In the past four weeks Perrin and I have lived in five cities and visited a new destination every weekend.  When we move so rapidly, it’s surprisingly easy to fail at life sometimes.  To spare future travelers some grief, we decided to share some of our low moments and make a few recommendations.

1. Buy a train ticket

There is an honor system in place and on short, regional train rides and conductors rarely check your ticket.  If you DO get caught without a ticket there is a  50 fine and you can get booted off.

On our trip from Verona to Roccafranca we didn’t buy the 6 Euro ticket.  We hadn’t seen a train conductor in five rides so, being budget travelers, we took our chances.  About four minutes into the trip we spotted the conductor approaching us with his ticket puncher at the ready.  Instead of forking over cash we bolted for the bathroom with urgency I usually reserve for dashing for a last piece of Napoli pizza.  We locked ourselves in the 3ft x 4ft stall for the remaining 35 minutes.  A fellow ticket evader kept pounding on the door pleading to be let in but we selfishly hogged our space and brainstormed excuses for being ticketless.  Needless to say, we splurge on tickets now.

Tucked away in the tiny (and rank) train bathroom, Perrin and I contemplate escape out the window.

2.  Bike the countryside!  But check for a path before heading out for a ride.

One of the most relaxing, wonderful experiences in Italy is bike riding through the idyllic countryside.  When here I recommend you get a bike and explore on your wheels.  Perrin and I (well, Perrin blames me for this entirely but I brought her along) wanted to ride from our homes in Roccafranca to a nearby town called Chiari.  It is only 7km, which isn’t so bad by bike unless your bike is made for someone who is 5’3″ (my bike, which also had a babysit attached to the back) or 9-years-old (fellow tutor Matt’s bike) and there is no pathway and a shoulder-less highway is the only route available.  When your long legs have to rotate 10 times around for every one pedal you would normally take and trucks are brushing by your arm hair, you begin to think you should have asked for a ride.

3. Carry toilet paper everywhere

When I moved to India I had been prepped that I would see holes in the ground and water faucets in place of toilets and six-threaded Snuggies.  But I was not expecting Europe to have similar bathroom conditions!  You often have no choice but to squat over a hole but at least you can bring your own roll of paper to prevent drip drying.

4.  Don’t eat like the Italians

Before my trip I had been told that Italians eat all organic, unprocessed foods that are easily digestible and allow for a leaner figure than America’s notorious HoHo and Mickey D’s diets.

And yes, Italians do eat some juicy veggies.  But in the five cities I’ve lived in during the past five months, packaged cheetos, chips, chocolate croissants and Nutella-filled-everything are more a part of the regular diet than anything I’ve seen back home.  Between the bags of Nutella sandwiches my “moms” pack me for snacks, the oil laden sausage pasta they dish out on my plate for lunch and the three scoops of gelato I buy daily (can’t give that up), gaining a few kilos is inevitable.  They also eat faster than I can say grace.  My whole family in Roccafranca would finish an entire 10-inch pizza pie when I was still on the first slice.  I’m just glad I had a sewing kit and some extra buttons for when my pants start popping.

Italian snack favorites: packaged chips, Nutella croissants, cookies, etc.

6.  Buy books in English before you leave home

I was planning on buying some beach reads once I arrived in Italy but in remote areas of Italy books in English are almost entirely limited to Danielle Steele romance novels, Jodi Picoult dramas and Twilight.  If saucy sex scenes and teenage vampires don’t suit your fancy, pack alternatives in your luggage before you leave home.

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Perrin scans the selection of D-list romance novels and self-help books. "Shopaholics and Baby" was one of the quality options.

6.  Research sleeping accommodations

Perrin and I made a last minute decision to spend a night in Rome on our way to Lanuvio.  Since we hadn’t planned the visit, we ended up in a hostel recommended to us by a tour guide in the Romi Termini.  Never again. Now that we are done with ACLE I will be traveling on my own.  I hate being a wandering tourist so I am trying CouchSurfing for my first time in Florence next weekend in the hopes that my host can show me around town.  Hoping for the best!

7.   Budget for lost items

In college I lost my wallet or cell phone as frequently as a five-year-old loses Waldo.  Seeing as this habit drained my cash I have made a real effort to hold on to my purchases.  When you’re moving every week though, it’s easy to leave an item or two behind during transition.  I have somehow only lost a bracelet and converter so far.  My typically careful sister is now down a pair of tennis shoes, a computer charger and a converter, some expensive items for a thrifty traveler.

8.  Prepare for rain

In each of our weekend destinations — Venice, Verona and Rome — it thunder stormed in a manner unseen since Katrina.  In Venice/Verona Perrin and I sported tank tops and flip flops and we each had to buy 5 euro umbrellas since we had left ours back at our homes in Roccafranca. We now check the weather before weekend trips.

This train station is as far as Perrin and I made it in Verona. Next time I will leave my computer behind and pack a sweater.

9.  Cheap alcohol doesn’t mean crap alcohol

When I think back to freshman year of college, drinking $8 handles of Skol Vodka and gag reflexes are one in the same.  Now, paying $8 for a handle of Vodka is laughable.  Perrin and I have been buying 2.90 Euros of Martini Bianco and 1.80 euro bottles of wine and they are better than anything we get back East.  Budget travelers can celebrate knowing that pricey hostels can be made better with a good bottle of vino from the local street market.  Cheers.

10. Always carry your passport

Italian police can stop you at will to check your immigration status.  If caught without proper documentation you can be fined or, rarely, arrested.  When we were in Lanuvio our camp director got pulled over with us all in the car and we each had to fork over our identification.  Better to have it than to be stuck bribing officials later in the day…