forum Someone who’s been to Italy, England, or France, tell me all about it!

Started November 17, 2019 by @ColaOfTheCocaVariety

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Please just tell me every single detail

France is amazing!! I’ve been to Paris, and it is just lined with small shops and hole-in-the-wall restaraunts (those are the best ones). There are actually many parts of Paris that are just gorgeous and seem more suburban that city. It’s very crowded, I will say that. There’s also a really cool thing about that city— underneath it, theres something called the catacombs. I was terrified to go but gosh, they are so cool. It’s basically tons of underground tunnels with skeletons and the like. It’s certainly a history trip and a must see.
Also, many people stereotype the marble floors across from the Eiffel Tower. They are farther away than you might think, and definently more crowded than they are in the movies.
There are also so many large old churches that are just gorgeous.

As for England, I’ve traveled around London. It is certainly a trip. It has some beautiful parts of it and the parks are gorgeous. There are some spots where it seems like everyone knows each other. There are markets and intricate parts of the city that are really fun to walk around.

The subway or Underground Railroad systems in both France and England are very alike and the majority of people use them, so its almost always crowded but it depends on what your destination is and when. Of course, this is my knowledge from being in each place for only a summer, so I’d do additional research. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!

I haven't been to France, but I lived in Chesterfield, England for 3 months and Pisa, Italy for 1 month. Happy to answer any questions about either (I also traveled around both countries a bit, with a lot more travel in England).

England was super fun. The city I stayed in was super small (~50,000 people) and a suburb of Sheffield (much larger at 500,000 people). Since I didn't have a car, Sheffield felt significantly further away than a suburb normally does – I walked to the train station and took a train into town whenever I needed something our small town didn't have. The trains were super easy to buy tickets for, were nice and comfortable, and surprisingly reliable. I visited Liverpool, London, Nottingham, Edinburgh, and a few other places without any issues.

A lot of the town was older people and older businesses, with a nice cobblestone street down the middle and some interesting churches (Chesterfield is known for its twisted spire church – check it out!). Most days I'd walk across town to a small coworking space called Monkey Park owned by a nice guy trying to help out the community, which seemed pretty close to begin with. Walking the streets was always interesting because you don't really see houses separated like they are in the States; a lot of times you get what feel like side roads with just rows and rows of connected houses/businesses (oftentimes with houses on the second floor of businesses) and it can feel a bit unnerving at night because there's really only one way to run if something sketchy happens. However, Chesterfield (and much of England) was surprisingly safe, so I never ran into any issues.

Italy, on the other hand, seemed a lot rougher where I was. I stayed in a small apartment above a butcher shop (that you could clearly smell from some rooms…) a 30-minute walk away from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There were a lot more panhandlers and scam artists on the streets, and they could get pretty aggressive at times. Most of the main streets and immediately around the Tower were mostly fine, but if you found yourself even a couple streets over from where most tourists were you started seeing a lot more aggressive people taking advantage of you being alone.

Besides that, Italy was beautiful. I loved the architecture there and pretty much everything within the city. The people are very passionate and loved what little Italian @amy (the most wonderful woman in the world) and I spoke, and it felt like a place I could stay for a really long time.

Also, the coffee was delicious and a tradition of espresso after dinner (and/or going out for a walk after dinner) is definitely one I'd recommend. :)

I live in England and have been to Italy twice.

I have lived in the south-east area of England, therefore, counties like Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex, Greater London etc.. (counties are just geographical regions in England.) I guess it's like asking what state you're from but on a much more smaller and precise scale… Anyway,

England varies HUGELY depending on where you are. Usually, people think England is quite limited with its cultures, architecture and people merely because it's a small country but I tell you it's not. The accents are different in nearly every county and the southern/northern accents are COMPLETELY different (slang and phrasing included)
I'm going to start and explain the geographical differences in England very vaguely cos I won't be able to go into full detail without spending hours on it. What you need to know is that usually, the north has more "countryside" than the south in my experience. The south is renowned for urban landscapes (probably because of London etc). However, that does not mean there isn't any countryside in the south. Things which vary between both in the people include the humour, sports culture, friendliness, weather, and view of the Midlands.
The midlands are the part of England which doesn't really belong to either. You've got the west and east Midlands within that but I don't know enough about that to be honest. All I know is that some renowned Midland counties are Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire etc. I highly recommend you look at a map of England as the midlands are legit "the parts in the middle" of England.
To get a good sense of English culture, look up comedy shows, news programmes and sports games to get a good sense. The BBC (the main broadcasting company in England) does news broadcasts depending on where you are in the country. I get the south-east programme but you can get them in Northern England etc. Comedy shows like Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 cats, Would I lie to you etc are GREAT examples of British/English culture. Football (soccer haha) and rugby are also the most popular sports
Here are some links on the North and south differences in England.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › North–South_divide_(England)
https://www.thetravel.com/england-north-south-differences-surprise-americans-visitors/
https://www.quora.com › What-are-the-cultural-differences-between-north…
The north-west of England (in Cumbria) also have this famous place called "the lake district" which is a beautiful reserve of nature which is popular for tourists and locals. I recommend you look it up. there are these shows in England like "location, location, location" and "move to the country" which show English Architecture (kinda). Watch historical shows too, they show a lot of towns etc.
I would love to tell you more but I feel as if I need to talk about Italy now. I say look up more tourist websites, look up towns in both South and North England to see the difference. See how the cities differ too and listen to the accents.
Another thing, you'll probably know, Scotland is NOT northern England. It is another country. It has its own politics and culture.
Geographical terms:
British isles include Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales.
UK (United Kingdom) includes Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.
Great Britain includes England, Wales and Scotland.

