Packing Tips for Your Trip to Italy to Help you Avoid Scam Artists and Petty Criminals

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In Italy, like anywhere in the world, there are scam artists and petty criminals that have learned how to make a quick buck off of tourists (especially American tourists) that are obviously unfamiliar with the locale, the culture, and social norms.

These people use this to their advantage, and seek out likely targets by scanning the crowd for people that are obvious American tourists, and speaking English with an American accent.

In Europe, there are stereotypes about the American traveler that include: wearing clothes covered in American sports team logos and college names, yelling loudly in public places, and in general being rude and inconsiderate of the people and culture around them.

If you can avoid doing these things and making yourself an obvious mark, your chances of being targeted go WAY down.

Now - it may very well be IMPOSSIBLE to avoid doing these things, especially if you only speak English, or you’re part of a guided tour group (however, it’s definitely possible to not yell in public places, and to be considerate of the people and culture around you).

This is OKAY because there are other steps you can and should take, starting with what you pack to wear, to help you avoid becoming a target for scam artists and petty criminals in Italy.

Dress for the SEASON, not the weather

I was confused by this at first too, but it’s actually very straightforward.

Italians do not throw on shorts at the first sign of a 50 degree day like we do in Michigan. For example, if it’s still springtime, they’re still wearing layers and seasonal appropriate outfits. A surefire way to spot an American tourist is to look for someone wearing summertime clothes in early spring.

Avoid packing your clothes that have writing on them, especially for American sports teams, colleges, businesses, etc.

Style in Italy is taken seriously, and sports apparel is worn to sporting events. Walking around with your Green Bay Packers t-shirt on is going to attract scam artists and petty criminals like flies.

The same is true for your college t-shirts and hoodies, especially if the institution is well known to be in the United States.

Some business apparel can fly under the radar if it’s logo only and doesn’t have any English text, but as a general rule it’s best to leave the logos at home for your trip to Italy.

Try to pack a majority of clothes in neutral colors: black, gray, white, and earth tones

European style tends to stick to these tones, with exceptions of course. If you’re not up on current fashion trends, a great rule of thumb is to wear these colors the majority of the time or as part of each outfit.

Like anywhere in the world, including your hometown, there are criminals looking for people to take advantage of. Being mindful of this fact and doing what you can to respect the local culture goes a long way toward helping you avoid these people!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to visit our Italy inspiration page to fuel your Italian vacation dreams!

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