DEHYDRATION
It is amazing how much a change in our routine can affect our bodies in the most basic and critical ways.
If your normal routine is to sit in front of a computer, in your car, or in a classroom, you can have a bottle of water within easy reach.
When you are traveling in a foreign country, your water bottle becomes a nuisance, often not fitting into or too heavy for your bag.
But your body will need that water even more than ever, as it will be exposed to the elements all day, and, most likely, a lot more active than normal.
It is not always easy to tell when you are dehydrated, so it is especially important to pay attention to your body and make sure you are hydrating regularly.
How can you prevent dehydration?
Ask your host or hotel front desk where the nearest supermarket is and stock up on water to keep in your hotel room, if you prefer drinking bottled water.
Alternatively, drinking from the tap is totally fine in Italy (read all about Rome’s tap water here).
Drink water when you wake up in the morning and at breakfast before you leave the hotel. When you are out and about, take breaks to buy bottled water at souvenir shops and cafes.
Tip – if you buy water at a cafe, you can use their restroom, as public restrooms in Italy aren’t easy to come by. You can reuse your water bottle by refilling it at the fountains you’ll find in some of Italy’s major cities.
Keep in mind, I recommend avoiding buying bottled water from street vendors in front of major tourist attractions. But luckily, in Italy, there is nearly always a cafe just around the corner.