italy travel guide - facts about italy travel

8/9/2019 Italy Travel Guide - Facts About Italy Travel

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Useful Tourist Info

Geography

Italy is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean

Time (GMT). The time difference between Italy

and some major cities is as follows:

London: -1 hour

New York: -6 hours

Chicago: -7 hours

Denver: -8 hours

San Francisco: -9 hours

When first arriving in Italy, this can have a

dramatic impact on a traveler as jet-lag hits

and your body tries to adjust to the sun being

up 2 or 3 hours after you are used to going to

bed. Daylight savings time is observed from the

end of March to the end of October.

Holidays

The following are national holidays. Most

offices, banks and many stores close on these

days; museums in the major tourist cities are

open on holidays with the exception of

Christmas and New Year's Day.

January 1st: New Year's Day

January 6th: Epiphany

April 25th: Liberation Day

May 1st: Labor Day

June 2nd: Festa della Repubblica

August 15th: Ferragosto

November 1st: All Saint's Day

December 8th: Immaculate Conception

December 25th: Christmas Day

Quick links…

When you travel to any foreign country, it can be hard

to get the lay of the land. So Select Italy provides for

your reference a mini-guide to navigating the Italian way

of life. Read it now to acquaint yourself with the basics

of how things get done in Italy. You can read through

the whole guide, or skip around to read the parts that

interest you more.

If there are topics that aren't covered in our mini-guide,

you can contact one of Select Italy's Travel Experts toll

free at (800) 877-1755. We're here to help.

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http://selectitaly.com/suggestions/useful-tourist-info 2

December 26th: Santo Stefano

Tourist Registration

Hotels take care of the formality of registering

you with the police upon your arrival in Italy. If

staying with friends or in a private home, you

must register in person at the nearest police

station within 3 days. In Rome there is a

special police information office to assist

tourists and interpreters are available. The

telephone number is 06-461950 or 06-486609.

WeatherItaly's climate is one of the most hospitable in the world

with a general pattern of warm, dry summers and mild

winters. There are, however, marked regional variations

ranging from the more temperate northern part of the

country to the typically Mediterranean climate of the

south. Summers are hot and dry along the coastal

areas, especially as you move south, and cool in the

major mountain areas – the Alps and Apennines.

Winters are mild in the south of the country, Rome and

below, but in the north they can be at least as cold as

anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, especially across

the foggy plains of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna and

in river cities like Florence and Verona where the damp

cold penetrates and the central heating systems aren't

always as efficient as those in North America. The nicest time to visit Italy


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in terms of the weather and lack of crowds is April to mid-June, or

September and October.

Language

It'll come as no surprise that Italians all speak Italian. Many also speak

English and one or more other languages. When in doubt, you can find out

whether someone speaks English by asking "Parla inglese?" . One

interesting feature of Italy's linguistic development is that almost every town

and small region has it's own distinct language or dialect. As little as 50

years ago many Italians didn't speak Italian, but rather their own regional

dialect. Now all speak standard Italian with many people speaking dialect

as well. Several dialects closely resemble standard Italian (which is based

on the Tuscan dialect), while others are in a league of their own. The

Sardinian dialect, for example, is an ancient patchwork of a language,

influenced by the Turkish, Latin, Basque and Corsican languages. Sicilian

is a mix of Latin, Greek, Italian, French, Arabic and Norse languages, owing

its history to the long line of conquerors of the most strategically important

island in the Mediterranean.

Check out Vol. 3 of our popular How to… series for tips on how to not

speak like a tourist.

Travelers Checks

Most shops in major Italian cities and tourist

Banking Hours

Banks in Italy are open Monday through Friday

Currency

Italy was one of the original nations to enter the Euro

zone. Euros come in coin denominations of .01, .02, 05

.10, .20, .50, 1 euro and 2 euro. The bills are 5, 10, 20,

50, 100 and 200. While each nation designs the coins

that they mint within the Euro zone, Italy is unique in that

it is the only nation with a different picture on each coin

Tourists arriving in Italy without foreign currency can

obtain euros at any bank, ATM machine or exchange office (Ufficio di Cambio) at airports, seaports and railway

stations in the major cities. It is advisable to keep receipts of currency exchanged in the event it is necessary to

reconvert euros back into dollars before leaving the country.

