To anyone spending time in Italy this week, a heads-up: Massive, nationwide student protests might snarl up your sightseeing.
Students have taken to the streets — for the most part, peacefully — to condemn a bill that would cut some €9 billion and 130,000 jobs from education. They are, of course, just the latest to register their angry against the Berlusconi government, but their protests are creating problems for tourists even more than most: Among other things, they prevented trains from entering and leaving Siena by camping out on the tracks yesterday and kept tourists from entering the Leaning Tower of Pisa after they took it over. That’s on top of the usual problems with traffic that any manifestazione causes.
And it seems like the demonstrations are only growing. So if you’re traveling to Italy, be prepared: Count on taking a little longer to get to your destination, and always have a Plan B if a particular site you really want to see has, you know, been taken over.
Memories fade, and photographs don't always do justice to Rome's top attractions. Now, though, a spate of virtual tours allow travelers to explore some of Rome's most popular buildings and art, from the Sistine Chapel to the Capitoline Museums — all from the comfort of home.
Below, some of the best of the virtual lineup. Prepare to want to start planning your next trip to Rome!
St. Peter's Basilica. Gorgeous virtual tour by the Vatican itself. Highly professional and stunning.
The Vatican Museums, including the Pinacoteca (below), Raphael Rooms, Etruscan Museum and Egyptian Museum.
San Giovanni in Laterano, or St. John Lateran, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome (i.e. the Pope) and the mother church of Catholics.
St. Paul Outside the Walls, founded in the 4th century on the burial place of St. Paul and one of Rome's four papal basilicas.
The Capitoline Museums. They're the oldest public museums in Rome and boast some of Italy's best ancient, Renaissance, and Baroque art. Now, you can visit all 45 of their rooms… digitally.
The Pantheon. Rome's single best-preserved ancient building; the tour isn't as professional as the previous virtual tours, but still pretty great.
Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, a beautiful example of the blending of the Baroque and Renaissance styles of architecture. It's famous for its Caravaggio paintings — which, bummer, you can't see in the tour — but also for its Chigi Chapel designed by Raphael, which you can.
The Ara Pacis, the altar made from 13-9 B.C. to commemorate Emperor Augustus' victories and the Pax Romana. (Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Ara Pacis").
Circus Maximus, where ancient charioteers once raced (make this full-screen for a better image)
Largo Argentina, with the remains of four ancient Republican temples
And, yes… the Colosseum! Finally: Yes, virtual tours of what actually exists are all well and good — but virtual tours of what ancient Rome would have looked like? Maybe even better.
UCLA's Digital Roman Forum includes both modern and ancient views of the forum, including the basilicas Julia and Aemilia. Pick a time between 700 B.C. and 500 A.D., click on the map, and see what that spot looks like in 360 degrees today — and an image of what it would have looked like then rotates with you.
It's a work in progress and only shows you what the sites look like today, but this other virtual tour of the Roman forum features 360-degree views of a dozen different spots in the ancient landscape.
Now, if only you could also virtually enjoy the taste of pasta alla gricia or the feel of the warm Roman sun on your neck…
Again, these last five scams, especially, are very unlikely to happen to you on your travels. Rome is a very safe city. And while I’ve heard of #5 and #4 happening to friends of friends, those after that, thank goodness, have never happend to me or anyone I know.
That said: It’s always smarter, obviously, to be aware. Here, the last five — and some of the scariest — of Rome’s top scams and crimes.
5. ATM fraud. You use an ATM to withdraw money — usually, the best way to avoid extra fees. When you get home and check your bank statement, you realize someone else has been withdrawing money, as well.
This is getting more common as more and more criminals are figuring out ways to install ATM skimming devices onto the machines, which can capture your account information by using a card reader and a tiny video camera to capture your PIN.
Usually seen: Unpredictable. Most likely victims: Anyone using an ATM. If it happens to you: There’s not much you can do, although of course once you file the fraud with your bank, you should get the money returned.
The best way to avoid this, though, is to always cover the keypad with your hands when you type in your PIN and to use the ATMs that are inside reputable banks. If it looks like you need to slide a card through a scanner to get into the vestibule, don’t worry — whatever your bank card is will work. Also be wary of any gaps or tampered appearance in the machine, and avoid card readers that aren’t flush with the machine’s face.
4. Any distraction technique. These run the gamut. Maybe you’re at a busy metro stop and someone collides into you. Maybe you’re out at a club and a guy dances up close to you… really close. Maybe a little girl tugs on your pant leg and asks you for help. Either way, by the time you’ve reacted, your wallet is gone.
Usually seen: Unpredictable — and, it should be noted, worldwide. Travel forums for Paris and Barcelona are full of them, too. Most likely victims: Anyone who looks capable of being surprised. If it happens to you: By the time it happens, it’s too late. Even if you can chase down the accomplice, your stuff is long-gone.
