< Introducing Florence and Central Italy
Useful Information
Window of a pharmacy
In many respects Italy is a fully modern European country, but it still suffers from some age-old practical problems, especially where the state or bureaucracy is involved. The north still tends to be much more efficient than the south, but if visiting a bank or post office or the police or a doctor, be sure to take ID and plenty of books and games for the children, and be prepared for a long wait.
Passports and visas
EU citizens need a valid passport to enter Italy and can stay for an unlimited period. Nationals of the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand need a valid passport, with which they can stay in Italy for up to 3 months – for longer stays a visa is required. Citizens from other countries should consult their local Italian consulate. Children travelling without one or both parents may be asked to provide written travel consent from the absent parent.
Phone, or search websites, for details of consulates in Florence, Pisa, Bologna and other cities.
Australian Embassy Via Antonio Bosio 5, 00161 Rome; 06852721; www.italy.embassy.gov.au
British Embassy Via XX Settembre 80, 00187 Rome; 0642200001; ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk/en
Canadian Embassy Via Zara 30, 00198 Rome; 06854443937; www.canada.it
Irish Embassy Piazza Campitelli 3, 00186 Rome; 066979121; www.ambasciata-irlanda.it
New Zealand Embassy Via Clitunno 44, 00198 Rome; 068537501; www.nzembassy.com/italy
South African Embassy Via Tanaro 14, 00198 Rome; 06852541; www.sudafrica.it
US Embassy Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187 Rome; 0646741; www.usembassy.it
Customs information
For EU citizens there are no limits on goods taken into or out of Italy provided they are for personal use only. Non-EU residents can claim back sales tax on purchases over €155 by filling in a tax-free form (www.global-blue.com).
Insurance
It is advisable to take out insurance against medical emergencies, travel cancellations or delays (transport strikes are fairly common in Italy), emergency repatriation and legal expenses, theft and loss. Make sure that any planned activities such as skiing, wind-surfing or scuba-diving are included and check individual limits for valuable items.
Health
EU citizens have access to Italian emergency health care under the same rules as residents, which means that a small fee may be payable for some treatment but treatment will always be given. UK residents should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for each family member, available online at www.ehic.org.uk or at a post office. The Australian Medicare system also has a reciprocal agreement with Italy (www.medicareaustralia.gov.au). All other travellers should make sure they are adequately covered by medical insurance.
Pharmacies
For minor ailments, an Italian pharmacy (farmacia) is a good first port of call. Staff usually give good advice or can direct you to a doctor (medico) if necessary. A list of duty pharmacies open out of hours is displayed outside all pharmacies.
Water
Tap water is drinkable in Italy and water from the many taps and fountains found in parks and squares throughout the country is safe to drink. Water not for drinking is marked “acqua non potabile”.
Minor hazards
No vaccinations are required and there are no specific health hazards in Italy beyond sun and heat, but do go prepared with hats and sun screen and think about adapting your family’s routine to stay in the shade during the hottest hours of the day in summer. Take insect repellent and cream for treating insect (especially mosquito) bites.
Personal safety
Italy is a relatively safe country but tourist-focused petty crime does occur in the larger cities. Beware of pickpockets around tourist sights, at crowded markets and on public transport; distraction techniques by children and women while your pockets and bags are lightened are not uncommon. Be careful not to leave anything on display in parked cars, especially if you have foreign number plates.
Be very careful when crossing the road in Italy. Drivers rarely stop for pedestrians at crossings and motorists and moped riders often jump traffic lights. Remind children to look both ways before crossing.
Adults need to carry ID at all times, and should make sure children have some sort of ID and know how to get in contact by mobile phone in case they get lost. Some beach resorts, such as Rimini, have tagging systems for small children.
Beware of pickpockets in crowded places such as markets, especially in large cities
Police
If you are a victim of any crime, report the incident within 24 hours to the nearest police station. Thefts can be reported to either the Carabinieri or the Polizia Statale, who will issue a crime report; this is essential for any insurance claim.
Two Carabinieri policemen in uniform
Ambulance 118
General emergencies 113
Fire service 115
Police 112
Money
Italy is one of the many European countries using the euro, which is split into 100 cents. The seven euro notes (€5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500) are identical within the eurozone but the eight coins (€2, €1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents) show the country of origin, although they are valid in all countries. Country-spotting on euro coins can be a fun holiday activity.
Credit and cash cards
Italy is still a largely cash society so it is always advsiable to carry some with you. Credit and debit cards are still useful, however, for accessing your money. ATMs (Bancomat) are common in all but the smallest Italian towns. Make sure to notify your bank and credit card providers before you leave for Italy. Some banks forbid foreign transactions for security reasons unless they have been notified ahead of time. Cards usually have a maximum daily withdrawal limit (typically €250) and credit cards will start charging interest on cash withdrawals from the first day. Check your bank’s rates and charges before travelling.
