I frantically packed my tattered suitcase the night before my flight to Italy, while simultaneously trying to learn the whole Italian language. I normally spend weeks, even months, planning a trip to a new country; but in the case of my first Italian holiday, I was woefully unprepared.

Not all of us have the time to diligently study dozens of travel guides, blog posts, and maps to stitch together the perfect Italian itinerary that fits our interests, budgets, and schedules. But hopefully these travel tips I learned the hard way will help you have the most exciting Italian holiday possible.

1) Exiting the Airport Might Not Be Such a Hassle

My afternoon flight landed in Florence and I didn’t plan to do much that first day because I figured I wouldn’t have a lot of time after going through customs, waiting for my bag, waiting for a taxi, then battling traffic jams to finally get to my hotel. But the process couldn’t have been smoother! That’s mostly because I entered the Schengen Territory when I had a layover in Zürich, Switzerland. Since Italy, Switzerland and 24 other countries make up this area, once I cleared customs in Switzerland, I didn’t have to do anything except head to the baggage carousel once I landed in Italy. They didn’t even stamp my passport in Italy, just in Switzerland.

So why am I telling you all this? It’s to help you plan your first day in Italy better than I did. If you are coming from a country in the Schengen Territory, you might be able to exit the airport a lot faster than you assume, especially ifyou are landing in Florence’s tiny airport. That leaves more time to see museums, landmarks, or just stuff your face with delicious Italian food.

2) Air Conditioning is Hard to Come By

If you’re used to icy blasts of cold air blowing in your face 24/7, you probably won’t be delighted to learn air conditioning units don’t come standard in every Italian accommodation, especially if you are staying in hostels. That’s fine in the winter, but things can get sticky in the summer. Of course, that might not be a problem for destinations in northern Italy where the average annual high is 17°C or 63°F in Venice. But in Italian cites more to the south, like Naples, you could be looking at an annual high of 21°C or 70°F. So if an air-conditioned hotel or hostel room is a necessity, be prepared to shell out some more Euros each night for that luxury.

3) Know the Italian Words for Italian Cities

This travel tip might sound a little obvious, but it took me a couple minutes (don’t judge me, I’m not an idiot – I swear!) to realize the reason I didn’t see the details about my flight to Florence on the flight departures board was because I was looking for the word “Florence”

instead of the Italian word, which is Firenze. Duh! I could have kicked myself. So if it’s your first time in Italy, keep in mind that Firenze is Florence, Roma in Rome, Venezia is Venice, Milano is Milan, and Napoli in Naples.

Knowing the names of Italian cities in Italian also comes in handy on train platforms or if you need to ask for directions. Italians appreciate when you try to speak their language, even if it’s only a few words.

4) Validate Your Bus or Train Ticket

I was so proud of myself for buying my train ticket by myself in Pontedera (a city about an hour west of Florence by train) that I didn’t realize I had forgotten a crucial step: validating it. There are little machines on the train platforms where you can validate your ticket. Just feed the side with arrows into the machine, then it will time stamp your ticket. It’s the same process for buses, but you need to validate the ticket when you are actually on the bus. This is a really important Italy travel tip because you could be fined if authorities discover you have a ticket that has not been validated.

5) Think Twice About Traveling During High Season

Coming from Colombia, where tourism has only taken off in the last couple of years, I wasn’t prepared for just how many people would flock to the same Italian destinations I did. I went in August, and while I knew June through August is high tourist season in Italy, I didn’t realize how stifling it would feel.

I specifically visited Cinque Terre – five colorful seaside villages – instead of the Amalfi Coast because I thought it wouldn’t be as packed with tourists. Alas, I was still elbow-to-elbow with thousands of other travelers eager to revel in all the beauty Italy has to offer – just like me. So if you can avoid taking your Italian holiday between June and August, great. If you can’t, you will still have a wonderful time in Italy, just know the lines will be longer and attractions will be teeming with people.

Don’t make the same mistakes I did while traveling to Italy. Even a little bit of research can make a world of difference when it comes to getting ready to have the best holiday ever in Italy.

Travel Tips: Five Things I Wish I Knew Before My Italian Holiday