Is water safe to drink in Italy? | Intrepid Travel (2024)

FAQs

Is water safe to drink in Italy? | Intrepid Travel? ›

Is water safe to drink in Italy? The short answer is yes. Drinking water from the tap in Italy is considered safe. Tap water in the major cities and towns around Italy is safe for consumption, and there are thousands of old-style water fountains dotted around cities, like Rome, where you can fill up water bottles.

Italy ranks first in Europe and second in the world ranking of mineral water consumers. The fact is in Italy, tap water is not always drinkable: in many areas it's only used for washing things and washing youself, which is why we consume so many bottles of water.

Potable water means water intended for human consumption that may be drunk by everyone at all times without health risks of any kind. The tap water in Florence is perfectly safe to drink.

Know Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

When traveling abroad, know where your water comes from. Contaminated water can look clean but still have harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Factory-sealed bottled water is the safest option for most travelers.

However, if you specifically request bottled water, whether still (acqua naturale) or sparkling (acqua gassata), you will typically be charged for it. In Italy, it is not common for restaurants to charge for tap water. In fact, it's a customary practice for restaurants to serve tap water to diners at no cost.

Don't Expect Your Tap Water to Be Free (Yes, Really)

You certainly can order tap water at a restaurant, it's just that most people don't. Why? Well, much of the tap water in Italy is rich in calcium and magnesium, making it hard and affecting the taste.

This tradition has its origins in the ancient Italian coffee roasters, in which water was served to customers before they tasted the coffee. The roasters, in fact, wanted customers to appreciate all the aromatic nuances of coffee without having the taste of other foods previously eaten.

Yes, you do have to pay for water. (You can ask for “acqua dal rubinetto,” tap water, but it's often seen as a bit rude. Plus, those glasses of tap water will take ages to get refilled by your waiter, if they're refilled at all!).

When it comes to drinking tap water in Venice, tourists can rest assured that it meets stringent quality standards and is safe for consumption. The local authorities have implemented rigorous monitoring and testing procedures to ensure the water's safety.

With piazzas and streets brightly lit at night and an overall low crime rate, most travelers feel very safe when visiting Florence. We get it, the laid-back lifestyle of lazy walks taking in the sights and wine-soaked meals can sweep you up and disarm you.

Can you drink tap water in Rome? ›

Is water safe to drink in Italy? The short answer is yes. Drinking water from the tap in Italy is considered safe. Tap water in the major cities and towns around Italy is safe for consumption, and there are thousands of old-style water fountains dotted around cities, like Rome, where you can fill up water bottles.

Though U.S. federal law supposedly requires airlines to provide safe drinking water, a 2019 scientific study concluded that passengers should avoid drinking tap water on planes due to the frequency with which airline water is found to contain harmful bacteria and the infrequency with which aircraft water tanks are ...

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, flight attendant Celina Bedding said: "Never drink tap water from the plane bathroom. Many studies have shown it's not sanitary for drinking. "You may have seen the sign already as most planes have it by the tap.

Rule #1: Do not order Cappuccino with a meal

The Italian menu is skilfully structured with: antipasto (starter), primo (first course that involves pasta or rice), secondo ( meat or fish) with a contorno (a side dish: salad, roasted potatoes, sautéed vegetables), dolce (dessert) and then coffee and digestives.

Tipping isn't the norm in Italy like it may be in North America and some other countries in Europe, but it is still appreciated. Feel free to leave a small amount if the service has been particularly good. In taxis, tipping is not expected, but if rounding up the charge makes life easier, go for it.

Yes, very rude in Italy to leave a food on the plate. When you serve the food for yourself, mak sure to put little before then when still desire to eat more, then can serve for second serving. It is called maleducato, which means ill-mannered in English.

This is often because these countries don't have the proper regulations or funding to make sure that their water is safe for consumption, but other times it's because there are bacteria in the water that foreigners may not have the immunity for.

Europeans, who are notorious water connoisseurs, generally pay to drink bottled water with their meals — for taste, not health. At restaurants, your server just can't understand why you wouldn't want good bottled water to go with your good food. Luckily, it's never expensive to order a half-liter of bottled water.

To deter stray animals: It's believed that the reflection of the sun on the water in the bottles scares off stray cats and dogs. Some people believe that the water amplifies the animals' own reflection, frightening them and discouraging them from marking territory.

Tap water in Italy is completely safe and potable, you can drink from it rest assured that you will not get sick, but many Italians still refuse to and prefer to only drink bottled water.