Does my butt look big in this?

When you’re wandering around the streets of Venice it’s very easy to spot a tourist. They tend to come in two types: the sort who look like they’ve just clambered down from the Alps, complete with backpack, and the sort who peer out at the world through enormous sunglasses and prattle on to anyone about how ‘authentic’ their double- soy mochaccino latte is. 

It goes without saying that most Italians find tourists incredibly irritating, and will usually give them a very wide berth. But if you don’t look like a tourist you’ll see a much friendlier side to Italy, meet more Italians and – if you’re lucky – you can blag a few free tickets. Here’s how to get away with it:

Never wear anything with an Italian city’s name written on it. If you are walking down the street with an ‘I <3 Venezia’ T-shirt, it’s the equivalent of wearing a neon sign telling everyone that you’re a tourist. You can just about get away with a football shirt, but anything else – particularly those fake ‘ship captain’ hats with place names scrawled across the brim – is never going to work.

Wear jeans, if you can stand it. Venice in October is surprisingly warm, and there’s been more than one day that I’ve had to leave my jumpers at home. However, the Venetians would disagree. In all the time I have been here, I have never seen an Italian walking down the street with bare legs. Best to put on a pair of tights if you want to blend in.

Tone it down. On the whole, there aren’t many Venetians walking around wearing very bright colours. Most people here tend to dress in more muted colours, particularly blacks, browns and navy. If you want to stand out in bright colours, this is the place to do it, but if you’d rather try and blend in, it’s best to leave the neon leggings at home.

Stay classy. It’s true what they say – Italians dress very well, and Venice is no exception. Choose well-fitting and well-made clothes and you’ll be blending in faster than you can say ‘espresso’. These don’t always have to be the height of fashion; more classic pieces will do just fine.

Bring stuff to keep you dry. Venice floods almost every autumn, so it isn’t always the
place for your new strappy sandals. Most shops will sell wellies and plastic raincoats, but the prices are extortionate and you’ll look like you’re wearing a plastic bag. If you can bring your own stuff, you won’t look like an errant piece of litter and you’ll stay dry too – what more can you ask for?