There's a few things we need to learn as a world of travelers.
1. If you fly with a cheaper airline, then the weight of luggage is less and has to be stowed. If you check your luggage, it will always seem hours before the baggage shows up on the belt and then it will be so backed up with frustrated people that you can't reach it. Some sweet man got mine for me as he watched me, in a dress, jockey up to tackle my bag. 1 point for Italy.
2. There are always several companies or people directly outside the customs' doors who want to help you get to your hotel. "get to here "from" €10" and such things. The Info office will never be in sight and even they will always tell you the most obscure way to get to wherever you want to go. So, keep on walking until you are satisfied that you have found a cheap and reasonable way. The bigger airports usually have a bus line scheduled every 30 mins that will take you to a train stn in the center of the city. For €5 a piece we took a 30 min, thoroughly enjoyable, ride past all the major sites in Rome straight to the train stn all the while the driver beeping and yelling in Italian to a crazy city population doing the same thing as he was doing. I've never seen so many middle fingers in my life. 1 point lost for the crooks, 1 point gained for the bus.
3. In huge cities the train stns are so busy, and always in the worst areas of town, that you really need to be aware of your space and what you are carrying. As you line up for a ticket and punch into the machine for English, up pops "Beware of pickpockets." Now that's got to make you feel good;) 1 pt lost for the crooks, 1 pt gained for the warning.
4. Aw, the Rome subway. As with all subways, it's super efficient and clean. Surprisingly, they only have 2. Heh, can't go burrowing underground in the 1000's year-old earth where historical artifacts are still being found.
Cops everywhere. Hmmmm, I feel safe. - actually we did. Got on and later got off - however, you can't always believe everything the info agent tells you. 1 pt lost for wrong info, 1 pt for the subway.
5. Most people don't speak your language. That's cool, but very difficult in a large, complicated city. We started walking, towing luggage. The rule is: you must ask 20 people for directions before you can make it to your destination. This rule we found to be almost 100% true. And strangely enough, your best help comes from someone who doesn't come from the place where you are. A man from Brazil, studying in Rome, helped us find our way. Then for the 20th time, a lady with her older mother helped us and actually took us on the bus to the place where we could walk 5 minutes to our hotel. (why is it when you know someone can't speak your language, you keep jabbering too fast as if one understands? This being the mother. )
We gave this cool young woman a Cdn pin for services beyond a local. 1 pt for the Brazilian, 1 pt for the Italian
6. Italian men are still the same as when I was here 25 years ago. Highly sexed and believe that all women want them. 1 pt lost
7. Hotels are almost all the same. The only English TV is CNN, the bed is small, the elevator only fits your luggage and not you and the desk clerk always speaks English. 1 point lost for the elevator, 1 point for the cute desk clerk.
8. You will always get your travel day finished later than expected, so, choose a convoluted way around the city to see as much as you can and talk to as many people as you can before you just fall into bed exhausted to end the day. 1 point lost for convolution, 1 point for finding destination.
Total score: Italy wins, even if Brazil had to help.
