Hi all,
I don't want to waste money on bottled water if I don't have to. I'd like to hear from the experts as I've had mixed results when Googling this topic.
I read over and over again that people fill up their water bottles in Rome. I know about the signs reading not potable, so I know what to avoid.
What about other areas of the country?
Also, are there places where it's just not acceptable to fill your water bottle in Rome? I don't want to unintentionally offend someone.
Thank you!
We have been all over Italy and never once worried about the water or ever had any problems. I don't know of any place in Rome that is not acceptable to fill a water bottle. But Rome is a big place and in three weeks I have yet to be in every corner.
I don't buy water, either. You may ask for acqua di rubinetto (tap water) in any restuarant without problem. Just don't make my mistake, and ask for acqua di gabinetto. Once the guffaws subsided, I think I found I'd asked for toilet water (and not the pricey stuff next to the perfume). Have fun and imbibe away.
The only place where we buy bottled water is in our very small, very rural village. During Festa, the wells get over taxed and the water can be "brownish". In the cities? Tap water is fine.
I love the toilet water request.
Now, I suppose I can't teach my husband that without him knowing the real translation???
Water can be very expensive if you are visiting Italy in the summer since you need to keep drinking it to prevent dehydration, I was in there last summer for the month of July with my family. We each brought a small water bottle and as we traveled through the Amalfi Coast area and Roma, we filled out bottles at any outdoor water fountain that we found. Even in Pompeii. We never had any problems with the water. Obviously if the water looks brownish, don't drink it.
There are water fountains all over the place that you can use to fill a water bottle. Some have the brilliant hole on the side of the faucet that works this way: plug the hole on the bottom of the faucet and water will shoot out the side in an arc that you can drink from.
And although the tap water is safe everywhere, it's not always tasty. Bologna's, for example, tastes terrible.
Elizabeth,
I've never had the slightest problem with water in Italy, either in the north or the south. I normally buy a bottle of water before boarding my flight (after security of course) and then just refill it during the trip from the Hotel faucets until it wears out. I try to find a "medium sized" bottle, so that it's reasonably easy to carry around.
I always carry the bottle with me when I'm out touring in the day time (especially during hot weather), so I've only had to resort to street fountains a few times.
Some restaurants try to "push" the bottled water as they make a good profit on it, but as the others have suggested the acqua di rubinetto (note spelling, LOL) is usually fine.
Happy travels!
...And make sure what you are drinking out of in Rome is actually one of the drinking fountains. We were in Rome last week and there was quite a bit of rain, a business aquaintance took a drink from a running pipe...his intestinal track verified over the next couple days that he chose incorrectly. Even some running decorative fountains may be "iffy", I suggest sticking to the standard drinking fountains.
Otherwise, tap water throughout Italy is safe.
I am currently on antibiotics and will be while in Rome. I've read that I may be more sensitive to the water in other countries because some of the good bacteria in stomach may be gone and the make-up of the water (bacteria and such) varies from place to place. So it may be harder for me to adjust to the new water. Any experiences with this?