3. Theft-on-the-move. You’re walking; someone whizzes by you on a scooter and, bam! your purse is gone.
Usually seen: Also unpredictable, and also worldwide. This just happened to a friend of mine living in Paris. Most likely victims: Females walking alone. If it happens to you: It’s already too late. Just be glad that you weren’t hurt in the theft; the force can cause broken arms and collarbones.
2. Drugging and mugging. This post on the SlowTrav forum was the first I’d heard of this, but it’s pretty scary. Usually, it unfolds in a “befriending” scenario: You’re alone at a train station, restaurant or bar, someone starts chatting with you, gets you a drink, and before you know it you’re passed out because of the drugs they’ve laced the drink with. When you wake up, your valuables are gone and you may have been sexually assaulted. It seems the SlowTrav victim may not have even been befriended first, which is even more worrisome.
Usually seen: In the area around the Termini train station or near the Colosseum, Colle Oppio, Campo dei Fiori, and Piazza Navona. Most likely victims: Anyone, male or female, who’s out alone. If it happens to you: Call the police and, if needed, seek out a hospital immediately.
1. Flat-out assault. Again, please remember: For a city, this happens very, very rarely in Rome. But you don’t want it to happen to you.
Usually seen: In any dark, unlit areas at night. Be particularly wary of parks: I saw the immediate aftermath of one violent mugging (two Korean tourists who had been roughed up and gotten their cameras and wallets stolen) at the Parco di Traiano, the park overlooking the Colosseum, while they’d been (obliviously) taking night shots. (In case it’s not clear, this is not a nice park at night). Also be wary of the area right around the Termini train station, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, or in San Lorenzo. Most likely victims: Anyone, but especially tourists, especially those traveling alone or in small numbers, and especially those who aren’t aware of their surroundings.
The takeaway? Don’t be paranoid, but do be aware. Use common sense. And don’t get so caught up in taking pretty photos that you have no idea of what’s going on around you.
If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.
As I wrote about earlier this week, Italy, including Rome, is pretty safe when it comes to crime — especially violent crime. But as with all cities, you need to be aware when traveling here. And because the same scams tend to happen over and over in Rome, it can be particularly helpful to know some of the most popular before visiting.*
So, from the simply-annoying to most-frightening, here are some situations to watch out for. This post will be in two parts. First: five of Rome’s most classic scams on tourists. Annoying — but easy to avoid.
5. The just-helping-you-with-your-ticket ploy. You’re fumbling at a ticket machine for the metro or train, trying to figure out what to press on the screen. Like magic, someone appears to help you. Once your ticket is printed, they then ask you for a few coins as a tip. Once you realize that you could have figured it out without them — it might just have taken ten seconds longer — you feel slightly foolish.
Usually seen: At the Termini train station and at metro stations with lots of tourists, like the Colosseo stop. Most likely victims: Tourists, or anyone else who doesn’t look like they know what they’re doing. If it happens to you? Shake your head and say “no” when that ever-so-helpful someone appears. Be firm.
4. The “rose-as-a-gift” gambit. You’re female; it doesn’t matter your age, nationality, or level of attractiveness. A stranger (usually the same Bangladeshi guys that are also selling plastic throw-into-the-air-things everywhere, whatever you call those) comes up to you and tells you that you’re so beautiful, he just has to give you a red rose. You take it, thrilled. You and your husband/boyfriend/brother start to walk away. And then, after precisely five beats, the kind stranger suddenly reappears. “Please, two euros for the rose,” he says to your male companion. “Okay, a euro.” The poor guy is forced either to pay for the “free” rose, or to make you give it back, making himself look like a jerk. Don’t want to put your husband/friend in that situation? Don’t accept the rose.
Usually seen: At the Spanish Steps, Pantheon or Trevi Fountain, or at restaurants in touristy areas in the center. Most likely victims: Tourists in couples. If it happens to you? Unless you want the rose — and maybe you do! — hand it back politely, but firmly, and don’t feel guilty. These guys do this hundreds of times a day.
3. The many types of taxi scams. Many Rome taxi drivers are honest. Some are not. Those who are not tend to repeat some of the same ploys. One popular one is not using the meter, either by saying it’s broken, for “forgetting” to turn it on, or for giving you a flat fee up front — usually something absurd like €20 to get from the Colosseum to the Vatican. That’s not legal.
Another popular scam is to run the meter, but adjust it to make the fare higher. For example, the driver can put the meter on Zona (or Tariffa) 2; that should only apply for rides outside Rome’s beltway, and is a lot more expensive than Zona 1, the proper zone if you’re anywhere within the historic center. Or the driver might set it to the night rate, which starts at €5.80 rather than €2.80, earlier than its 10pm starting time. Or he might just take a circuitous route to get someplace (this is the toughest for tourists to tell, since many of Rome’s streets are one-way and getting around actually is tricky).
