Top 5 tips to live in Italy

• Accept every invitation you get. At least at first. It will be harder if you stay alone in your house. Let someone who has walked in your shoes show you around and introduce you to their favourite places! Soon you will be doing the same for another new friend.

•  Be flexible. Things will not go as you are used to, and the sooner you learn to be flexible, the better!

•  Learn some Italian. Starting with beginner phrases that will help you greet someone, order a cappuccino, ask where the bathroom is or make a dinner reservation.

• Make an Italian friend. Pick a cafe, shop or bar and go frequently- be friendly, practice your new Italian words and don't give up!  Soon you will have a friend- and you'll make a huge step in feeling a tiny bit like a local.

• Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself... I was too worried at the beginning about the neighbors, about speaking Italian, messing up in general. Be kind to yourself and accept that you will mess up and try to not let it bother you.

OK, I'll try to add to other the comments without repeating too much…

1.    If you don't speak the language reasonably well, I suggest moving to one of the bigger cities/towns where you can find some initial support from the expat community. Once you're comfortable with the language and culture, only then decide if you want to restore that crumbling farmhouse in Tuscany.

2.    Another reason to choose a larger town is that you can use public transportation, which is cheap and fairly easy. Do NOT make the mistake of buying a car (or worse, a scooter), it can only end badly for you.

3.    Learn the regional differences. Italy is not as homogeneous as it may have seemed during your first vacation. There are huge differences in language, food, and traditions from region to region and even town to town…and sometimes these towns are only 10 kilometers apart.

4.    Understand the bureaucracy BEFORE you arrive. Italy is (in)famous for its red tape, and it's one thing that can really spoil your expat dreams. I have a free Permesso di Soggiorno guide on my site for anyone interested.

5.    Likewise, take care of your healthcare needs before you arrive, meaning make sure that your insurance will cover you, and if not, look into the expat options. In Italy, as a legal resident, you can also opt-in to the state sponsored program for a very reasonable rate. Just know that the quality of healthcare varies greatly from region to region.

Benvenuti in Italia!

Rick

1. Learn the language. Essential. Before you move to Italy, you must have at least some basic Italian language skills, as English is only really spoken in the tourist areas. You will find that your efforts are greatly appreciated. My terrible Italian receives claps and cries of "Brava!" when I make my mangled attempts at this beautiful language.
2. Get ready to queue! When you move to Italy, there are innumerable places to queue where your passport will be examined and many pieces of paper stamped and awaiting your signature. In the hospital, the post office and even in the delicatessen you will need to take a ticket and wait until your number comes up. Queue-jumping is not appreciated, though some of the older signore will do their best to talk their way to the top of the line!
3. Learn the shop opening and closing times. Outside the cities, most shops and filling stations are closed from 12.30 until 3.30 or even 4.00pm and Monday is usually the day for morning closure in most towns.  Check it out in advance if you don't want a wasted trip to town for essentials.
4. Be prepared for Italian drivers. Most Italian drivers like to tail-gate and overtake in places that seem extremely risky. For example on a bend. I'm not joking! Nerves of steel are required in order to join the traffic here. They drive a great deal faster than in northern Europe.
5. Enjoy the experience. Italy is a wonderful country full of beauty: climate; history; food; wine and - most of all - the Italian people. Learn to dress, cook, eat and drink like an Italian and you just can't go wrong.

Indulge! This is a time in your life you will never get back. Make sure you experience everything you want to while you're here.

Make an effort with the language. Learn a bit before you go and then try to speak with locals as often as possible in their native language. Even if you're terrible at first, they'll respect you for trying and you'll pick things up faster if you're speaking with native speakers.

Absorb as much as possible. Take the time to learn about your city or town, say yes to invitations and try as many new things as possible. Living in a foreign country can be overwhelming at times, but it's important not to hide in your apartment. Get out there and take advantage of this time.

Be flexible and understanding of different cultures, values and ideas. Even if you think your way is "better", you're in a different country now where they do things differently. Even if you think it's ridiculous, try not to get too frustrated - you can laugh about it later.

Write everything down. I've kept many journals since we've been here and when we travel, I write down everything from the hotels we stay in, the restaurants we ate at and everything we saw or did. That way when people ask me for travel tips, I can remember what we liked or didn't like - and one day it will be fun to re-read everything and remember this incredible journey.

1. Warm up.
Do work before you go: get the legals straight, learn some Italian, really figure out where you want to go (a big city is SO much easier to settle into, while small towns are gorgeous but very 'closed')
2. Make Friends.
Reach out to other American's (actually everyone!)! Don't have the mindset you will only hang out with Italians. The world is big and this is an international country - make friends whereever you can and find someone who speaks Italian better then you to kind of mentor you in your first days.
3. Everyone knows your name.
Go to the same locations daily. Same bar. Same gelateria. In this way you will create a place where people know you, recognize you - you'll find a little room outside of your apartment.
4. Dream.
NEVER stop thinking like an American (or where you came from!). We are dreamers. We know how to work for what we want. Italy is a hard hard country to live in and make actual money so you will have to work harder then you ever have. But, as long as you think out of the box and use what you've got you can make it.
5. Explore.
Get out. Get out and live life. Life is not behind a computer or skype. Explore your new country.

- remain cool in your car, local people are driving a little crazy. let's them get upset and continue following the rules on the road
- enjoy the local food, cheap and so good
- be very patient if you are dealing with administration, be ready to queue long hours, take a book with you or some music
- if you decide to leave in Italy, apply for your 'codice fiscale" , this is one of the most important document here , without it you can't do much
- keep always some cash with you, a lot of places do't accept credit card

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