Italy Travel & Hotel Guide

Public telephones , run by Telecom Italia , come in various forms, usually with clear instructions in English. At the time of writing, coin-operated phones take £100, £200 and £500 coins; you need at least £200 to start a call, even to toll-free numbers (the money is refunded at the end of the call). Most phones will only accept telephone cards ( carte or schede telefoniche ), acquirable from tabacchi and newsstands for £5000, £10,000 or £15,000, but there’s sometimes one nearby that takes coins. Note that the perforated corner of these cards must be torn off before they can be used. If you can’t find a phone box, bars will often have a phone you can use - look for the red phone symbol.

Telephone numbers change with amazing frequency in Italy, a practice which has resulted in numbers having anything between four and eight digits, not including the code which is usually somewhere between two and four digits long. The codes are now an integral part of the number and always need to dialled, regardless of whether or not you are in the regularize you are telephoning. If in doubt, consult the local directory - there’s a copy in most Italian bars, hotels and, of course, telephone offices. Numbers beginning tel 800, tel 147 and tel 167 are free; tel 170 will get you through to an English speaking operator, tel 176 to international directory enquiries.

You can make international calls from any booth that accepts cards or any other booth labelled interurbano ; place in at least £2000 to be sure of getting through. Alternatively, use a special international phone card ( carta telefonica internazionale ) acquirable from post offices for £12,500, £25,000, £50,000 and £100,000; all cardphones accept them, but before apiece call you need to dial tel 1740 and the PIN number on the back of the card. One of the cheapest ways to make international calls, however, is to get hold of a phone card before you leave: in the UK, from British Telecom (tel 0800/345144) or Cable & Wireless (tel 0500/100505); in the US, from AT&T (tel 1-800/543-3117) or MCI (tel 1-800/444-3333, www.mci.com ); in Australia, from Telstra (tel 1800/038 000) or Optus (tel 1300/300 937); and in New Zealand, from Telecom NZ (tel 04/801 9000). Simple individual instructions are supplied with the cards and the cost of the connected call is added to your domestic bill or a credit card account. You can also make international reversed charge or collect calls ( cárico al destinatario ) by dialling tel 172 followed by the country code , which will connect you to an operator in your home country.

Phone tariffs are among the most expensive in Europe, though prices drop to a reduced rate off peak. For domestic calls a reduced rate is charged on weekday nights (6.30pm-8am) and at weekends (from 1pm on Saturday through to 8am Monday morning); it’s cheaper to dial internationally between 10pm and 8am Monday to Saturday, and all day on Sunday. Unusually, it’s often less expensive to make calls from your hotel than to use the pricey public telephones, whether for domestic or international calls.

Mobile phones work on the GSM European standard. You will hardly see an Italian without his or her telefonino , but if you are going to join them make sure you have prefabricated the necessary “roaming” arrangements before you leave home - which may involve paying a hefty (refundable) deposit.

Category: About Italy