Italy

Now, I only know Italy from a tourists perspective but I have been to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Venice and smaller towns around them.
When I went to the first 4 mentioned, Italy was experiencing a heatwave which made it unbearably hot. I don't think its that hot usually but it has certainly a warmer and dryer climate to the more northern countries of Europe.
They speak Italian (obviously haha) yet they all are very good at speaking English too.
ROME
Rome is the most notorious city in Italy and probably the most urban. It has trams, crowded (yet efficient) train lines, lots of cars and buses, flats and brightly painted buildings and lots of lights and historical sights all over the place. The people (similar to Spain) usually come out later afternoon, evening or early morning to avoid the soaring heat (something I learnt quite quickly) This makes them nocturnal/early risers and that means that nighttime is very rarely quiet and peaceful. I find many come out to party at night or socialise therefore transport systems and lights in Italy are made to suit the night. Also, note that pickpockets are very common in Rome and Venice. so people usually wear their bags and pockets tightly or held by a string. The colosseum over there is beautiful, huge ad sometimes lights up at night. Overall, Rome was a city filled with culture and beautiful buildings but then I saw Florence and, oh my…

FLORENCE
Florence has got to be one of the most BEAUTIFUL cities I have ever seen in my lie. It has this river running through it which the buildings just entwine with, less traffic to Rome and the historical and artistic aspects of the place are staggering. I imagine you can look up the city and see the landscape for yourself so I'm going to describe the things I found the most surprising/enjoyed.

• There are people on the streets I found which just hand you roses. I received many in my travels around the country. There are a lot of street performers who are usually artists, painters, sculptures and occasionally dancers. There is a guy waiting to draw your portrait on every street
• Surprisingly, lots of jewellers and shops filled with watches and hats. They like their fashion and accessories.
• Lots of cathedrals, fountains, churches everywhere. This applies to every site in Italy which I went to.
• People are very friendly.
• LOTS OF ICE CREAM AND CAKE SHOPS. I was very greedy when I was there.
  There is also this spot on top of a hill in Florence where you can watch the sunset over the city and reflect over the water.
  This city is truly one for art, music, history and museums. If you want to set your story somewhere with culture and beauty, I highly recommend Florence. They also have a God museum and a pantheon with huge statues of greek gods + Roman

LUCCA AND PIZA
Two places very close to one and other if I remember rightly. Lots of music here, people singing and playing strange instruments on the street, very pleasant.
Like Rome, many people come out at night but instead of partying they sit at restaurants and cafes. One time, they had this square lit by candles outside my balcony where some street musicians played romantic waltz music and people were allowed to just come in and dance with a partner. Lovely moment.
All their food is quite local, Italians really like their food and are quite passionate about it. All the food I had there was absolutely amazing.
Lot's of cycling in Lucca and Pisa.
Lots of grass too, more dainty and fairy-book like compared to Rome.
Strong sense of community

VENICE
One of the strangest places I've ever been in my life. where to start…
Hot but not as hot as Rome and southern Italy
When they say it's all on water, trust me, it really is all on water. Some streets are legit waterways. The only way you can get there is by boat or train. The train looks like (from the window) like its running ON the water. The city is SURROUNDED by water, it's an island. They are also lots of small islands surrounding Venice I noticed with some scraps, abandoned boats and trees. Lots and lots and lots of boats. There are no cars or buses, only boats. The buses are boats, the police cars and ambulances are boats, the taxis are boats. I saw what was the equivalent to a car chase but it was with boats.
A lot of statues of Roman gods, water fountains, pickpockets and bridges.
The city itself is technically a puzzle/maze. I got lost so many times there and had to go through these extremely thin, narrow streets to get back. When I say narrow, I mean about 2 metres across.
Lots of markets selling jewels, phone cases and other small things like that. The most abundant shop was for masks and masquerade masks. Expensive but very fun to try on.

