Things Nobody Tells You About Southern Italy

PRACTICAL WANDERLUST

In this post, I’m laying out all the things no one tells you about visiting Southern Italy. I can’t guarantee you that they’ll actually help you during your trip, but I thought they were interesting.

Calabria

Calabria is one of the best places to visit in Southern Italy and a hotspot for tourists during these months, who flock to its shores seeking sandy beaches and warm water.

There’s Italian, and then there’s Calabrian.

Calabrians speak in a dialect that is very difficult to understand for most Italian speakers.

Don’t expect everyone to speak English.

Unlike many parts of Europe where everyone speaks English – plus about 10 other languages, just for good measure – in Southern Italy, English is not very common.

It’s socially acceptable to drink booze at breakfast.

Some Italians start the day with a Cafe Coretto, which is typically a shot of espresso with liquor – literally translated as coffee corrected with liquor.

Everything closes at 1 and stays closed until 5pm.

Don’t try to eat a late lunch in the South of Italy. You’ll just end up starving and hangry by dinnertime.

Tipping isn’t necessary.

You don’t need to do it. Not even a little bit. In fact, you may actually offend your server by offering.

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