Italy     Holiday insurance. Ensure you are fully covered by holiday insurance, not only holiday insurance for medical treatment but for any unexpected expenses (eg missing charter flight, losing your passport). Bring medical form E111 available from your local Post Office.       Check Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice before travelling.       Bring enough funds for your stay and return. Italy can be very expensive. Not all restaurants take credit cards – check before ordering. Try to leave funds in your UK bank current account which can be transferred in case of emergency.       Take care of your valuables at all times. When out sightseeing, leave spare cash and items of value in your hotel safe along with your passport (but carry a photocopy of it for identification purposes). Beware of bag-snatchers and pickpockets, especially on crowded buses. Don’t leave luggage unattended, especially at railway stations. If you are robbed you should report it to the local police.       Respect Italian laws. Obey police instructions and don’t attempt to offer resistance. There are on-the-spot fines for speeding offences and if you cannot pay your car may be impounded. Don’t enter or bathe in the fountains – there are heavy fines if you do. Stamp your ticket when you board the local bus or use underground transport. You can be fined if you don’t.       Enter next of kin details into the back of your passport.       At motorway services parking lots, be vigilant against theft from vehicles, even when attended.       Be aware that many town centres are closed to normal traffic; park only in authorised parking areas.       Don’t get involved with drugs. The penalties are severe and those accused may spend several weeks or months in prison awaiting trial. If you bring medicine into Italy, make sure you have a medical certificate stating why you need them.       Don’t expect to find work easily in Italy. Even helping with the grape harvest – unemployment is high. Jobs normally require fluent Italian and special skills.