To avoid this, always make sure that 1) the meter’s running, 2) the zone is correct, and 3) the base fare is correct (€2.80 from 7am-1opm weekdays, €4 on Sundays and holidays, €5.80 from 10pm-7am, plus a €2 surcharge for cabs from Termini, €1 for each bag after the first one, and €1 for 5 or more passengers).
Usually seen: Anywhere in the center or at the airports, but especially with taxis whose drivers try to “hawk” you and at spots with lots of tourists, like the Termini station or the Colosseum. Most likely victims: Any tourists. If it happens to you? As soon as you notice the meter is off, insist that it be turned on or that the car stop and let you out. If the zone or base fares are incorrect, pipe up and be just as firm. If you’ve gotten to your destination and somehow (despite the legal surcharges above) the fare seems much higher than it should be, argue. Don’t hesitate to threaten to get the police involved before you hand over cash. Remember, they’re on your side.
2. The lost fashion designer. Here’s a classic: A guy pulls up next to you in a car and asks for directions, or some other way to start chatting with you. He’s suave, speaks English and dressed well. He tells you he’s a manager/designer/executive for Armani/Versace/Gucci and seems to “prove” it by showing you his designs. Oh, and just because you’re so friendly, he gives you a couple of coats he just happens to have in his car that are leather/silk/suede. That’s when he asks you for gas money, because he’s almost out — you know, €50 or €100. Because he just gave you a couple of coats and because he’s such a swell-seeming guy, you fork it over. This has happened again and again and again over the past few years. The guy must be making bank. Don’t be part of his profit margin.
Usually seen: Anywhere in the center, particularly in areas with lots of tourists. On more than one occasion, the car has been silver. Most likely victims: Any tourists who are walking. If it happens to you: Walk away.
1. The police impersonators. You’re shown a plastic sign with the word “police,” and the policeman asks in flawless English for your wallet, with ID and money. Unfortunately, some tourists are primed to obey, having heard how you need to always have your passport on you while in Italy and that police are everywhere. While this is true, I have yet to see a tourist randomly stopped and asked for their documents. Of course, your wallet then disappears.
Usually seen: In touristy areas. Most likely victims: Tourists. If it happens to you: Bummer. Always insist on seeing the official ID card, or documento, of the supposed policeperson, and remember that no official in Italy will ever ask you for your cash or credit cards.
*It’s likely that you will spend a week in Rome without any of the more harmful of these ever happening to you. In the past year as an American living in Rome, #5 has happened to me once, #4 countless times, #3 once or twice, and #2 and #1 not at all. It’s best, though, to know about them before you get here… not after!
Want more tips and tricks for exploring Rome? Check out The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon, below, or through my site here!
Every time you travel, you have an impact on your destination.
As much as we avid travelers like to think to the contrary, that's not always a good thing. Your waste is now your destination's waste, your carbon footprint its carbon footprint. The choices you make of what to eat and buy can commercialize the agricultural systems and undercut the artisanal production of your destination. The list of potential harms goes on — which is why "invasive tourism" is such a risk for cities and sites worldwide.
That's as true for top destinations in Italy as it is anywhere else. Just recently, the head of the Vatican Museums announced that the 20,000 or so daily visitors to the Sistine Chapel are damaging the frescoes with their dust, sweat, and carbon dioxide. Ruins are deteriorating, artisans' shops closing down, and the center is commercializing — thanks to lots of global forces, not least of all tourism.
Luckily, though, with just a little forethought, you can travel ethically. And you have the power, both with your pocketbook and the other choices you make, to preserve that art, support that culinary tradition, and help those people you like so much.
Here, just a few easy things you can do to make sure that you're helping — not harming — the places in Italy (and elsewhere!) that you love visiting.
1. Never, ever touch the frescoes. Or paintings. Or sculptures. Or tapestries. The number-one way to harm most art is to touch it, transferring the natural oils from your skin onto its surface. That wears everything away from paint to bronze.
For proof, just check out the corners of doors, say in the Vatican's Borgia apartments, that have been frescoed; because these are easy to grab as you go down a hall, they're usually almost entirely worn away. Or check out the medieval bronze statue of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica. Hundreds of years of pilgrims kissing and touching its right foot have — you guessed it — worn away the right foot. So please, if you like art, stand and gaze at it. But never, ever touch it.
Be careful with that camera flash, too — it damages cloth and tapestries, as well as some painting. Always be sure it's okay before the bulb goes off.
2. Eat only foods in season. When tourists demand out-of-season products, like artichokes in November, that either forces Italy to import the food in question (that Roman artichoke isn't so Roman, and isn't so "green," if it's from France!), or screws up local agricultural rhythms and the environment as farmers try to adapt to commercial forces. Be aware: Learn what you can, and can't, expect to be in season where you're going. For a quick read-over of what is in season when you're visiting Italy and other tips on how to eat responsibly when traveling, check out Katie Parla's excellent tips for how to be a conscientious eater.
