Telephone & Mail

Public telephones are available throughout Italy. Either local or international calls require the use of a phone card (Carta Telefonica) which may be purchased at any newsstand, tobacco shop or "bar"(coffee shop).

Long distance Calls (Interurbana)

Both local and long distance call require the proper area code before dialling the number. Ex: to place a call within Rome you must dial 06 + phone number.

To call Rome from Florence : 06 + phone number; to call Florence from Rome : 055 + phone number.

When calling a cellular phone, drop the zero of the area code, ex: 397 + phone number of the cellular.

To call USA or Canada from Italy: 001+area code+ phone number.

Area Code (Prefisso Telefonico)

Following are the area code numbers for some of the principal cities of Italy.

Ancona 071 Cagliari 070 Messina 090 Rome 06

Aosta 0165 Campobasso 0874 Milan 02 Siena 0577

Bari 080 Catania 095 Naples 081 Turin 011

Bergamo 035 Catanzaro 0961 Palermo 091 Trento 0461

Bologna 051 Florence 055 Perugia 075 Trieste 040

Bolzano 0471 Genoa 010 Pisa 050 Venice 041

Brescia 030 L'Aquila 0862 Potenza 0971 Verona 045

Brindisi 0831 Livorno 0586 Reggio C. 0965

Country Direct Service

From phones in major cities, to connect to a US long distance service, dial:

1721011 for AT&T

1721022 for MCI

1721877 for US Sprint

The numbers above work for Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Venezia, Torino, Catania, Vicenza, Livorno, Olbia, Bologna, Brindisi, Cosenza, Formia, Genova, Latina, Padova, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Pordenone, Pisa, and Trieste.

When calling from pay telephones, just insert the prepaid card. You automatically reach an operator in the country of destination, avoiding all language difficulty.

Canada can be reached by dialling 1721001.

Internet Cafes

No matter how responsible you try to be with your phone card, you can run up

quite a bill when you call your parents/ your kids/ your significant other. E-mail may be an alternative and less expensive mean of communication.

Whatever e-mail service you use in your daily life, I would set up web-access mail for your trip (like the mail offered by Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc.). It is the easiest to use abroad since the only software and configuration you need are built right into the browser. Set this account up before you leave home, so you don't waste valuable time abroad.

It is getting easier and easier to find Internet cafes and clubs in Italy. Some, among many:

Directory of the Italian Internet Cafes

http://www.ecs.net/cafe/

Cybercafes Guide

http://www.netcafeguide.com/textindex.htm

TheNetGate

http://www.thenetgate.it

Postal Service

General Delivery Service

Mail can be addressed c/o Post Office by adding "FERMO POSTA" after the name of the town. The addressee can claim mail at the Central Post Office upon identification by passport.

Example:

Mr. John Smith

c/o Ufficio Postale Centrale

FERMO POSTA

00187 Rome, Italy

Stamps

Stamps may be purchased only at tobacco shops and at the Post Office. Always check at the counter for the exact fare to the country of destination

Post Office Hours

Post Offices are generally open from 8.00 am - 1.30/2.00 pm from Monday to Friday, Saturday 8.00-11.45 am . Some counters (e.g. registered mail, telegrams, etc.) have different hours and in the main cities they may also open in the afternoon. Information about postal services can be obtained by dialling 160. Stamps (francobolli) can be obtained in any post office and any appointed tobacconist.