Lastly, the thing which I found annoying about Italy is that you have to pay 1 euro to use any type of public toilet.

Also, there are a lot of pigeons.

Hope this helped xxx

I've only been to Rome, Florence, and Venice so there's not a lot that I have to say that hasn't been already said but here's a few things:

• This probably goes without saying, but all the food I had in Italy was so amazing! One thing that I noticed is that as far as Gelato goes, the quality is about the same that I find here in Canada, but they had way more unique flavours. For instance, in Rome I had a basil and walnut flavoured gelato (it was… interesting?)
• Florence is only about 2 hrs away from Rome by train.
• Florence really is super beautiful. I've said that about pretty much everywhere in Europe that I've seen so I don't know that's saying much, but I do mean it.

• One of big tourist spots in Florence is the Duomo (it's actually called Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore or St. Mary of the Flower). There was a pretty big line to get in while I was there, but it moved quickly. I found the interior to be a little underwhelming compared to some of the other European churches I've been in but it was still really pretty.

• I've heard a lot of people say that Venice is overrated, but I disagree. It's a really beautiful and unique city and very deserving of the hype, imo.
• It's very touristy. There's souvenir shops everywhere. The streets are pretty crowded, but the population is actually not very big, so most of the people you're seeing are probably tourists.
• I've also had a lot of people say that Venice smells bad because of the water. I did notice it when I first got off the train, but I got used to it super quickly and within an hour or so I didn't even notice it.
• In St. Marco Square, I honest to god have never seen so many pigeons in one place.
• Murano is really neat! It's known for glass making and there's even some places that will let you watch a glassblowing demonstration. It's only 1.5 km north of Venice and getting there is super easy.
• It is kind of confusing to navigate, but there's signs that point out the direction to important landmarks (like famous attractions, the train station, etc). So if you're trying to get to a certain place and know where it is in relation to a famous tourist attraction then just follow the signs and you're all set.

I lived in Vicenza, Italy for two years, so here’s what I can tell you!

• People love children, especially babies.
• The grandmas are scary and will yell at you. I once had a pack of grandmas yell at me in Italian because my shoes were untied and I didn’t have a jacket on.
• On that note, Italians will wear heavy coats for longer than Americans will think is normal. From what I remember, it was from early September to early to mid-April before the puffy jackets came off.
• Pets are family. Italians will take their dogs into restaurants, stores, almost anywhere. They need to be either in a kennel in the car or have a seatbelt. Dogs need to wear muzzles on public transport.
• The fashion is beautiful, this goes without saying.
• Pizza’s good, but it’s not the crown jewel of Italian food. My personal favorite is either spaghetti carbonara or focaccia.
• I’ve seen gelato mentioned on this, but where I lived, it was dirt cheap. Even in a place like Venice, it was only 1-2€ per scoop (and the scoops are big) and the flavors were amazing. This depends on the gelateria, obviously.
• The architecture is beautiful, obviously— my personal favorite place was Sirmione, where there’s a medieval castle in the water.
• There are no cars in Venice. Not really many bikes, either. You walk or take a water taxi, and those get expensive.
• Produce in grocery stores is amazing!
• (This is my opinion) Pisa is a day trip, not really somewhere that you spend a lot of time at. The tower is cool and interesting, but I didn’t find much else there was too exciting.
• At least where I lived, I was four hours or less away from everything. Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, those all took roughly four hours. I was a 45 minute drive away from Venice, and a 4 hour drive from Rome.
• The art in churches is stellar! A lot of churches where I lived had almost a museum portion of art and paintings, but most of them were frescoes on the walls and ceilings.
• This goes without saying because it’s like this in most cities everywhere, but don’t have a bag that you can’t keep a close eye on. You will get pickpocketed. From my experience, either wear a crossbody, a tote that you can keep close to you, or a backpack that’s hard to open.
• If a man tries to give you a rose or a bracelet, DO NOT TAKE IT. Say no. He will (usually) make you pay extreme prices once you touch it. If he forces it into your hand, drop/throw it on the ground immediately and walk away.
• There are these things in Italy that look like taps, they’re usually in the streets and parks. These are water fountains. Yes, you can drink from them. They’re low to the ground, so either use your hands, a water bottle, or crouch.
• In a restaurant, if you order water, you will get the glass bottle- it’s usually a liter. The same thing happens in cafes. If you get a smaller, plastic bottle of water, they will usually give you either a cup or glass. Use it.

I went to Warwick Castle in London and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! I went on a walk through the grass and forest in the dead of morning, and it was absolutely stunning! I saw black and white swans and i was kind of dumbfounded at how gorgeous they were! My shoes did kind of get soaked in water from the grass, but at least I got to see the gorgeous trees and flora! I absolutely loved it ahahah