Pizza with fiori di zucca at Da Francesco, Rome? That's something you should only be eating between July and November…
3. Don't buy plastic water bottles. Yes, they're everywhere. Yes, Italians buy them, too. But the effect is terrible. In the Cinque Terre each August alone, 400,000 plastic bottles are found littering the park and its beaches. Venice, which manages 20 million visitors each year, gets trashed with 13 million plastic bottles. And even if you dispose of your plastic bottles properly, remember that that waste has to go somewhere in Italy. (If you're in Naples, of course, that garbage might just stay there).
Italy is taking steps to eradicate the problem: The Cinque Terre banned plastic bottles this past September. From now on, visitors will have the option to buy a 1 euro metal bottle and to refill it at the park's fountains. But for areas of Italy that haven't yet legislated the matter, do the same. Buy a glass or metal bottle and refill it. That's especially easy in Rome, where there are 2,500 nasoni spewing cold, fresh water around the city.
5. Walk, or use local transportation. Italy's cities are great for walking. But if you have to get somewhere faster, take the metro or bus. It's much "greener" than individual taxis — and cheaper and pretty easy to use, too.
6. Stay in agriturismi. They're super-cheap (think €30 to €50 per night), in every destination you could possibly want to visit in Italy, usually in beautiful settings, and they often include a home-cooked meal with ingredients all harvested or slaughtered right there. (Now that's hyperlocal).
Typical Tuscan agriturismo: the Agriturismo Sant'Apollinare
Sound too good to be true? It's not. There are few more-rewarding places to stay overnight than an agriturismo, or "farm stay." And far from the slightly-backwards, eating-in-the-kitchen-with-the-farmer's-family image the word sometimes conjures, nearly every agriturismo I've stayed at has been beautiful and clean, with super-friendly but not-obtrusive owners. Some even go up to the "luxury" scale, like the beautiful Fontanaro agriturismo in Umbria (pictured at top of page). It's got a pool and gorgeous villas — but makes all its own wine, honey, and olive oil, too.
6. Try to limit your air travel. Flying back and forth from Europe to the U.S. emits three to four tons of carbon. That's more emissions than 20 people living in Bangladesh will cause in a whole year. To reduce that impact, take trains, ferries or other transport whenever you can. Consider purchasing a "carbon offset" for your flight, and try to make fewer, longer trips rather than short journeys.
7. Think before you buy. Obviously, that's true with every purchase you make, whether at home or abroad. When you buy a scarf from a Rome vendor that was made in China, your coins vote for outsourcing; when you buy handmade leather gloves in Florence, you vote for local artisans.
Be aware, too, that not all local products are necessarily "ethical." I posted several weeks ago about the coral industry on the Amalfi coast. Yes, buying a coral necklace supports local jewelry-makers, but it supports the destruction of the coral reefs, too. Decide what's important to you — but try to be aware of the local issues, both cultural and environmental, first.
I recently posted on whether tourists to Rome should use the city's public transport (short version: I think yes). For many, though, being told that Rome's buses and metros are fairly frequent, reliable, and cheap is all well and good, but how the heck do you actually use them?
And so: Some top questions — and answers — about Rome's public transportation.
Where do you buy a ticket? You can buy your ticket — which combines unlimited bus rides and one metro ride from 75 minutes after validation — at any tobacco shops or metro stations. Some bus stops, like the one at Largo Argentina, also have ticket machines. Some buses do on board, as well, but I wouldn't count on it. I've posted previously on how to find a tabaccaioand what else you can buy there.
Should I get a RomaPass? What are my other options? The RomaPass is easy and convenient: For €25, you get two free site entrances, discounted entrances elsewhere, and unlimited public transport, for three days. But as I've written before, it's not for everyone, even when you consider that it lets you "skip the line" at sites.
If you're getting the RomaPass primarily to save on public transport, meanwhile, you're making the wrong choice. You have other (and cheaper) options, all sold by the city at the same locations as the normal €1 tickets. For €4, you can get an unlimited ticket for a day. €11 gets you an unlimited ticket for three days (that's less than half the cost of the RomaPass). And if you're staying for a week, you can spring for the €16 ticket, good for seven days.
Why didn't anyone check my bus ticket? Because they don't do it that way here. Instead of checking your ticket when you get on the bus, instead, Rome will (very occasionally) send guards onto buses at random stops to check all the passengers for their tickets. If you don't have a validated ticket, you get a fine. They used to do the metro this way, too, but that system changed a few years ago.
I had a ticket and when the bus was checked, I got a fine! Why? First, bad luck! Checks seem to happen very, very rarely — I take the bus once or twice a day, and I've been checked only twice in the past year.
The reason why your ticket wasn't sufficient, though, is probably because you didn't validate it. That means running it through the yellow machine on the bus as soon as you get on. (The metro does this for you when you feed your ticket through). The machine stamps your ticket with the time; if it's been 75 minutes since validation or if the ticket was never validated at all, it's, well, invalid. Otherwise, everyone would just carry the same ticket around and use it over and over and over.
