Water bottle

I have a 32 oz camelbak (won't leak) that's been to the Tower of London, the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, etc. Not Italy but I've never had anyone say anything about the bottle, let alone trying to confiscate an empty.

Water is a must on my trips, even if I’m only going upstairs in our house! I bring bottles everywhere but in Europe I buy the local disposable ones and reuse them during my stay. Otherwise there is a chance to leave behind a favorite bottle by mistake.

At museums, I’ve been told I can’t bring in my water bottle (understandably) but they usually have an area where you can check it and get it back at the end of your visit. But I don’t bring them with me if I can leave it on the tour bus or in the hotel room for the duration of the visit.

For the Camelbak, do you have it concealed in a bag? I can’t imagine if someone knew you had liquid that it would be allowed inside a museum, especially since the people have been throwing liquids at paintings. Not that you could do that with a Camelbak,

@pastelholic - yes it was in my cross body but most places that's had to go through a security xray and never been an issue.

I take a Vapur bottle (light and collapsible) and buy big bottles to refill my bottle or just fill with tap water if tastes ok. I've never had a request to dump it anywhere (well, except the airport). I noticed at some museums on our most recent trip to Italy that there were signs along the lines of "no liquids over XX ml" that was generous enough to allow a normal sized water bottle. I don't think they'd take your bottle!

On a tour of the Borghese gallery they made people in the group check water bottles. I don't think anyplace is going to confiscate your bottle.

I go to a lot of museums and often am directed to the lockers when my water bottle is spotted. Sometimes I zip it inside the purse if I'm in a hurry; it's not like I'm going to drink out of it in the exhibition halls. I don't remember whether I've ever been told I need to dump out the water; for sure the bottle has never been confiscated.

Since ecological activists have been attacking museum works to draw attention, more museums are checking water bottles.

I have a collapsible water bottle and if touring museums where they aren't allowed, I just empty and collapse it and store it in my pocket. That would seem to be an acceptable solution.

Yup. Took our water bottles with us. Only place we couldn't bring them with water in them was the plane :). No problem finding places to fill them up either.

I take my water bottle around with me everywhere. Like Katie, the only place I can't bring it full of water is through airport security. And even then, I can bring it through empty, and fill it up in the airport so I have my own bottle for the plane.

Nobody has ever inquired about it at any museum, in any shop, on any train, on any metro. I like having my own bottle and not contributing as much to an additional bunch of used plastic bottles (which I am probably doing anyway , so at least daily water is one less place I am doing that).

I've just returned from Italy in mid-October with a different tour group. We were told pre-tour not to bring our refillable water bottles as it wasn't recommended to drink from any of the hotels, restaurants, or from their fountains due to the "taste". We were provided with bottled water on our bus each day. At restaurants, they offered still water or sparkling water, for which you will be charged, and of course there is always "American champagne" i.e. Pepsi or Coke! Ice is not normally something you see a lot of in Italy either.

Speaking of "water", their water system isn't comparable to the U.S. Expect no toilet seats in most restaurants or public restrooms, definitely bring some seat covers if you absolutely need to "sit" when not at your hotel room and always make sure you have an extra Euro coin or two tucked away in your pocket or purse as most machines or attendants would not accept Euro dollars or a card at the public restrooms. We always tried to use restaurant bathrooms even if we only bought a gelato and we also found McDonald's or KFC to be more aligned with what we were looking for.

I'm a water drinker myself, however, found myself leaning towards the caffeinated drinks during the day and sipping wines at the evening meals. Absolutely wonderfully delicious food throughout Italy! Enjoy your trip!

@Linda M, I’m surprised at some of the advice your other tour was giving you. ”…it wasn't recommended to drink from any of the hotels, restaurants, or from their fountains due to the "taste". I travel a lot in Italy, and I always drink a lot of water out of the faucets in my hotels. I’ve never noticed any off-putting taste.

When the toilets don’t have a seat, they still have a rim. Well, and then the occasional style that I really don’t like to use! And there’s a lot more toilet seats now than in the past. Ruth, do bring a small amount of TP in your purse. Sometimes there’s no paper; that applies to all countries including the US!

@Jean - Same here. I have drank the water from the tap all over Italy and in most cases it is tastier than my tap water at home which is way too overchlorinated!

If you pass by one of the many fountains in Rome to refill your bottle, that's a real treat!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Articles-lswAKFHO7jkY-Drinking_fountains_in_rome.html

Across from the Colosseum, there's a bottle filler that supplies carbonated water!
The irony, of course, is that on the street, the water is free, but in restaurants you'll pay for bottled water. :D

@ Jean, Celeste and Linda M - I too am shocked your other tour company said not to drink the water in Italy. That sounds kind of 1950's to me ad slightly bizarre. I've never had problems with tap water, either taste or quality, anywhere in Western Europe.