Here are a few VIM settings that have been helpful to me for python. This adds improved syntax highlighting: http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=790
Add the following to your .vimrc file. This is usually located in your home directory at ~/.vimrc
autocmd BufRead *.py set smartindent cinwords=if,elif,else,for,while,try,except,finally,def,class autocmd BufRead *.py set tabstop=4 autocmd BufRead *.py set shiftwidth=4 autocmd BufRead *.py set smarttab autocmd BufRead *.py set expandtab autocmd BufRead *.py set softtabstop=4 autocmd BufRead *.py set autoindent