Changing money, traveller’s cheques and cash passport
The best exchange rates are at banks and larger post offices, while bureaux de change (cambio) offer the convenience of extended opening hours but are far less competitive. Traveller’s cheques are not always accepted in Italy. Consider opting instead for a Cash Passport (www.cashpassport.com), a prepaid currency card that is loaded before travelling and can be used in ATMs. It gives more control over commission charges and provides greater security.
Post office sign
Communications and media
Mobile phones
European mobile phones will work in Italy, but travellers from North America, Australia and New Zealand will need a tri-band or 3G phone. Coverage is generally good, but can be patchy near mountains or in thick-walled old buildings. Check roaming options with your provider. Make sure that your handset is unlocked – some operators lock their phones to specific networks. It is impossible to buy a local SIM without an Italian address and a codice fiscale (tax number).
International and local calls
Italians are rarely parted from their state-of-the-art mobile phones (cellulari or telefonini), so public phone booths are increasingly hard to find. Few take coins, some will accept credit cards, but most operate by phone card (scheda telefonica), bought from bars, newsagents and tobacconists. Alternatively, the many call centres around railway stations, mostly used by migrant workers to phone home, offer competitive international rates. To call Italy from abroad, first dial +39. To call abroad from Italy, dial 00 followed by the country code.
Internet and email
Internet access is widely available in Italy. Many urban hotels and bars have free Wi-Fi and there are internet cafés in all but the smallest towns and villages. Libraries, too, often offer public access.
TV and Press
Newspaper kiosks in major cities and tourist destinations stock the international press. They also have an eye-catching selection of children’s magazines, which could entertain kids through a long train journey. Most hotels have satellite TV, which usually offers at least one kids’ channel; Rai Yo-yo and K2 are favourites with under-10s.
Opening hours
Banks are usually open from 8:30am–1:30pm and 2:30–4pm Monday–Friday. Many shops open 8am–1pm and 4–7pm Monday–Saturday, but can be closed on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings. Supermarkets open all day, and Sunday shopping is common in larger cities.
In restaurants lunch tends to be served noon–3pm and dinner 7–11pm, with regional variations. Restaurants often close one day a week and in cities many close in August, while in rural tourist areas many shut for part of the winter.
Museums generally close on Mondays. In summer some stay open into the late evening.
Main post offices open from 8:30am–7:30pm Monday–Saturday, smaller branches and post offices in small towns close at 1pm.
Disabled facilities
Facilities for the disabled are few and far between in Italy. Toilets for disabled people in bars and restaurants are now more common and some hotels have adapted rooms, but access to sights is frequently stepped, with lifts often unattended or in disrepair. Cobbled streets, randomly parked cars and scooters, and high kerbs can make it hard going for the visually and mobility impaired. Public transport is only slightly better, with many trams, trains, metro systems and buses still not wheelchair accessible.
Italian time
Italy is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or British Summer Time (BST), 6 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard or Daylight Time and 9 hours ahead of Pacific Standard or Daylight Time.
Toilets
There are few public toilets in Italy. If you find one you will need small change to pay the attendant. If not, café-bars are required by law to let anyone use their facilities.
Sign for a public toilet
Electricity
The voltage in Italy is 220 volts. Plugs have either two or three round pins. It is advisable to take a multi-plug adapter as the size of pins depends on the age of electrical installation.
What to pack
Italians have smart-casual style off to a fine art. You will rarely need formal clothes, but being presentable will help you to fit in. Take a cardigan or shawl to cover bare shoulders if visiting churches. Sun hats are useful and comfortable shoes can take the pain out of sightseeing.
What to expect
Supplies for babies are pricey in Italy: nappies (pannolini) and milk formula (latte in polvere) cost more than double their price in neighbouring countries. Supermarket baby food often contains sugar, but health-food shops have sugar-free alternatives. High chairs are unusual in restaurants. Breastfeeding is generally accepted, but be sensitive in conservative rural areas. Nappy-changing facilities are rare. Prenatal, a chain of maternity and children’s clothing shops, offers feeding and changing areas (www.prenatal.it).
Etiquette and attitudes
Children are fêted in Italy, but that does not mean that they are not expected to respect others. Make sure they do not get under the feet of waiters in restaurants, and take crying babies outside to calm them. Italian children are always kept clean, so tomato-sauce faces or sticky ice-cream hands should be wiped. A few words of Italian will always be appreciated: teach children to say buon giorno (good morning), ciao (hello/goodbye) and grazie (thank you).
Babysitting
In larger cities, hotels and apartment complexes may well have access to agencies with English-speaking babysitters. Otherwise, it will be down to the good will of hotel managers, who may be able to recommend someone suitable, but security checks will be non-existent.
Visitor information
www.enit.it and regional sites
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