Study abroad in Italy tips from a cultural expert! Learn how to avoid the most common mistakes American students make and get the real Italian experience — even if you're stuck with your U.S. classmates and professors abroad. Discover cultural immersion hacks, how to act like a local in Italy, where to travel (and where to stay put), and why living like an Italian will make your semester unforgettable. Includes tips for making local friends, attending events, and understanding Italian life beyond tourist hotspots. A must-read for anyone studying abroad in Italy in 2025 or planning a semester in Europe.
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When you buy a generic souvenir, you're not just spending a few euros on a memento. You're casting a vote—for what kind of tourism you want to support. Do you want to invest in preserving Italy’s rich cultural heritage, or throw away money and contribute to its erosion?

With a little extra effort, you buy a product of real quality, one that you might even hand down to your children one day, instead of tossing that tshirt into a landfill a few years after your trip. The good news is, you don’t have to do hours of research to make a responsible choice. Italy is full of incredible, authentic items that tell a real story and support real people, many of whom are young and fighting for their own heritage. You just have to know where to look.

With a wedding in Italy, you can’t go wrong, it’s bound to be beautiful, but when news broke that billionaire Jeff Bezos was hosting his wedding celebration in Venice, it wasn’t long before that familiar feeling of dread started creeping in. Next thing we knew, there were lavish boats, private security, and entire areas of the city closed off to the public, as if the Floating City were some banquet hall for rent. It’s so easy for us mere mortals to cast Bezos in a negative light, to make him the villain set out to destroy anything he touches, but it’s also true that a billionaire wedding weekend simply tracks for a city like Venice. What is the takeaway from Bezos’s big day and what can we learn from his triumphs and mistakes?

Planning a trip to Italy and unsure how much to tip at restaurants, cafes, hotels, or for services like taxis and tours? This essential guide to tipping etiquette in Italy breaks down everything you need to know, as told by someone in the cultural know. Learn whether tipping in Italy is expected, nuances found in different situations, and how Italian customs differ from American norms. Perfect for first-time travelers or anyone who wants to travel Italy respectfully and confidently, this article answers all your questions about gratuities in Italy, Italian restaurant service charges, and cultural tipping practices in Italy. Avoid awkward moments and feel prepared with this insider advice tailored for English-speaking tourists in Italy.

In recent years, a new kind of tourism has quietly gained momentum—one that doesn’t rely on skip-the-line museum tickets or viral tik tok recommendations. It’s called ancestral tourism, and it’s a win-win for tourists and Italy in ways that go far beyond the economy. As the country grapples with the pressure of mass tourism in hotspots like Venice, Florence, and Rome, ancestral tourism is emerging as a powerful alternative—one that supports local communities, preserves cultural heritage, and offers tourists a deeply personal, transformative experience.

When is the best time to move abroad? I moved to Italy in my early twenties from the United States and couldn’t be more grateful. Read what I got out of the experience in this personal reflection about coming of age far from home.

Advice for soon-to-be tourists, students, and hopefuls from a 20 year expat in Italy

Are you as open-minded as you think you are?