Italy is a country that seduces visitors with its beauty, cuisine, history and irresistible charm, but let’s be honest: it also baffles them. Again and again.
If you’ve ever travelled through Italy and thought: “Wait, what’s happening?” Don’t worry. Almost every traveller has had that moment of confusion before falling completely in love with the quirks that make Italy, well, Italy.
Today we’re diving into the most common Italian habits that leave tourists amused, bewildered, or utterly convinced they’ve stepped into an alternate universe. The best part? Once you understand the why behind these habits, they become part of the delightful ritual of traveling through Italy.
1. Arguing Loudly… Except They Aren’t Arguing
You know the scene:
Two Italians stand across from each other, arms flying through the air like animated windmills. Voices rise. Eyebrows tense. Hands slice the space between them with operatic passion.
Tourists freeze, convinced a dramatic fight is about to explode.
Except… it’s not.
They’re probably just debating a football match, whether spaghetti alle vongole needs tomatoes (it doesn’t), or which beach has better water. This is not hostility; this is linguistic art. Choosing any topic, from politics to parking, automatically turns conversation into theatre.
Italy communicates with volume, warmth, and gestures, and a “heated conversation” might actually be a friendly chat. If the conversation ever does get serious, trust me; you’ll know.
2. Wearing Scarves in 20°C Weather Because of “La Cervicale”
Ah, the mysterious and sacred enemy of Italians: la cervicale.
A term that describes neck pain, a chill on the spine, a breeze entering the skull, a draft plotting your demise… essentially, it’s the root of all suffering.
Go out in Italy on a mild spring day; sun shining, temperature a pleasant 20°C (68°F) and you’ll see Italians wrapped in scarves as if trekking the Alps.
Why? Because of the breeze.
The breeze, my friend, is dangerous. It can cause headaches, stiffness, sore throats, earaches, and a whole list of mysterious ailments or at least, Italians firmly believe so.
Honestly, I have to admit: in many cases, I agree with them. Tourists in T-shirts often stare in confusion while locals bundle up. If you want to blend in, carry a scarf. You may not need it, but Italians will respect you more instantly; just joking.
3. The Endless Goodbye Ritual (“Ciao, ciao… ok, ciao… ciaoooo…”)
If you’re new to Italy, prepare for the closing scene of every social interaction to last as long as the interaction itself.
Saying goodbye is not a single action; it is a process:
- first goodbye
- second goodbye
- goodbye confirmation
- goodbye with clarification
- goodbye with affectionate reinforcement
- goodbye from the doorway
- goodbye from the stairs
- goodbye shouted from the car
Americans might walk out with a simple “Bye!”
British people ghost quietly.
Italians? They treat farewells like a mini-opera.
Even phone calls end with a chorus of:
“Ciao, ciao, ok ciao, sì ciao, buonanotte, ciao, ciao, ciao…”
It takes forty-five seconds. Minimum.
It’s charming, frustrating (not for me, I’m Italian), and extremely Italian.
4. Drinking Coffee in 30 Seconds Flat
Visitors imagine Italian coffee culture as a lazy, romantic ritual: sitting at a café, sipping espresso, contemplating the universe.
Wrong.
Most Italians drink their coffee standing up, at the counter, in about the time it takes to blink.
At 8:00:
They walk in, nod, “Un caffè, per favore.”
At 8:01:
Espresso arrives.
At 8:01:08:
They drink it; one sip, two maximum.
At 8:01:15:
They pay small change, say “grazie,” and leave.
The entire ritual lasts twenty seconds.
It’s performance efficiency; not because they’re in a rush, but because this is how you do coffee in Italy. Slow, milky drinks like cappuccino exist, but after 11 a.m.? Sacrilegious.
Tourists linger with their cappuccinos. Italians inhale their espresso like a vitamin.
5. Having Dinner at 9 PM (Summer time) (and Still Making It Last Two Hours)
If you show up to a restaurant at 6:30 p.m. in Italy, they might still be vacuuming the floors. Italians eat dinner late. However, in Northern Italy; especially during winter, you’ll notice that people tend to eat earlier than those in Central and Southern regions. The evening meal is not simply nourishment; it’s a ritual, a ceremony of connection. Even on a weekday in Summer time:
- Dinner starts at 8:30 or 9 p.m.
- Pasta isn’t ordered until 9:20
- Meat arrives at 10
- Fruit at 10:30
- Coffee at 11
- And then the slow goodbye begins…
Tourists often arrive starving at 7 p.m., wondering why nobody else is eating. If you want to fully experience real Italian dining, adjust your internal clock and prepare for an evening of food, conversation, and joyful lingering.
6. Standing Incredibly Close When Talking
The European personal-space bubble is smaller than the Anglo one, but Italy takes closeness to an entirely different level.
Italian conversations often happen at a distance of one breath away.
If you back up, they will follow you.
If you continue backing up, you’ll eventually hit a wall.