If someone tries to give me a fine, should I pay it on the spot or wait? If you're unlucky enough to have screwed up the time, failed to validate, or plain old forgotten to buy a ticket — and get checked — you'll probably be given an option by the guard. You can pay €50 in cash on the spot. Or, you can fill out a form to get a fine sent to you at your home address, to the tune of €100.
The offer of cash-in-pocket seems a little sketchy. But it's not. It's even written on the sign with ticket prices that you should see when you get on the bus (in Italian). My best guess is that they have the two separate fees because they know that, if they send you a fine at your home address, it will most likely 1) not ever arrive or 2) not ever be paid by you, who's returned back to your foreign home country and will never be forced to deal with said fine…and, most likely, not even be forced to deal with it even if you returned to Italy, even to live. By offering you the cash option instead, at least this way, they know they have the money.
Why doesn't the metro run to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and other sites that seem like they'd be pretty useful? Rome's working on building metro Line C, which will go closer to some of those sites. In general, though, Rome's lines A and B skirt the centro storico. That's primarily because it's too tough archaeologically: Whether you're walking around Piazza Venezia or the Pantheon, you have an ancient city from 10 to 20 feet beneath your feet. It's pretty hard to build a metro line there, particularly with entrances, without disrupting all of those archaeological treasures.
How can you tell at the bus stops what the bus route is? With difficulty! Romans know Rome pretty well — and the bus stops were designed for them, not for tourists. So instead of a handy bus route map at each stop, you get, instead, a somewhat-befuddling list of the names of bus stops. (Shown above).
Sometimes, this can work out. Piazza Venezia is a stop that's usually listed as "Venezia" or "Piazza Venezia"; "Aracoeli" takes you there, too. But Piazza Navona is rarely "Piazza Navona" (look for "Rinascimento," instead), and if you get on a bus to "San Pietro", you might wind up pretty darn far from St. Peter's Basilica — instead, the closest stop is the one called "Cavalleggeri." And if you want to get to the Cavour metro stop, don't get on a bus with a stop called "Cavour." That'll take you over near the Vatican.
Confused yet?
The best way to use the buses, therefore, is to plan a route — and have a bus number in mind — in advance. Unless you know Rome fairly well, just wandering around looking for a bus with the stops you want can be an all but impossible way to get around.
So how do you plan a route or figure out what bus you want in advance? Ah, here it gets simple: Go to www.atac.roma.it. Put in your starting point (in the "da" box) and destination ("a"). Click "vai," and your route is planned out for you. Bus numbers and all.
Few aspects of a city are more necessary — or more potentially infuriating — than public transport. That's as true of Rome as it is anywhere else.
Still, many visitors come to Rome with some big misconceptions about its public transportation systems. The biggest? That Rome's public transport is incredibly confusing, and only for locals, and tourists should stick to taking taxis instead. Or that it's terrible and just so much worse than the systems in other countries.
First: It's true that cabs can be an attractive alternative to public transport. They get you exactly where you want to go, they're everywhere (usually), and they're cheaper than taxis in other cities, like London or New York.
But. All of those fares add up; spending 8 euros each time you have to get somewhere instead of the 1 euro a bus costs makes a big difference. Secondly, just when you want one, you won't be able to find one; many taxis seem to use taxi stands instead of cruising the streets looking for fares, and if it's rainy or just before dinner-time, it can be tough to flag one down.
Finally, you have to be pretty careful when taking taxis. While it's getting better, some drivers won't hesitate to try to rip off a tourist, either by taking a circuitous route, not turning on the meter, or running the meter on the wrong rate. (Stay tuned for a future post on taking taxis in Rome).
That's where public transport comes in.
Many visitors shy away from Rome's buses and metros, seeming to think the system is terrible. It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than that of many other cities I've traveled in. Overall, Rome's buses and subways are clean, cheap (one euro per ride), frequent, and relatively reliable.
The metro system, especially, is remarkably good. I've never waited longer than 5 minutes for the next train. (I can't say the same for most other cities I've been in, from D.C. to New York). And a handy little display tells you how many minutes away the next metro is, like London's Tube.
The problem with the metro, though, is that it doesn't cut through most of the centro storico. (Line C, currently being dug, should fix some of that, but don't plan on using it unless your next trip to Italy is sometime after 2015). So the metro is great for getting from, say, the Spanish Steps to the Vatican, but not for getting to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, or myriad other sites in the center.
That's where the buses come in.
And while I complain about them all the time, I have to admit: The buses, too, are fairly reliable. They also go all over the place, even down those narrow, winding streets that you wouldn't expect even smart cars to venture down, never mind city buses.
But if you opt to take the bus, remember that some come far more often than others. And one bus that usually comes every 10 minutes might, when you try to get it, take 25 minutes to arrive. (Sod's Law tends to apply even more in Rome than other cities). Only some of the stops tell you when the next bus is arriving, and even that information can be wrong.
