1. When stopping for a quick coffee or sandwich, order at the counter and enjoy the coffee standing; you can get immediate service, soak in the atmosphere and get your order for half price by avoiding the seating fee and rent for prime real estate on those tables out front.
2. Public bathrooms are few and far between, take advantage of the one in the restaurant or café you’ve just eaten at, that way you won’t waste time searching for one ten minutes down the road!
3. In a pinch, you can always stop in a nearby café and order a coffee in order to use the restroom... but beware, this will probably only delay the problem!
4. Speaking of toilets, many Italian public WCs have the stand-up variety. Better to be mentally prepared!
5. A hotel room without a bidet is like a restaurant without pizza on the menu. And the bidet is the most interesting thing in the hotel room to a 15 month old.
6. In the tourist towns tables can fill quickly around lunchtime, and restaurants can also be expensive. But a pizza can be had quick and cheap, to fill you up until dinner and that pasta seafood dinner you’ve been looking forward to all day!
7. Remember to add a “no” to your bonjour in the mornings.
8. When booking hotels, aim for free parking, wi-fi and breakfast. These are not standard, and will quickly add to your hotel expenses to void that “great rate.”
9. Saldi does not mean the same thing it means in Latvian, “sweet.” It means “sale” and people will look at you funny if you ask to buy the shirts the mannequins are wearing advertising the sales.
10. Always stop at bars/cafés/restaurants that share a name with your husband!
Such great words of wisdom! I just encountered being charged extra for sitting in a restaurant in London - that was new to me :)
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