Dimensions: About 800 miles long, 100 miles wide
Area: 116,000 square miles (about the size of Arizona)
Population: 60 million people (double California)
Capital: Rome
Type of Government: Parliamentary Republic
Chief of State: President Giorgio Napolitano (May 2006)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (February 2008)
Language: Italian
Money: Euro (here pronounced “EH-uhro”)
Of Note: Vatican City, an independent country, has its own postal system with quicker and safer service than the general Italian post. Mail with Vatican City stamps must be sent from within Vatican City (Vatican stamps don’t work in Italy).
Official Tourist Information Website: www.italiantourism.com

Italy uses the Euro (€) which is divided into 100 cents (centissimi).

You’ll find:
• 1-, 2-, and 5-cent coins (all copper)
• 10-, 20-, and 50-cent coins (all brass)
• €1 and €2 coins (silver and brass)
• €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500 notes (each denomination is a different color, and the physical size of the notes increase as the value increases)

Cash Machines

Italy is still very much a cash based economy. After all, dealing in cash makes it that much easier to cheat the tax man. You’ll find that many hotels will offer a discount (usually around 10%) if you pay in cash, and you will certainly need local currency for small purchases, and for places that don’t take credit cards.

The best way to obtain cash overseas is to draw it out of an ATM with a debit card. This gets you the same great exchange rate that you get when making purchases with a credit card (1% to 3% less than the commercial rate). ATM’s (bancomat) are widespread, so you should have no problem finding a place to withdraw cash. Like other places in Europe, the first question you’ll be faced with after inserting your card is “what language would you like?”

After putting in your PIN code, you’ll be faced with withdrawal options in Euros. Do a rough estimate ahead of time to figure out how much you want in dollars and convert it to a round Euro number so you won’t be stressed at the machine and end up withdrawing something like $10.

Many banks place a limit of between $200 and $300 per day in withdrawals. Keep in mind that at present exchange rates, $300 is not €300. You’ll need to pick a Euro amount that keeps you under your daily limit in $.

Your bank will likely charge you a small transaction fee for using an ATM outside their network, but this is still the cheapest way to get cash. Just be sure to take out your maximum (or close to it), rather than making smaller withdrawals that will each incur a transaction charge.

Also, be sure to call your bank in advance of your trip, to let them know that you’ll be traveling in Europe. When foreign charges suddenly appear on your account unannounced, your bank may turn off your card to prevent suspected fraud.

Credit Cards

Despite “currency conversion fees” tacked on by the credit card companies, this is still the cheapest way to spend money overseas. Doing so gives you the best exchange rate possible (about 1% to 3% less than the commercial rate, which is the rate you find listed in the newspaper).

MasterCard (called EuroCard in some countries) and Visa are the most widely accepted; American Express is about as widespread as it is in the US; Diners Club is as widely accepted as American Express. Discover Card does not exist in Europe.

Bring only the cards you need. Leave your Chevron card, your Macy’s card — and for that matter your whole wallet — at home.

Purchase anything you can with a credit card (food, sightseeing tickets, subway tickets, souvenirs, etc.), but don’t assume that every place takes credit cards. Always ask first.

Many European businesses are very reluctant to take a credit card for purchases smaller than about $20, and may outright refuse.

When using American Express you may find that many of the merchant’s processing machines are suddenly “broken.” They can only take MasterCard or Visa. This is due to the higher processing fee usually charged by Amex. If you tell them you don’t have another card, and not enough cash, they may “try” the machine with your Amex card and — what do you know — it works! Such is the theater of life in Italy.

Call your credit card companies before you leave to let them know that you will be traveling overseas. That way, when foreign charges start appearing on your account, the credit card company won’t turn off your card.

Electricity

Italy uses 220V (volt) AC current, compared to the US 110V AC. The cycle is 50MHz, compared to the US 60MHz, but that shouldn’t make any difference to most appliances used by travelers.

The shape of the outlets in Italy is also different than ours. The easiest course is not to bring anything electrical.

If you need a hair dryer, curling iron, electric razor, etc. try to bring one that is dual voltage (one that works on either voltage) and is small and light (designed for travel).
You will still need the correct adapter plug (one plug works for anywhere in Europe—except Great Britain and Ireland, which use their own design).

Most battery chargers for camcorders and laptops are dual voltage, meaning you only need the adapter plug.

If your hair dryer, etc. is not dual voltage, you’ll also need a converter to drop the voltage from 220V to 110V.

Telephones

Italy has an excellent phone system, with orange and/or silver Telecom Italia phone booths on virtually every street corner. Some of the phones still take coins, but most take pre-paid phone cards (Scheda Telefonica), which you can purchase from a tobacco shop or newsstand. Before you use the card the first time, tear off the perforated corner (when buying a phone card never accept one without this corner attached).

On the phone, you’ll notice a button with an arrow pointing from one flag to another. Push this and the display on the phone will cycle through several languages.

To call Italy from the US:
dial 011-39, then the number listed in this guide.

To call within Italy:
dial the number listed, including the area code.

To call from Italy to numbers outside Italy:
dial 00, then the country code (1 for the US), then the phone number including area code.

Emergency numbers in Italy can be dialed from any pay phone without needing a coin or phone card.

• 112 Carabinieri and general emergency (like our 911)
  
• 113 Police
  
• 115 Fire
  
• 116 Roadside Assistance
  
• 118 Ambulance

Internet

Internet cafés, with computers for use by the minute are very common in Italy. Internet locations with wi-fi for those with their own computer are not as widespread, but becoming more common. Some hotels, especially in the 3-star and above category, also offer wi-fi.

Post Office

Post offices (Poste Italiane) are notoriously slow in Italy, and keep minimal hours. You can buy postage at most tobacco shops, and drop your postcards into any red postal box, identifiable by the word Poste on top. Many have two slots: one labeled per la cittá (local mail), and one labeled per tutti le altri destinazioni (other destinations). I suspect that both slots lead to a single container inside.

If you need to package purchases for shipment back to the US, there are over 100 offices of Mailboxes, etc. throughout Italy.

Dolomites & Veneto
Italian Alps
Italian Riviera
Milan & Italian Lakes
Naples & Amalfi Coast
Rome
Sicily
Northern Tuscany
Central Tuscany
Southern Tuscany & Umbria
Venice