Where can I drink water in Rome?

A locals guide to drinking water in Rome A fantastic way to stay hydrated in Rome is to take advantage of the drinking water fountains called Nasoni. There are over 2000 in the city, with the first one installed in 1874, with the water coming from a large Roman aqueduct called Peschiera.



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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.

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Tap water in Italy is good, so if you're packing for an Italian travel, just bring with you a bottle. You can refill it to public fountains or in every bathroom/toilet. It's cheaper than purchasing overpriced bottles of water and you reduce your plastic garbage, that it's good for the environment.

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Generally, tap water in Italy is drinkable and safe, especially in major tourist places. What is this? In fact, cities like Rome have thousands of old-style drinking fountains where you can fill your water and consume fresh water.

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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.

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Not so, as you should never ask for free tap water in restaurants. As Fodors explains, usually, you'll be offered a bottle of still (naturaleor liscia) or sparkling (frizzante or gassata). You might occasionally be offered filtered — but you'll still be expected to pay for it.

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So, do you tip in Rome? To sum it up in one sentence: it is not expected to leave a tip in Rome but it is much appreciated. Servers and hospitality staff are paid adequately, without the need for tips. Tips do not make up the staff's wages like in the US, they are bonuses on top of this.

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Uber is not illegal in Rome, despite many local taxi drivers claiming so. It is perfectly legal to use Uber in Rome, and the app works – but it's not the Uber you might be expecting: you will only be able to use the expensive Uber Black, Uber Lux and Uber Van.

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Though the aqueduct was meant to deliver clean water then, it most certainly doesn't do that today. According to Rome Experience, the fountain produces some 80,000 cubic meters of water each day, but adds, “The water is recycled and just for show, so don't be tempted to drink it.”

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The nasoni, also known as fontanelle, were first introduced in the early 1870s when the new capital began providing free water for its citizens. At the peak of their popularity there were around 5,000 nasoni in Rome but this number has dwindled to roughly between 2,500 and 2,800.

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Don't drink the water. Although the water from the Trevi Fountain comes from one of Rome's most storied aqueducts, all those coins make it less than palatable.

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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.

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Plenty of people in Rome carry backpacks every day (and keep their wallets in their pockets) and have no problems at all. So, if these pickpockters might be less, or less powerful, than the prejudice assumes? Take it a little easy and try to enjoy your travel.

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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.

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There are also sustainable options when you are in public. Many communes have water refill points which have been used by locals for years! Tuscan towns will typically have a central drinking fountain, usually near the main piazza. These should have a sign with 'potabile' translating to 'drinkable'.

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