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areas accept traveler checks. The rate of

exchange is calculated on the official daily rate

of exchange printed in the newspaper.

ATMs & Debit Cards

Most reputable establishments accept major

credit/debit cards. Those establishments

accepting credit cards will post the logos in

their front windows. ATMs (Automatic Teller

Machines) are known in Italy as Bancomats.

They can be found everywhere in the major

cities and in the main piazza of small towns.

The machines in Italy operate the same as

they do in North America; however, before

putting your card in the machine, make surethat it is compatible. The symbol on the back

of your card must match up with that on the

machine. Cirrus, BankMate and Plus are the

most popular and widespread banking systems

worldwide so it is safest to have one of these

three.

If you are unsure about compatibility of the

banking systems, contact your credit card

company or local bank before leaving home. It

is advisable to find out from your bank the

maximum daily amount that can be withdrawn

in cash and then convert this sum into euros;

this will help you to budget your money. If

given a choice, it is preferable to use a debit or

ATM card since many credit card companies

now charge fees of 2.5% to 4% for cashadvances. Your best bet is to use your regular

ATM card and simply withdraw money from

your bank account just as you do at home.

from 8:35am to 1:35pm and from 3:00pm -

4:00pm; afternoon opening hours may vary

from city to city but in many tourist areas

banks are open non-stop from 8:30am to 4pm.

Banks are closed all day Saturday and Sunday

and on national holidays. Travelers checks can

be exchanged for Italian currency at mosthotels, shops and at the foreign exchange

offices in main railway stations and airports.

However, the exchange rate is not always the

most favorable; as noted above an ATM card is

your best bet.

Money Belt

As in any other place in the world, there maybe a risk of pickpockets when traveling on

crowded buses or subways and at tourist

sites. When using public transportation in the

largest cities (Rome, Florence, Milan, Naples,

etc.) and visiting the most crowded tourist

areas, we recommend that you keep your

personal valuables close to you and secure.

Consider the use of a money belt for your most

valuable items.

Tax Refund for Purchases Made in Italy

by Non-Resident Visitors

According to European Union (EU) regulations,

as a non-resident visitor you can claim a refund

for the Value Added Tax (VAT) on all goods

purchased in Italy and intended for personal

use or to be given as a gift. The value of these

goods must exceed 154,94 euro purchased

from a single shop and they must leave EU

territory within three months of the date they

were acquired. Be sure to keep all sales

receipts since the goods will be inspected and

the forms stamped at Customs in the airport


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from which you depart the EU. Once the

stamped form is mailed back to the shop they

will reimburse the tax, either in euros or as a

credit to your credit card.

For more information on how to claim this

refund see the website of the Italian Customs

Agency (Agenzia delle Dogane).

For a fee, several companies specialize in

refunding sales tax:

Premier Tax Free

Global Refund

Italian food has earned its reputation as some of the best in the world. In the

tradition of many Mediterranean countries, the Italian meal schedule is

different from the standard US schedule. Breakfast for Italians typically

consists of a cappuccino and a croissant (called cornetto in Italian) often

filled with nutella chocolate or custard, eaten while standing at a

neighborhood bar. Many hotels offer more substantial buffet breakfasts in an

effort to cater to foreign tourists, but don't expect scrambled eggs & bacon

everywhere you go. In most places lunch is the main meal of the day; this

is especially true in southern Italy. Offices close down for two hours at

midday for the office workers to take a 3-course meal and a nap. Dinner is

usually eaten later, starting at 8 or 9 and may not be as elaborate as lunch.

As with breakfast, most restaurants in major tourist centers are flexible

The Daily Bread

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about meal times, if you show up at a pizzeria at 6:00pm and find it empty,

don't assume it's a bad place. The locals might not show up till 9. For

suggestions, you can check out our Tips For Traveler's database, which is

jam-packed with tried and true local hot spots.