This closeness isn’t intrusive. It’s intimacy. Warmth. A sign of human connection. Italians communicate with their whole body; face, hands, torso, and even proximity.
For tourists, this can feel surprising at first, but once you embrace it, you learn something magical: Italians talk to you as if you matter and that closeness is part of the culture’s emotional generosity.
7. Calling Every Young Person “Amore,” “Tesoro,” or “Caro”
If you’re a foreigner under 40, prepare to be showered with affection, especially by older Italians.
You will be called:
- amore (love)
- tesoro (treasure)
- caro/cara (dear)
- even bellissima/bellissimo (beautiful one)
This doesn’t mean they’re flirting.
It’s simply warmth wrapped in syllables.
The barista might call you “amore.”
The woman at the bakery “tesoro.”
The old man at the fruit stand “bella.”
Italians use tender words casually and to them it’s a normal, friendly expression. To tourists, it can sound wildly affectionate, but in Italy, emotional language is used liberally; it’s a way of softening interactions, making the world a little warmer. However, work, academic and other contexts are extremely formal.
8. Treating Rules as… Suggestions
Let’s be diplomatic: Italy respects laws, but Italians also love experimenting with interpretation.
If a sign says “STOP,” many Italians read it as:
- slow down
- check left
- glide gracefully through
Parking rules?
Flexible.
Crossing the street?
Bold in some parts of Italy, it’s not the same everywhere. Watch out especially in Naples.
Queueing?
Theory, not practice, however, there are ticket systems almost everywhere now.
It’s not that Italians reject structure; they simply prioritise common sense and social negotiation over rigid adherence. For tourists accustomed to strict enforcement, this can feel chaotic, but it’s an organised chaos, and surprisingly, it works.
9. Dressing for the Season, Not the Weather
This is one of the quirks that most confuses tourists.
You may think Italians dress according to temperature.
You are wrong; they dress according to the calendar.
If it’s October; even if it’s sunny and 24°C, locals bring out boots, jackets, and sweaters.
If it’s March, even on a warm day, you’ll see coats and scarves.
Short sleeves in April?
Impossible.
Sandals in October?
Arrestable offense (socially speaking).
For Italians, wearing seasonal attire is about order and elegance, not practicality. Comfort is nice. Style and coherence are sacred.
Tourists in shorts and flip-flops in late autumn stand out instantly. Italians do not dress for weather; they dress for la stagione, (the season).
10. Refusing to Use Air Conditioning (Even in Summer’s Worst Heat)
This is perhaps the habit that astonishes tourists the most.
It can be 38°C (100°F) outside. Hotels advertise AC as a luxury. Restaurants brag about it.
Yet Italians… turn it off.
Why? Because AC is believed to:
- cause colds
- create stiffness
- inflame the cervicale
- disturb digestion
- ruin your voice
- attract trouble from the universe
I totally agree with it, I tend to avoid using air conditioning too.
You’ll see locals open windows during a heatwave to “circulate natural air.” You’ll watch drivers keep their AC on the lowest setting, or off entirely, even as they sweat politely.
Tourists, meanwhile, melt into puddles, but to an Italian, the risk of a “colpo d’aria” (a deadly draft) is far worse than the heat.
Why These Habits Matter for Understanding Italy
Beyond the confusion and occasional laughter these habits bring, they offer beautiful insights into Italian culture:
Italians value warmth, emotional, social, and physical.
Whether through close conversation, affectionate nicknames, or lingering dinners, Italians nurture connection.
Comfort isn’t everything; aesthetic and tradition matter more, hence scarves in spring and coats in warm weather.
Time is not measured by the clock, but by the richness of the moment; coffee may be quick, but dinners last forever.
Rules are balanced with intuition; Italy thrives in the grey areas of negotiation.
Life is lived with intensity.
Even “arguments” are performances of passion, not hostility and that’s the joy of traveling through Italy: learning to embrace these quirks not as oddities, but as windows into a culture where life is approached with heart, humour, and an unmistakable flair.
Final Thoughts: Confusing at First, Cherished Forever
Every traveller arrives in Italy slightly puzzled by these habits, but soon, you begin to understand and then you begin to adopt them.
One day you’ll catch yourself:
- gesturing wildly during conversations
- whispering “tesoro” to someone without noticing
- dressed in a wool coat at 18°C
- shouting “ciao ciao ciao” into your phone
This is when you know you’re not just visiting Italy.
You’re living it and that’s when Italy stops being a destination and becomes something far deeper; a way of experiencing life.
How to Experience Italy to the Full
Curious to know how you can learn this and more in Italy? Join The Italian Journey, my immersive language and culture experience in Nettuno, where you don’t just study Italian; you live it.
From sharing long, laughter-filled dinners to mastering real-life phrases and observing everyday habits that textbooks never teach, you’ll experience Italy the way locals do. It’s the most authentic, joyful, and effortless way to deepen your Italian and fall in love with the country on a whole new level.
Ready to make Italy feel like home? Let’s begin your journey. Contact me at raffaella@languagesalive.com