Travel Advice for Rome

Monetary Services in Rome aren't very fast due to increased level of bureaucracy. Telephony services have been improved since the market was liberalized. safety services along with Health Services improved too. We'll be providing you with some useful travel advice before your arrival in Rome:

Money

Currency: in 2002, Italy and many other European Union Member States started to use an unique currency - Euro. Italy changed its former currency (italian lira). The Euro coins are of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 cents and 1 and 2 Euro. The bills are of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 Euro.

Credit Cards: most of the commercial places accespt Visa and Mastercard; some shops, restaurants and small hotels could ask you to pay cash. Large hotels, shops and commercial centres will accept American Express or Dinner-s Club Cards.

Money Exchange: We recommend you to exchange your money into Euro at the bank, this way paying a smaller commission; you will need to present an ID. Bank opening hours vary. Generally banks in Italy open at 8 or 8:30 AM until 13:00 or 13:30. Some of them open in the afternoon, between 14:30/15:00 and 16:00/16:30, from Monday to Friday. Large bank branches in the main Italian cities may open on Saturdays between 9:00 and 12:00 morning. Many bank offices located in airports across Italy have prolonged opening hours to make available tourist money exchange services or travel cheque exchange.

Travel Cheques: A very good idea while traveling to Rome is to get travel cheques with you, in case your credit card gets demagnetized or the card card gets outdated. We advise you not to exchange the travel cheques with you hotel for low commission reasons.

Communications and Postal Services

Sending mail by post: The Italian postal services aren't the most rapid, the letters would take several days to reach their destinations but there are seldom cases when a letter arrives after weeks or months. The post stamps (francobollo in Italian) can be purchased from most tobacco or newspaper shops. Before buying them, tell the seller where do you want to send your letter (USA, Canada, United Kingdom or any other country in the world). The post mail boxes are red and have the inscription POSTE; every box has generally two openings, one for International Mail and the other for Italian Mail.

Receiving Mail in Italy: You can receive mail on your name at ”FERMO POSTA/Piazza San Silvestro 19/00187/Roma-Italia”, and you would have to pay a small fee at the post office.

Telephone: Public Telephones in Italy accept pre-payed telephone cards (carta telefonica, telecarta, tessera telefonica - in Italian) and can be purchased from the newspapers or tobacco kiosks.

Internet: There are many Internet caffés in Rome and in order to find the closest one of your hotel or hostel, ask at the tourist offices. Most hotels and hostels in Rome have their own WI-FI Internet connection available for their clients, as well as PCs.

Health Insurance and Security

Police: Italian Police as an organization, splits into two main branches - polizia and carabinieri (with military training). The Police station is called Questura in Italian.

Health and Travel Insurance: Before coming to Rome, please arrange yourself a travel insurance and/or a health insurance. In case you need emergency medical treatment or assistance, you will receive it, pay it and the costs will be reimbursed to you back in your country of origin by the insurance company or travel agent.

Hospitals: Rome hospitals (ospedale - in Italian) are efficient and well equipped and monst of them are private. The health emergency service is called ”pronto soccorso”.

Lost or stolen objects in Rome

If you lost any of your belongings in the bus, train or metro, call the following telephone numbers:

Buses and Trams: 065816040
Metro: 064874309 or 0657532265

If you have lost your belongings in any other place, do not hesitate and contact the nearest police station. For lost passports, contact your countrys' embassy in Italy right away.

Getting around in Rome

To find out information about the means of public transportation in Rome and how to get around in the city, please consult our pages for Public Transportation in Rome and Getting Around in Rome.

Emergency Telephone Numbers

Ambulance
118 - call is free of charge from any network.
Firemen
115 - call is free of charge from any network.
Police
112 - Carabinieri - call is free of charge from any network.
Police
113 - Polizia - call is free of charge from any network.

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