d stand. When we asked for the bill, he was charging us 20Euros for a pizza, a small sandwhich, a cappuccino and a hot chiocolato. He didn’t even give us a breakdown of the charges! So when we asked how much each individual item was, he just said “Ok, then 17 Euro.” He then gave us a tape receipt that still didn’t have a breakdown, only a the amount 17.00 Euros. Honestly, we’ve been eating 50Euro meals and we don’t really care as long as we know it was worth 50Euros. But it sucks to know you’re being cheated. In the end, we paid the 17 Euro. It’s hard to argue with someone who can’t speak English.
6. The good value for money restaurants are far from the tourist spots. If you go to Rome expecting to sample good Italian food, you might find yourself disappointed like I was. We’d recommend I Buoni Amici on Via Aleardo Aleardi 4 for good value for money (it’s not cheap but it’s reasonable and the food is good.) We also liked Franchi along Via Cola di Rienzo (1 bus stop away from Piazza del Risorgimento) in the Vatican area. You can get something to munch on from there before you wait in line at the Vatican Museum. And we also tried Alle Fratte di Trastevere Ristorante in Trastevere which was also good. It was the first good place we tried after being frustrated with other places. I almost cried because I finally was able to taste what I expected Italian food to taste.
   Also, one thing to note: I saw Luzzi Pizzeria behind the Colosseo recommended in 2 of the guide books I read. It does get packed at night with locals but I didn’t really find their food amazing. Their trippa ala romana which was recommended in Let’s Go Italy guide book was actually blech! Plus, one time we were seated near the kitchen, I was observing them do the bread, I’m quite certain that they recycly the bread they serve. They take uneaten pieces of bread from the tables and serve it to other tables. I’m not sure if this is common practice in restaurants but when it comes to this bit of information, ignorance is bliss.

When going to Venice, I highly recommend Ai Tagliapietra Bed and Breakfast.  The place is near Piazza San Marco. It’s very cozy and the host Lorenzo is warm and accommodating.  He also repsonds promptly to emails and speaks fluent English.