As in any country, it s a sad truth that in some less-than-honest Italian establishments, tourists c

We ve heard stories of tourists being ripped off at cafes or restaurants nascar daytona 500 race tickets in Italy. We ve even experienced it ourselves paying far above the given price, nascar daytona 500 race tickets being confused by service charges (and tipping ettiquette) it s not always the case when eating nascar daytona 500 race tickets in Italy (far from it) but it is worth being aware of a few of the most common scams.
These kinds of experiences can bring your whole trip to Italy down. And many tourists think that they re just part of the deal when it comes to traveling in another country.But let us tell you: They re not. And, armed with just a little bit of knowledge, you can avoid being ripped off in Italy s restaurants and cafes. Yes, even in the touristy areas.
As in any country, it s a sad truth that in some less-than-honest Italian establishments, tourists can be seen as easy prey. Restaurants and cafes right near the big tourist sites are the most likely candidates. It s not always the case of course, but well-located eateries that don t cater to a local (and therefore repeat) market are more likely to charge inflated prices.
nascar daytona 500 race tickets For the record, yes, high-risk establishments include those on popular piazzas, like Rome s Piazza Navona or Venice s St. Mark s Square. A rule of thumb: In general, whenever you see as many non-Italians as Italians, nascar daytona 500 race tickets be on your guard.
Other tip-off that you re in a touristy establishment: There s a host outside the door asking you to come in (any Italian restaurant catering to locals, won t have this, since they ll rely on word-of-mouth), there s a menu with pictures, or there s a big sign that says Tourist Menu or even No service! or No cover charge! . (More on that later).
Unless your feet are just killing you, avoid sitting down in the kind of place that Italians call a bar and we call a cafe. Why? Because as soon as you sit down, the price of whatever you re eating doubles, nascar daytona 500 race tickets triples or worse. That s why you see Italians usually taking their coffee and cornetti nascar daytona 500 race tickets standing up. The price of coffee in Rome is capped at a set maximum price, so regardless of your location, a standing coffee will never set you back too much.
If you do decide to sit down, before you order anything or make yourself comfortable at the table, nascar daytona 500 race tickets always walk in and look at the prices usually listed above the counter. In most cases there is one column for banco and one for tavolo. Banco is the price if you stand at the bar; tavolo is if you re sitting. If it s still worth it to you, then by all means, sit but keep in mind roughly what those prices nascar daytona 500 race tickets were and be sure to double-check the receipt to make sure they match up.
Yes, you do have to pay for water. (You can ask for acqua dal rubinetto, tap water, but it s often seen as a bit rude. Plus, those glasses of tap water will take ages to get refilled by your waiter, if they re refilled at all!). At moderately-priced places, a large bottle of mineral water for the table should cost no more than 2 euros, maybe 3 in more expensive cities like Venice.
nascar daytona 500 race tickets And yes, you have to pay for that digestivo of limoncello or amaro or grappa. Well, sometimes. Here s how to tell: If the waiter asks you if you want an after-dinner drink after you ve eaten but before he s brought the bill, you ll probably be charged. If he asks you if you want one after he s brought the bill and/or you ve paid, it s probably a little thank you on the house.
Sometimes, waiters will ask if you would like an antipasto for the table. Most of the time, this is fine. Occasionally, though, the antipasto winds up costing an arm and a leg and you don t realize it until you get the bill. In a lot of cases this will just be an assumption on the part of your server that as a traveler, you d like the best but (as is the case anywhere) it s wise to know what you re ordering before you order it.
So instead nascar daytona 500 race tickets of telling the waiter to just bring you something, order specifically from the menu, with the quantity you d like, and be clear. Vorrei un antipasto per due, you could say (an antipasto for two), even if there are four of you. That s fine.
The other item to watch is fish. Since fish is usually charged by weight at restaurants, this can get a little confusing. You say you want the fish of the day that s around a certain weight, the waiter brings out a lovely, fresh-caught one to show you that s around that weight but estimations can be off and it can cost more than you had thought so if you re price conscious, be sure to double-check the exact weight (and whether the listed price is total or by weight) before you order.
When your waiter brings you a bill (remember, you have to ask for it!), make sure that it s itemized. (Again, ask for il conto dettagliato or il conto lungo ). Sometimes, restaurants will just write a total number down, or even just say it. In that case, ask for the itemized bill. It s the only way to know if you re being charged what you should be.