Bars, by the way, usually tip more in the direction of what US travelers

would consider a coffeeshop; almost all offer some kind of light snacks or

ice cream in addition to coffee and some harder drinks. Many also have

beer or other liquors, but tend not to be what US bar-patrons would

expect.Pizzerie, as the name implies, usually specialize in pizza along with

a couple of appetizers and many open only for dinner. Enoteche typically

have a focus on wine, while trattorie and osterie tend to be less formal

thanristoranti .

Lunch and dinner are frequently multi-course affairs, starting with

anantipasto or appetizer, followed by a primo piatto (first course), frequently

a dish of pasta, or risotto or a soup, and then by a secondo, usually some

sort of meat, fish or other local specialty. Vegetable side dishes are usually

http://selectitaly.com/italy/travel-tips/


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Health Services and Insurance Policy

Italy has no medical program covering US and

Canada citizens, therefore, tourists from these

countries are advised to take out an insurance

policy before leaving home and procure a

document certifying coverage by a H.M.O. or

local health-care service.

Useful Emergency Telephone Numbers

12 for Phone Directory Assistance

112 for Carabinieri service

113 for Emergency Police Help

115 for the Fire Department

116 for the A.C.I. (Italian Automobile Club)for road side assistance

118 for Medical Emergencies

176 for International Inquires

Area Codes (Prefissi telefonici):

Both local (urbana) and long distance

(interurbana) calls require the proper area code

before dialling the number; for example, to

place a call within Rome you must dial 06 +

phone number, to call Rome from Florence dial

06 + phone number and to call Florence from

Rome dial 055 + phone number.

To call the USA or Canada from Italy dial001 + area code + phone number.

To call another European country from Italydial 011 + area code + phone number.

International Phone Cards

The most economical way to call home is to

use one of the pre-paid international phone

cards available for purchase at most

newstands or tabacchi. For example,

Vectone's Europa card costs only 5,00€ for

350 minutes of conversation to the US,

Canada, other European countries or within

Italy. It can be used from phone booths, cell

phones or land-lines, and an English-speaking

operator is available to assist you.

Telephone & Internet


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Public Phones

Pay phones are available throughout Italy

although they are becoming harder to find due

to the ubiquity of cell phones; if you can't find a

pay phone anywhere else in town try the main

train station. Calls made from a pay phone

require .10, .20, .50 or 1,00 euro coins or a

pre-paid card (scheda telefonica) available in

denominations of 3,00 or 5,00 euro; bend back

and break off the bottom left hand corner before

using the card. These cards can be purchased

at tabacchi (tobacco shops), post offices and

newstands; the same stores also sell phone

cards offering reduced international rates.

Cell Phones

Italy uses the GSM cellular phone system; to

use the network you must first set up global

roaming service with your service provider back

home. It's also possible to rent a cellphone for

the period of your vacation. Auto Europe and a

couple of other companies have a service

where the handset itself is sent to you via Fed

Ex before departure from home. You can use

the phone while in Italy, and when you return,

you put the handset in a pre-paid mailer and

send it back to the company.

Select Italy also offers Italian cell phones to

rent or buy, as well as Italian SIM cards for those who already have a GSM compatible

cellular phone.

Internet Cafes

It is getting easier to find Internet cafes in Italy;

for a useful directory to the major Italian cities

see the sites below:

Italian Internet Cafe Directory

Net Cafe Guide

Remember to take your passport with you as

Italian anti-terrorism laws require that you

present a photo ID before logging on to the

Internet. Whatever e-mail service you use at

home, it is a good idea to set up a web-access

mail account just for your trip; for example, the

free mail service offered

by Yahoo!, Hotmail,Gmail, etc. These are the

easiest to use abroad since the necessary

software and configuration is built right into the

browser. Set up this account before you leave

home so you don't waste valuable time abroad.

Many Internet cafes also provide cheap

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international phone calls and faxes,

international package delivery, courier service,

cell phone rental and photo developing in

addition to Internet access. One Internet

franchise with outlets in all the major Italian

cities is Internet Train.