Still. I like the bus because it goes more places, and you can look around at Rome's beautiful buildings while you're riding.
So: If you're coming to Rome, plan to walk. Plan to take a cab, maybe. But also do yourself a favor — and do as the locals do — and take Rome's bus or metro.
After visiting the Amalfi coast this week, I was struck by the amount of coral jewelry being sold — and the number of tourists buying it. It didn't seem as if anyone else saw signs like that above, proudly proclaiming "Genuine Coral," as a problem. But it is.
Why shouldn't you buy (genuine, unfarmed) coral, whether from the Amalfi coast or elsewhere? Let's count the ways.
1. It's not even from the Mediterranean. Most visitors seem to think that the coral making up those pretty blue, red, and pink necklaces comes from the Bay of Naples. But at least two-thirds of coral jewelry sold on the Amalfi comes, instead, from the Pacific. Why? Because the Mediterranean is already largely depleted of its reefs… thanks to overfishing. And while the Pacific currently has more coral, its resources are quickly running out, as well.
2. Coral is not a rock, or a plant. It's an animal. Coral is alive — at least, before it's fished. It belongs to the same animal group as jellyfish and sea anemones. Each single animal is called a polyp; together, these polyps make up a colony. They excrete calcium carbonate for protection, which makes up their exoskeletons. So what you are wearing around your neck is, literally, the skeleton of these creatures. (Yuck).
3. It's an animal that supports a full 25 percent of other ocean animals. More than 4,000 species of fish alone depend on coral, living in and among its handy nooks and crannies and feeding on the other creatures that live there. Coral reefs make up the world's richest and most diverse type of marine habitat. And they provide the backbone of a whole ecosystem that, without them, can't exist.
Think of coral reefs like a rainforest: If you wouldn't buy the harvested wood of an endangered tree that supported 25 percent of all rainforest animals, don't buy coral.
4. Coral reefs are pretty important to people, too. They naturally protect coastlines from storms, erosion, and tsunamis; they provide millions of people worldwide with the fish that they rely on for meals. An estimated 500 million people worldwide require coral reefs for their livelihoods.
5. To get the coral, many Mediterranean harvesters still use dredging. That's illegal. Dredging, which means dragging nets along the seabed, takes absolutely everything in its path. Once dredged, coral reefs simply don't recover. They're deader than dead. The practice has been banned in the Mediterranean since 1994, but it's still done.
6. All of that important coral is disappearing. Fast. In the Mediterranean, red coral harvests have plummeted by 66 percent from 1985 to 2001. That's not because jewelers have turned to more sustainable practices; it's because hardly any coral is left. Worldwide, one-quarter of reefs are irreparably damaged, while another two-thirds is at serious risk of being lost.
I've scuba-dived in damaged reefs before, and there's no overemphasizing just how big the difference is between a dead reef — white, abandoned, without a single living thing — and a live reef, teeming with colorful fish and plant life. It's heartbreaking to think that 25 percent of reefs that were healthy just several decades ago have now slipped into the former category.
7. Once it's gone, coral ain't coming back, at least anytime soon. It takes a coral reef an entire year to grow from 1 to 3 centimeters horizontally and 1 to 25 centimeters vertically. And, of course, that growth can only happen in an area that's being undisturbed by practices like trawling. That means the coral reefs in existence are pretty old; the Great Barrier Reef, for example, started growing 20,000 years ago.
The reasons to think twice before splurging for coral go on and on.
Yes, it's worth keeping in mind, too, that the coral fishers and jewelers in the Amalfi depend on coral for their livelihoods. And it is a practice they've been following for hundreds of years. But before millions of tourists visited the Amalfi coast every year, the demand simply wasn't there for coral on the same level it is now. So the trawling wasn't at the same level, either. Many reefs still thrived. Not today.
So while my heart goes out to those who say they have to harvest coral to put food on the table, it's those workers, too, who might want to invest in more sustainable practices. Because at this rate, they'll all be out of a job in twenty years.
So please: Don't buy the coral. If you're looking for a souvenir from Sorrento or Positano, go for that limoncello instead.
You can find a better souvenir of your time in Positano. How about a pretty picture instead?
For more information and to see what else you can do to help, check out:
Reef Relief, a nonprofit devoted to saving the world's coral reefs
Miss Scuba's article on the different types of coral and how coral harvesting is harmful
It seems like it should be simple, but it stumps otherwise-intelligent people every day: How the heck do you call Italy from home — and call home from Italy?
Here it is, broken down in simple steps. Of course, for every phone call, keep time zones in mind; Italy’s one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, so it’s one hour ahead of (i.e., later than) London, six hours ahead of New York City, and nine hours ahead of California.