When an Italian restaurant charges you for bread, it s generally not per basket. Instead, the price is usually per head. It s typically about 1.50 euros per head, perhaps 2 or 2.50 in pricier, more-touristy places like Venice or Sorrento. That said, some regions have apparently passed laws, including Rome s Lazio region, saying that this pane e coperto charge is against the law. That doesn t mean that most restaurants are paying attention. And yes, most Italians are paying for pane e coperto as well not just tourists. So in general, we let it go and pay.
But there s a caveat. This charge should be written on the menu. Maybe it s in small letters, maybe it s on the back page, but it should be there. If it s not? We make a fuss. And the charge gets taken off.
If an item has been added, probably 10 but up to 20 percent, called servizio, that s service. You see this often in Venice, the Cinque Terre, and Amalfi coast, and at more-touristy nascar daytona 500 race tickets establishments in Florence and Rome. Something to know about servizio: Although it seems to be legal, it should be written on the menu, as should nascar daytona 500 race tickets pane e coperto nascar daytona 500 race tickets . Check the small print at the bottom of pages or on the front or back of the menu.
If the servizio hasn t been written anywhere, ask for it to be taken off if you see it on your bill. If everything about the servizio seems to be as straightforward as possible you knew, from the menu, it d be 10% extra, and sure enough, it was then pay it but remember that this counts as the tip so you don t need to leave an additional gratuity.
Note: Some restaurants try to attract tourists by saying, No service charge! . That s fine but it means the place is pretty touristy. (A place that catered to Italians probably wouldn t have servizio, and wouldn t make a big deal about not having it, especially not in English). And so, in general, since you have the least chance of being taken advantage of at non-touristy places, a sign proclaiming no servizio isn t necessarily a good thing, either.
First, one thing to keep in mind: Waiting tables in Italy is much different than waiting tables in the States. Many Italian waiters are paid off the books, meaning they re not paying taxes. If they are on the books, then they get paid vacations (some six weeks per year or more) and paid sick leave. And they have national health.
Furthermore, if  servizio  has been added to your bill (see above), then leave nothing on top. Rest assured knowing that, since most Italians won t even have this  servizio  on their bill and won t tip, you re still tipping quite a lot in comparison.
So if all that s been added to your bill is  pane e coperto,  or nothing at all, and your service has been good, then maybe leave something. But not 20 percent. Not 15 percent. Not necessarily even 10 percent. A few coins, or rounding up, is sufficient.
While that makes many Americans grimace, remember: Italy is a different culture. And it s a different tipping culture, too. Adjusting to it is not only part of the experience, but shows respect for the locals.
When presented with a confusing or ridiculous bill, 90 percent of people won t do anything about it. They ll pay and leave. But for the rest of the day, they ll be seething and it does a disservice to future tourists. So remember: You do have control in this situation. Here s what you do.
First, simply point out the discrepancy to the waiter and ask, politely but firmly, for it to be fixed. This is why you got that itemized bill. Even if he doesn t speak much English, you can point to the specific item. For servizio or pane e coperto, the most useful phrase is often Non è scritto sul menu (this was not written on the menu Nohn ay skree-toe sool meh-noo ). In most cases, that s all that s needed and in some you ll even find that there has been a mistake on one side or the other. Maybe you didn t realise you were drinking bottled nascar daytona 500 race tickets water or you missed a note on the menu.
If your polite requests haven t done anything to remove that 20 percent servizio that was added to your bill unannounced, or to get the proper tavolo price for your cafe meal instead of tacking nascar daytona 500 race tickets on 20 euros more, demand a real receipt.
In most of these rare cases you ll find that the receipt they re issuing you with is not a real receipt. That means they re not paying taxes on the meal you just had. It s off the books. nascar daytona 500 race tickets And that s illegal. So, before you stomp off from the restaurant in a huff, look at the receipt you were given. Handwritten notes or scribbles on a tablecloth are not legal fiscal receipts. In some cases this may be something called a  preconti , a pre-receipt of sorts delivered by the waiter who should nascar daytona 500 race tickets then take your cash and return with change and the real, official receipt. Unaware of this custom many foreign visitors nascar daytona 500 race tickets often leave their change and depart without ever seeing the real receipt.
These are rare cases though. For the most part, eating in Italy is a fantastic experience you won t soon forget. Just be aware of local customs and be savvy when ordering if you re on a budget. Try to get away from the tourist spots and discover your own culinary gems. That tiny trattoria yo