Expect to be pushed and jostled in places where it's busy. It's not considered impolite, so try not to let yourself be irritated by it. During dinner, the man always pours the wine. Italian men think it's unfeminine for a woman to do this. Shake hands whenever you meet or say goodbye to someone, regardless of how short the meeting has been. Women are expected to cover their heads when they enter a church and suitable clothing must be worn. This also means no shorts or sleeveless shirts for men. [Read more]

As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, Italy observes numerous public holidays. National public holidays on which shops and offices remain closed are listed below.

1 January: New Year's Day
6 January: The Feast of the Epiphany
March/April: Easter and Easter Monday
25 April: Liberation Day
1 May: Labour Day
15 August: The Assumption of the Holy Virgin
1 November: All Saints' Day
8 December: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception
25/26 December: Christmas
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Like other cities in European Union countries, Rome's emergency number is 112. This number connects you to the police, the fire department and the ambulance service. If you need help quickly, you can use your mobile phone to telephone this number free of charge. It's also possible to reach the fire department on 115 and medical assistance on 118.
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