Also, if you’re bringing your cell phone from home to use in Italy (and I hope you looked at your plans with your cell phone company, and your other options for international dialing, first — as well as made sure that your network will work in Europe!) know that when you call an Italian number, you’ll call it like an Italian, no country-codes gobbledygook needed. But if you’ll be calling home, you’ll have to dial home as if you were calling from an Italian landline — i.e., with all those dialing codes.
Of course, you could always just make it easy for yourself and download Skype, the free voice-over-internet program. (You can add credit to your account to call internationally, often at very cheap rates). But if you don’t, here goes.
Dial an Italian phone number from the U.S.
1. Dial 011. That’s the international access code that you need to dial out of the U.S. to another country. If the number you’ve been given says something like +39 0123456789, then the + is what you replace with the 011.
Or, if you’re dialing from a cell phone, you can often just dial the +. No access code needed, since it knows where you are. (Creepy…)
2. Dial 39. That’s Italy’s country code.
3. Dial the rest of the number. Include the first 0. (For other countries, you drop that 0).
So: If someone hands you a card that says their Italian number is 0123456789, then, from the U.S., you dial 011 plus 39 plus 0123456789. Got it?
Dial an Italian phone number from another country outside of Italy
1. Dial your country’s international access code. For England and Ireland, it’s 00; for Australia, it’s 0011; from Canada, it’s 011 (yes, the same as the U.S.). You can easily find out your international access code here.Again, if the number you’ve been given says something like +39 0123456789, then the + is what you replace with this code.
Or, if you’re dialing from a cell phone, you can often just dial the +.
2. Dial 39.
3. Dial the rest of the number, with the first 0.
If you’re calling Italy from Australia, therefore, you’d dial 0011 plus 39 plus 0123456789.
Dial a U.S. phone number from Italy
1. Dial 00. That’s Italy’s international access code. If you’re dialing from a cell phone, you can often just dial the +. No access code needed.
2. Dial 1. (That’s the “1” as in, 1 (202) 123-4567).
3. Dial the rest of the number. (In the example above, that would be (202) 123-4567).
So for the example above, you would dial 00 plus 1 plus 202 123 4567, and you’re done.
Dial another country from Italy
1. Dial 00, Italy’s international access code. Or, if you’re dialing from a cell phone, you can often just dial the +. No access code needed.
2. Dial your country’s code. For Australia, that’s 61; for England, that’s 44; Ireland is 353; and Canada is 00.
Want more tips and tricks for travel in Italy? Check out The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon, below, or through my site here.
Yes, your passport’s important. But that’s not what I mean. As much as many people seem to plan their trips to Rome down to the detail, there are some mistakes that can be easy to make… from using TripAdvisor for restaurants to coming during ferragosto. Below, eight items to keep in mind while planning a trip to Rome.
1. Bring your student ID. If you’re a university student, bring your I.D. card with you. It’s true that this gets you fewer discounts than it does in more student-friendly countries like, say, Greece, but it does get you a discount at the Vatican (€8 instead of €15) and can come in handy elsewhere, too. If you’re an E.U. citizen, also make sure to bring an I.D. with you whenever you’re sightseeing: You lucky Europeans get discounts at almost all of Rome’s sites, including the Colosseum, forum, and Borghese Gallery.
2. Don’t come in July or August Think about what time of year you’re coming. Yes, little Johnny gets the summer off from school. But so do everybody else’s kids, so this is when the hotels are full (and pricey), the Colosseum’s packed, and you have to stand on tiptoes to get a look at the Vatican’s Laocoön. Not to mention that it’s hot, sweaty, and in August, Romans celebrate ferragosto— meaning that the city’s best restaurants and family-run shops are closed. (For proof, see photo above). Scheduling limitations are understandable. But if there’s any way to sweep away to Rome in June, or better yet, spring break, fall, or Christmas, you’ll have a much more relaxing, rewarding experience. Little Johnny will thank you.
3. Do your restaurant research… Understandably, a lot of people come to Rome and think, “All these restaurants serve Italian food. They MUST all be good!” Sadly, that’s not the case. You would wind up eating in a tourist trap if you showed up at Times Square hungry and confused (I know I have…), and you will wind up having the same experience in Rome. Not might. Will. It’s a tourism-based city, and lots of restaurants take advantage of that, shoveling their customers terrible, microwaved food along with a gut-wrenching bill.
So if you’re spending any amount of time thinking about what museums and sites you want to see in Rome (and who doesn’t?), then do yourself a favor: Use some of that time to think about where you’ll eat, too. You’ll be spending at least two hours a day dining, three or four if you’re doing it the Italian way. You don’t want to feel like those hours, or euros, are wasted.
4. …but don’t do your restaurant research on TripAdvisor. Yes, TripAdvisor is good for some things. It is not good for restaurant recommendations, at least here in Rome. It’s too easy to play the system — aggressively asking clients to post 5-star reviews, having cousins and siblings put up fake reviews, etc. I’m not casting any aspersions on the restaurants that are listed as Rome’s “best” on TripAdvisor. But. Suffice it to say that I’ve never heard of most of the TripAdvisor top-15 (Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, a local favorite, and Babbo’s, which is pretty good for the value, aside), among anyone claiming to be a “foodie” or even “very enthusiastic eater.” And those restaurants have never, ever come up as recommendations to me from any Roman or expat friends in all the times I’ve asked.
