In Italy, don't shock your waiter by asking for tap waterYou might occasionally be offered filtered — but you'll still be expected to pay for it. If you ask for the tap stuff, some waiters will simply refuse.
People Also Ask
At restaurants, know what you do and don't have to pay forYes, you do have to pay for water. (You can ask for “acqua dal rubinetto,” tap water, but it's often seen as a bit rude. Plus, those glasses of tap water will take ages to get refilled by your waiter, if they're refilled at all!).
The short answer is yes. Drinking water from the tap in Italy is considered safe. Tap water in the major cities and towns around Italy is safe for consumption, and there are thousands of old-style water fountains dotted around cities, like Rome, where you can fill up water bottles.
Some guides advise bringing one with you from home. But plastic water bottles work just as well, and they're sold in every cafe in Italy. Buy one when you're here and just keep refilling it at the fountains you'll see everywhere.
If you ask locals “Do you tip in Italy?”, they'll explain that while they sometimes leave a small tip, it's generally not necessary. In Italy, gratuity (or una mancia, pronounced oo-nah MAN-chah) is considered a bonus for exceptional service. And it's not often that you'll find a tip jar at a register.
Rome's nasoni fountains provide free fresh drinking water.Rome is blessed with more than 2,500 drinking fountains, known as nasoni, which provide residents and visitors with free fresh water all year round.
Mains water is limited to a fixed, metred amount, properties exceeding the amount will face a higher charge. Outdoor water (such as swimming pools, stand pipes for gardening) are billed separately but from the same water supplier. Bills are normally sent twice a year and based on metre readings.
You can get free tap water at all dining establishmentsIf you ask for l'eau, or d'eau, you are likely to get mineral water, which is chargeable and sometimes expensive. What you want to ask for is une carafe d'eau or un pichet d'eau, which ensures that you get free tap water.
Ireland is one of only two countries in the world (Turkmenistan is the other) that provide free water to residents, according to Global Water Intelligence, a British research outfit.
In Italy, cash is still preferred in most restaurants, cafes and other establishments, although credit and debit cards are becoming more widely used throughout Italy and are an increasingly convenient way to pay for things. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, although American Express is not.