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Negative Capability

poetbabble asked: What is BM and where and when? I will be in Italy for a month this summer. Also, anything you wish someone had told you before you went to Rome? Cheap places to stay, rail passes, etc... Seriously. Excited.

BM is Burning Man. A quick Tumblr search will provide you with the rest, as it is one of those events where no amount of words will be of use without some images to go with them.

Hmm. There is definitely much that I wish I would have known about Italy earlier, but had to learn the hard way. Much of it will depend on the sort of travelling that you envisage: where you want to go, how long you want to stay for, and how much you want to spend. Here are some general quick points to get you started.

  • Don’t expect anything to work like you assume it would.
  • Rule of thumb is the more south you go, the cheaper things get.
  • Also, the further from the tourist centre you go, the cheaper things get.
  • Seriously, Italy can be really cheap, but also very expensive. Knowing some Italian and being adventurous enough to go out of the main areas (both in the country, and in each city) can save you tonnes of money.
  • Every cafe/bar will charge you extra to serve you at a table. If you want a quick cup of coffee or aperitivo, have it at the bar like all italians, where it will cost you 60c instead of 4EU.
  • Happy hours are great. Make use of them at least a few times. For 5-10EU you get a drink and all you can eat buffet. Some of these are amazing.
  • Get an Italy Train Pass (with a set number of days) and use it for all your long distance train travel. All trains on a select day are free, with a 10EU surcharge for fast trains.
  • If you’re in a major city for more than a few days, usually try to get a City Pass, which gives you access to some museums, plus transit. The savings is not that much, but being able to skip lines will make you very happy.
  • On packed public transit in big cities you will probably be pick-pocketed. Happened to pretty much everyone I know.
  • If you can/are brave enough, rent a car/vespa for a day or two and go see the countryside. You will probably get lost, but will have a great time doing it. Or rent a bicycle. 

Anything else I think will depend on where and when you’re going. I hope it’s not in August.

Best,

PS. Thanks for distracting me from International Tax Planning.

Ilia


  1. poetbabble said: Burning Man - I’ve been. I thought BM was in IT! The rest is great info! I’m landing in Rome and then staying total month but just wandering (where ever that leads-flor, venice, verona, cinque terre, amalfi. pompeii) Also may ferry to Athens -noplans
  2. ikorkh posted this

May 24 2011


Some People Worth Watching