But the bad news continues. Also be wary of guidebooks, since as with all restaurant scenes, things change quickly here in Rome, and guidebook-info is often at least a year behind. (Not to mention that as soon as a restaurant winds up in a guidebook, it often starts resting on its laurels). For proof, just check out my post on Ristorante Montevecchio. In 2007, it had a glowing review from NPR. But three years is a long, long time in the dining world.
So what do you do? Well, research elsewhere — preferably in recent newspaper articles like, okay, mine, and on good Rome-food websites like Katie Parla’s www.parlafood.com. I’ll also be adding more and more restaurants to the “Food and Drink” part of this site, so stay tuned.
5. Think ahead of time about taking a tour. Because if you’re interested in the concept at all, what will happen is this: You’ll get to the Colosseum. You’ll see the line. Some nice-looking 20-something holding a clipboard will stop you and say “Hey, do you speak English? Do you want to skip this twenty-three-hour line?” And before you know it, you’ll be hustled into a tour that, well, might get mixed reviews, to put it nicely.
Instead, do your research in advance and think about what you might want to take a tour of. (The Vatican can overwhelm visitors, and those companies worth their salt arrange for you to skip the line; the Forum can seem like a pile of rubble without a knowledgeable guide; an evening city walk can help you get your bearings). Then book it. Done. You don’t have to think about it again — nor do you have to get swept into a group of 50 with a barely-English-speaking guide, all because you didn’t book a well-researched company in advance.
6. If making a strict itinerary, know your closing dates. I never fail to be saddened — and surprised — by the number of visitors who come to the Vatican Vatican museums on Sunday, expecting to waltz right in. Why do these downtrodden hordes surprise me? Because the Vatican museums (including the Sistine Chapel and Raphael rooms, of course) are always closed on Sunday. (Except for the last Sunday of the month, when it’s free, but that means the line snakes for miles and miles, so….).
If you’re planning your sites day by day, make sure you know what will be open when. If you can’t find out opening dates for a museum/restaurant/site through a quick search online, give them a call on Skype. Also, remember that if you want to go to the Borghese Gallery (and you should! It’s lovely!), you must reserve in advance.
7. Don’t get a RomaPass. Necessarily. A lot of visitors do this ahead of time because it seems like a great idea: Once you activate it, your first two entries to sites are free, the rest are discounted, and you get free public transport, for three days. Sounds pretty great, right?
Before you spring for it, though, consider which sites you’ll be going to first — and if “skipping the line” is worth it. (The only RomaPass site that tends to have a long line is the Colosseum). A RomaPass costs €25. Let’s say you’re coming to Rome and you’re doing a Colosseum tour with a company that lets you cut the line. So instead, you immediately do the Capitoline museums (€7.50 saved) and the Palazzo Barberini (€5 saved), neither of which have lines that I’ve ever seen. In the next three days, you would have to take the bus or metro six times and hit up three more sites that charge you entry for the card to even pay for itself. (Are you even going to three more sites that charge you entry? Most top spots, including the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s Basilica, and other churches, don’t have an entry fee. Plus, the RomaPass does not include the Vatican museums, a €15 entry).
You also don’t have to buy a RomaPass in advance: If you decide you want to buy one once you get here, you can purchase it from any of the ticket desks of the participating sites or from ticket desks at some metro stops, including Termini, Spagna and Ottaviano.
For a RomaPass FAQ, click here; for a list of the museums it includes and their respective discounts, click here.
8. Forget the traveler’s cheques. Or, at least, don’t go too crazy: They’re nice insurance, but can be way more of a hassle than they’re worth. Bringing a big wad of cash and expecting to change it when you get here is a bad idea, too, only because any of the money-exchange places you find will give you a “you-must-be-kidding” (and not in a good way) kind of rate.
Easier: Bring a couple of ATM cards and use them when you get here. (At least one will work. Really.) For bigger purchases, use a credit card, like Visa’s CapitalOne, that doesn’t bang you with a surcharge for international fees. Both options will give you the “High Street” exchange rate, not the rate that some guy with a storefront and some pretty currency symbols came up with.
Just remember two things. First: Credit cards are accepted far less often in Italy than they are in other countries, including the U.S. and U.K., so you should always have cash on hand. Second: To be on the safe side, make sure you call your bank and credit card companies in advance to inform them that you are going abroad, so charges that they see won’t be the nefarious workings of some Roman scam artist.
If you liked this post, you’ll love The Revealed Rome Handbook: Tips and Tricks for Exploring the Eternal City, available for purchase on Amazon or through my site here! I’m also free for one-on-one consulting sessions to help plan your Italy trip.
