Cultural differences you may encounter in Rome & Italy

A couple of years ago we devoted a whole blog post on how grocery shopping works when you visit Italy – well, the center of Rome anyway! There, you will find a number of small supermarkets that work differently from the biggest ones typically located in malls. But we digress…

Along with this other piece, not only was that article popular with our readers, it also sparked a number of questions on how things are this side of the Mediterranean.

At From Home to Rome, we enjoy saying that there are no real cultural differences once you are from a Western country, but really – there are!

Keep an open mind!

Some things that are major for us Italians will seem of no consequence to you; and vice-versa.

With this new post, we want to address the way some things are here; it’s not cultural differences per se, but knowing them can make your life easier. As always, we encourage you to avoid judgment – because something works differently than at home, it doesn’t mean it’s inherently worse – or better. It’s just another system of dealing with things.

Housing and sharing living spaces: heating, elevators, decor…

When you book an accommodation at From Home to Rome, of course you’re aware that you’re renting someone else’s place for a while. It’s not a hotel and it’s not supposed to work like one (see this post for more insight on this). You’re going to find basics there but not everything you have in your own home, and that’s ok. Different strokes, right?

The furniture may not be exactly to your taste, you’d have probably done something different with the rooms, and so on and so forth. In most cases, you’re booking a property that has been owned by the same family for hundreds of years, which is not at all how things work in Italy! The owners may be hesitant to change anything because that might be their family home. That happens.

Because of that, it could be considered insensitive to offer to buy art off the walls of where you’re staying, as is rearranging the decor or removing objects you like but are family heirlooms. This should be obvious, but we have guests from all countries, of all ages and from all walks of life, which means all of the above has happened at some point.

As you start to travel internationally again, it’s also a good idea to inquire about how heating and A/C work – regardless of whether an accommodation has central heating or not, in Italy this is regulated by the municipality we live in, which means there’s a calendar we have to abide by (we cannot turn the heating before/after a certain day of the year – every area is different in that respect).

It all boils down to enviromental concerns. This year in particular, though, we have to be extra mindful because the situation with Russia is more complex than ever (the sanctions being imposed on that country on oil exports are serious for most European countries). Because of the same environmental concerns, we help our guests with the recycling because they may not do it in the same way as we do here.

More generally speaking, you don’t get an independent house to yourself when you book at From Home to Rome: you’ll always be in an apartment complex & that’s why we ask to please respect your Roman neighbors. There are times at night and during the early afternoon called “silence hours” – it’s rude not to respect those, plus it’s punishable by law.

When using shared spaces, we ask that you keep in mind that there might be people with mobility issues right across the hall from your apartment: that’s why we insist on making sure elevator doors (when available) are shut properly. It’s the little things, but they make a world of difference: many locals don’t want tourists as their neighbors, and you can see why that is.

Restaurants and hospitality

If you’re coming from North America, you may be used to complimentary services when eating out, shopping or staying at a hotel. It doesn’t quite work this way in Italy. We at From Home to Rome get you started on your Italian stay with a few rolls of toilet paper, a couple of coffee pods – but that’s about it. They’re not meant to cover your whole stay and they’re only there as you get situated and look for the nearest supermarket. This is not common and it’s not something you can expect at other accommodations.

In the same vein, don’t expect to get anything for free as you visit museums, as you sit down to eat, as you stop for drinks at a bar. Getting any of it means you REALLY must have made an impression or the owner is a friend (or too friendly, but that’s a different subject for a different post!). Expect anything that gets put on your table to have a cost (yes, even water), and by all means ask for details if you haven’t ordered it. We will do a specific post on restaurants so don’t worry, we’ll get back on this subject!

Human relationships & personal sensibilities

This is where the most misunderstanding can occur, we found while speaking to our guests. A few scattered notes:

• In very broad terms, we tend to respect religions but we are not very vocal about it. No “God bless you” from us, so, while at the same time we will make a big deal out of dressing properly if entering a church.
• Anything that has to do with religion, race or politics are considered as very touchy subjects. Don’t start talking about those unless you are prompted by someone else and/or that someone else is a close friend. At the same time, we don’t talk about personal finances or our jobs (we consider them “boring”, although of course there are exceptions to this rule).
• Many guests ask where to meet locals. The truth is: right around the corner from where you’re staying, literally! However, and we have to word this carefully: they’re not there for your enjoyment. Italians in the city center are mostly there for work – even the happy bunch at From Home to Rome lives in other areas of the city and it’s only in the old part of town when something requires their attention. On this note: the center of Rome is not necessarily representative of the whole of the city!
• Related to the above, don’t feel upset if people you’ve been chatting to don’t drop what they’re doing to take you to their favorite café/off the beaten path attractions/et cetera. In other words, if locals are not friendly as you see in movies. People are busy with their ordinary lives, while you’re on holiday. Italians and Romans can be very helpful but also very curt & there is no one profile to fit them all.

The video below contains plenty of other useful pointers on this specific subject:

Feeling like there’s topics we haven’t discussed? Feel free to ask!

Our main concern with this post was to keep it on the short(er) side. So if you feel like there are subjects that need to be broached, feel free to ask! You may end up being the inspiration for one of our upcoming discussions here on the blog!

Group tours and skip-the-line tickets