Category Archives: Practical Information

12 Ways to Stay Safe in Rome

Worried about saftey in Rome? It never hurts to be cautious but rest assured that Rome is safe, for a major European capital. And I never agreed in that past that  “someone” was targeting American students abroad. But I do agree that the intoxicating feeling of being in Rome, and actual intoxication can be a […]

7 Things You Can Do at an Italian Tabaccheria

Tabaccherie (tabacco shops) are the workhorses of Italy. You can do a lot of useful things in an Italian tabaccheria. The shops are nearly ubiquitous, identifiable by the black and white (or blue and white) T signs that hang outside their doors. What are they for? Well, here are 7 things you can do at […]

8 Reasons Why Moving to Italy Made Sense, Financially

There are a lot of reasons to move to Rome. Weather, food, art and culture all come to mind. However, one of the reasons I moved to Rome was because it made sense for my budget. Think you can’t afford to move to Italy? Here are 8 ways I saved and/or made money by taking […]

Visa Appointment at the Italian Consulate

I just completed the longest trip the US that I have taken since moving to Italy in 2010.  The main motivation was to see my family and friends, so I took plenty of trips to celebrate and reconnect. However, another part of any stateside visit for me is renewing my Italian visa.  Somehow during my weeks in […]

How to Get a Permesso di Soggiorno in Italy

The paperwork in Italy is never done.  No. Really. Never done. In five years, I have never written about how to get a permesso di soggiornio because just thinking about it gives me chest pains. However, the process is slowly getting better and it remains one of those necessities of life in Italy as a […]

Getting a Visa for Italy

I haven’t been much in the blog updating mood.  Instead, I’ve been bouncing around California thoroughly enjoying the company of family and friends.  Also, eating. Eating A LOT. My main extracurricular activity has been waiting.  Waiting for paperwork from Italy, waiting for paperwork from the Italian Consulate in LA, waiting to see if I could […]

Using Credit Cards in Italy

hands touching a blue credit card over food on counter

In the past ten years, it has become increasingly common to use credit cards in Italy. As of 2019, many brick and mortar businesses (including stores and restaurants) now accept most international cards. Visa and MasterCard are the most commonly accepted credit cards in Italy, and while American Express is accepted in some places, there […]