Post Offices are usually open from 8:30am -

5:00pm. On Saturdays they close at noon.

Post Offices at airports and the main Post

Office in large cities are usually open 24 hours

a day for registered mail and telegram

services. If you have something you plan on

sending back to the US and you are going to

be in Rome, you would be better served by

taking your mail to the Vatican post office

which can be found near St. Peter's Basilica,as the Italian postal service is notorious for

delays in sending and delivering mail.

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. The envelope should be addressed

as follows:

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 double-

Postal Service

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issue an IDP: AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (through

the National Automobile Club). To obtain a permit that is good for one year,

you must show up at one of their offices with a valid state-issued driver's

license, $10 and two passport-size photographs. For more information see

the National Automobile Club's website.

Besides having an international driver's permit, it is helpful to be aware of

local driving restrictions. Please see our traffic sign guide for a few of the

standard signs. Take special note of the sign marked "ZTL". This stands

for "Zona Traffico Limitato" or Limited Traffic Area. Only locals with special

permits are allowed to drive in these areas. This is usually controlled using

police cameras which will take a picture of your car and mail the bill at a

later date (as much as 6 months to 2 years after the fact). Most rental

companies will have your credit card on file and charge as soon as the

ticket is sent. For more tips on driving in Italy see Vol. 1 of our popular How

to… tips series.

Overseas tourists arriving in Italy after visiting other countries are allowed to

carry with them souvenirs purchased in other countries up to a total value of

$500; only a verbal declaration is required. Purchases may include up to a

half-liter of perfume.

Exports from Italy

There are no restrictions on gifts purchased in Italy except for antiques and

works of art more than 100 years old. These require the authorization of

Customs Regulations

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theMinistero dei Beni Culturali e Ambientali , which the antiques dealer from

which you purchase them can help you obtain.

Food Products

Italian wine is one of the most popular things for tourists to bring back with

them. US law permits 1 liter of alcohol to be imported without paying

customs tax on it. There are also many food items that cannot be brought

back from Italy, such as meats and fruits.

Canadian Regulations on Purchases Abroad

Any person residing in Canada returning from a trip abroad can qualify for

personal exemption. All articles acquired abroad, whether purchased,

received as gifts or purchased at a duty free shop, either abroad or in

Canada, must be declared by the traveler on return to Canada.

US Regulations on Purchases Abroad

Each US tourist may bring back to the US duty-free $400 worth of goods

purchased abroad. The goods must accompany the traveler. A flat rate of

10% is assessed on the next $1,000 worth of goods purchased. Parcels

containing gifts may be sent from abroad to the US duty-free, providing the

total value of such parcels received by one person in one day does not

exceed $50. Each package should be marked "Unsolicited Gift." The

amount paid and the contents of the package should be declared on the

outside of the package.


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Passport Regulations

A visa is not required for US or Canadian

citizens holding a valid passport unless they

expect to stay in Italy for more than 90 days

and/or to study or seek employment. If, after

entering Italy, the tourist decides they would

like to stay more than 90 days, they can

apply, one time only, at any police

station(questura) for an extension of an

additional 90 days. They will be asked to prove

that they are bona fide tourists with adequate

means of support and that the extension is notfor study or employment. As a rule, permission

is granted immediately. Non-American citizens

should check current visa requirements with

the nearest Italian Consulate before departure.

For more information

seewww.usps.com/passport.

Pets

Travelers entering Italy with a dog or cat must

have a veterinarian's certificate stating the

animal is in good health and has been

vaccinated against rabies between 20 days

and 11 months before entry into Italy. The

breed, age, sex and color of the pet and the

name and address of the owner must also be

stated. The certificate is valid for 30 days.

Forms are available from all Italian diplomatic

and consular representatives. Dogs must be on

a leash or muzzled when in public. Custom

officials may require a health examination of

any pet if they suspect it is ill or has come

directly from tropical regions.
http://www.usps.com/passport

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