Feedback - Only in 🇮🇹 Italy

Share your 🇮🇹 Italy story

We ❤️ Italy

But like many, we've encountered our share of head-scratching moments and truly absurd situations that feel unique to living or experiencing Italy. From navigating bureaucracy that seems to defy logic, to peculiar service interactions at businesses or even local restaurants, these experiences can leave you pulling your hair out, or simply laughing at the sheer Kafka-esque nature of it all.

When frustrations are voiced online, the common response from some is often, "If you don't like it, leave." However, that doesn't feel like a constructive approach to problem-solving.

This platform serves as a space to gather our collective stories. By doing so, we aim to highlight distinct patterns in service interactions and systemic issues within Italy, which often feel different from other parts of the world. Our hope is that by collecting these narratives, Italy can use them as valuable feedback to foster improvements, benefiting both foreigners who choose to live here and the Italian people themselves.

POSTS ARE FULLY ANONYMOUS AND YOUR EMAIL AND USERNAME ARE NOT SHARED EVER.

We plan to compile the most impactful stories and pressing issues, and submit them to relevant Italian members of parliament soon to ensure your voices are heard!

Post your Italy story

Completed

Lunchtime in Italy and the risk of death…

It is 2pm and you just walked for 2 hours in 30C heat and desperately need a bottle of water? You may as well go straight to A&E as there is no chance you will find an open shop or a restaurant within the 5km radius. The owner of the shop you desperately tried googling for is most likely back at home sleeping.

1 year ago

Completed

It’s 38° but if you turn on air conditioning you will die

For reasons unknown to mankind, Italians are biologically incompatible with ventilation of any kind. They have named this fear “Colpo di Aria” it is a silent killer.

1 year ago

Completed

Doctor note needed

Want to go to the gym? Try crossfit? Go to the swimming pool or join local tennis club? Don’t forget you need to book a doctor visit to certify you are fit enough in your 30s to lift a dumbell.

1 year ago

Completed

Average age of those in power

I think the root cause of most, if not all problems in Italy, is the average age of those who runs the country. How are they supposed to understand, and most importantly, feel the consequences of the decisions they make (so called ‘skin in the game’), if they are 51-56 yo on average? The results is young people simply live the country. Despite incentives like The Impatriate Tax Beneficial Regime, many, if not the majority, lives abroad.

1 year ago

Completed

Supermarkets require a receipt to exit?

First time I couldn’t figure this out. Coming from the UK, where Tesco barely gives you any recipts. Everyone knows you are meant to throw them away anyway. Do people steal that much to justify such a measure? Would be nice if supermarkets were more high trust.

1 year ago

Completed

Renewing a driving licence, luck needed

If you ever happen to lose your italian driving licence abroad and are atheist, prepare to convert to a religion, because only prayers can help you. lose driving licence abroad abroad police says can’t help contact italian police italian police says to contact abroad police Renewing official documents should be done online with 3 clicks, it’s 2025 guys

1 year ago

Completed

Getting things done … in the summer

Good luck getting anything done in August. I’m also talking here about lawyers, advisors and corporates working for overseas clients. Want to close a deal in the summer? You may as well put 15th of September as the closing date. Nothing will be done in the summer and you should be grateful for getting an out of office response.

1 year ago

Completed

Restaurant walk-ins…

Checking out that famous seafood spot? Starting to queue for a table at 7pm? They tell you it is an hour wait? Better get that bottle of prosecco ready and be prepared to get really hungry. Stefano, Giacomo and an old friend Monica with her entire family all have a priority in the queue despite arriving 1 hour after you. You may or may not get in… at midnight….

1 year ago

Completed

What are they arguing about?

Italians seem to be arguing all the time and screaming at one other… until you find out they are discussing how to cook potatoes for dinner and what type of bread to buy…

1 year ago

Completed

Error! English Not Found

Some Italians I know studied English at school for years and apparently did a full suite of English language tests but good luck getting them to ask you “How are you”. Forget about a conversation. You may get a “yes” or “ok” if very lucky. At the cinema - why would you show only dubbed movies? A movie is on for two weeks, why not do ONE showing in original with subtitles?

1 year ago

Completed

Mysterious government fees…

You will be charged extra when sending a parcel with 20 used notepads into the country. Good luck finding out why…

1 year ago

Completed

Train timetables are a suggestion

Not uncommon to see ‘train cancelled’ or ‘train delayed’ notifications. Pendolino and Freccia Rossa are tier 1 public transports. But the high risk of lateness makes it a stressful transportation medium. Do they not have the time to plan ahead? Works in other countries so there must be a way. Especially given the tickets are lot more expensive these days.

1 year ago

Completed

Kids out and about at midnight

Always around at restaurants, bars and gelaterias together with their parents… aren’t kids supposed to go to bed at 8pm ;)?!

1 year ago

Completed

So you just built a brand new bike lane? How cute, let me ride it with a moped

Was in the south of Italy. A beautiful bike lane was recently built, next to the coast. The sky was clear, the tarmac was brand new and painted in blue. Guess what, a few minutes later, I see 2 guys riding a moped the opposite direction. Why is this acceptable for Italians? There is literally a road for motored vechile like 3 meters away.

1 year ago

Completed

Drivers distance does not exists

Not sure why, this seems spread all over, both north and south of Italy Driver have the tendency to drive up your a** at all times Highways, city centre, doesn’t matter, Italians have to practice for theyr F1 Autodromo Nazionale Monza Grand Prix circuit

1 year ago

Completed

High cost of transferring car ownership €300 to over €1,500

It’s so expensive people give away their car for free What is the justification for this? it’s literally an edit to a database entry No reason to be so stupidly expensive

1 year ago

Completed

Codice Fiscale

Italians have not figured out yet that you may not have Codice Fiscale and still want to go and see the doctor privately. And talking here about a large specialist hospital in a city. Always throwing you a bureaucratic hurdle to do an extra step. Compare that to Poland where it is totally fine to book visits and appointments with your date of birth only on a quick call. No questions asked.

1 year ago

Completed

What happens if you respect the rules in italy? You get punished!

This girl opened a business to sell some artisanal products, because she was selling online she HAD to open the business and it doesn’t matter if you make 100 or 100k a year. She made less than 2k and now she has to pay 2k for social contributions + cover her costs. From reddit

1 year ago

Completed

Graffiti everywhere

Especially in Milan, it ruins the vibes, makes a city ‘feel’ dirtier than it actually is. Could understand if it was a Bansky. But what value random stuff written on walls adds to society?! It’s a mistery to me. In other countries, there are a lot less, and you also see many clean up initiatives.

1 year ago

Completed

Building a new house takes forever.

Geologist visit, seismic certification, building permit, certified notification to the municipality, notice of commencement, notary, certificate of habitability, cadastral document, of course zoning and planning permissions, landscape restrictions (eg: “Belle Arti”), plus local building and safety regulations. Then, the contractos way of life “I will do it in days”. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn in to months. Then there is August, then Christmas, then Easter, always an excuse to take it slow or not work all together. One year in and works have yet to commenece. All paperwork so far, and more paperwork to do.

1 year ago