|
Airfare
Transatlantic fares may soon become more affordable, according to
The New York Times. In the meantime, budget
carriers – like Easyjet
and RyanAir
– often have fares as low as two cents into
Rome from various European capitals. The total, one-way, is $40-50,
depending on taxes. Plus, you may be able to find cheaper transatlantic
flights into, say, Milan, Frankfurt or Vienna.
This budget
booking tactic works best for folks who want to explore the layover
city. No-frill airlines don't have partners, so if you run late
inbound, you won't be rebooked and may forfeit the Rome ticket.
Also these flights typically connect secondary airports (London
Stansted and Rome
Ciampino, for example), so calculate in the extra ground-transit
time and expenses...
Search engines
like Mobissimo and Low
Cost Airline Guide help you explore these options.
Calling
Italy
Most countries require “00” before an international call.
Consult your carrier should you encounter dificulty. Italy's code
– for those outside the country – is 39. Dial the zero
of the area code (all Roman numbers, for example, start “06”).
Changing money
 Big
bills are the enemy. An innocent baby-blue E20 can wreck havoc in
a bar, never mind a lurid violet-purple E500. Rome is a city seemingly
without change, so don't bother exchanging large sums at a bank
back home.
Costs in Italy
A budget traveler now needs about €50 a day (for one-star hotels
or hostels, train travel, groceries and one inexpensive pizzeria
meal). Prices skyrocket in Rome, of course, where the comfort zone
is closer to €80.
Slim wallet? Don't sit down. Bar tabs quadruple for seated customers
in tourist areas. €8 isn't just for a beer, but for the priviledge
of lingering in a world-famous locale, such as the Piazza Navona
or the Pantheon square. Before ordering, check the menu or price
list behind the cash register. Two columns means two pricing tiers.
Save money by standing at the counter (al bar).
Solo travelers suffer supplements and inflated rates (few establishments
have dedicated single rooms, outside of convents and monasteries).
A double room in a one-star hotel can be cheaper for two than a
hostel, however.
Pizza is sometimes considered the perfect foodstuff, starring
vegetables, grain, cheese protein and high carbohydrates in one
nifty hand-held packet. And it's cheap, cheap, cheap in Italy. A
slice shop (pizza al taglio) meal costs €3-4 (even including
a soda or beer from a vending machine; purchase a token, un gettone,
from the cashier). Sit-down pizza and pasta meals average €10
with beverages. Be forewarned, though. The convenience and savings
come at a price: pizza can be high in fat.
Credit and debit cards
Banks and credit card companies sometimes panic over a flood of
charges from a foreign country. Avoid frozen assests by supplying
them with an itinerary. Yes, the phone calls are tedious, but damage-control
from Italy is even worse.
Credit cards are more commonplace now, and often provide the best
exchange rates. However, restaurants prefer euros and street traders
deal exclusively in “folding money” (a cash discount –
sconto –- sometimes is possible, just don't expect a
receipt).
A debit card is often the best route, activated for overseas use.
Withdraw money directly from a home account, accruing a flat fee,
but no percentage penalty, generally. An ATM (cash machine) can
spit out €50-250 each day: bancomats are in good supply, even
in small Italian towns. Some debit cards double as credit cards;
look for a Visa, Mastercard or American Express logo. However, be
cautious about this. A thief could drain dry your checking …
a much more serious situation than an abused and overblown line
of credit.
Customs (incoming)
Visitors fresh off the boat – or train, plane and automobile,
as the case may be – should carry receipts for expensive items,
so they're not mistakenly taxed on departure. That said, customs
officers rarely stir at the sight of a laptop or camera bag. So
measure the risk against the hassle carefully. Can you prove a substaintal
prior ownership? Are you willing to miss a flight (or two) proving
said ownership? Do you agree with the very Italinate principle that
it's better to ask forgiveness than permission? Walk on.
Don't let your wallet bulge beyond €10,329.14 in cash: a non-issue
for most law-abiding guests in the days of travelers checks, credit
cards and globally co-operative ATMs (cash machines, aka bancomats).
Non-European Union citizens may import or export:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
One liter of spirits (over 22% alcohol) or two liters of still table
wine or two liters of either fortified wine (under 22%), sparkling
wine or other liquors
50g (1.76oz) of perfume
EU-citizen limits, for personal use:
3,200 cigarettes or 400 cigarillos or 200 cigars or 3kg of tobacco
20 liters of fortified wine (under 22%) or 90 liters of wine (of
which only 60 liters can be sparkling)
Ten liters of spirits (over 22% alcohol) or 110 liters of beer
Electricity
Italy's juice is 240 volts, so bring a transformer for North American
110/120-volt appliances. Such equipment is difficult to locate and
expensive; don't count on hotel-loans, as in other European countries.
Quality laptops, like Apple Macs, have built-in transformers and
only require a plug adaptor (two round pins). For emergency supplies
in Italy, seek out an electrical (elettricità) or
hardware (ferramenta) store.
Passports and visas
Americans – and other foreign visitors – require a passport
to enter Italy, of course. The expiration date must be six months
away, at the very least. British citizens also need a passport.
Other EU visitors can travel with a national identity card.
A visa isn't necessary for stays under 90 days (you can apply for
another one-time, 90-day extension at the local police station)
if you are from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States
or the Europan Union (EU). Officials may request bank statements
and financial evidence that you're self-supporting, not working
on the sly.
Legally,
everyone in bell'Italia must carry photo ID at all times.
Traffic police also insist that drivers carry their licences. Small,
suspicious hotels sometimes hold passports hostage overnight. Wedged
carelessly into unattended pigeon-holes, the documents can be vulnerable
to theft. Nervous? The law says you can have it back, though the
hotelier may balk.
Time
Italy is one hour ahead of London and seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern
Time.
Travelers'
checks
Safe and steady, these are falling out of favor. Most travelers
keep a few for emergencies – with numbers cached at home or
online – then rely on ATM withdrawals and credit (see above
for further details). Cash into the retro chic of the American Express
office (Piazza di Spagna 38; 06-67-641) or the nearby Thomas Cook
branch (Piazza Barberini 21; 06-42-020-150; also Via del Corso 23,
Piazza del Populo). Both offices cash their brand's checks sans
commission, usually one percent. Expect a one or two percent purchasing-fee
too, unless buying from your home institution. Italian banks charge
a €3-5.50 commission to cash travelers checks.
Tourist
registration
Hotel require a passport, as foreigners must be registered with
the police within three days of arrival. Independent travelers –
those staying with friends or in a private home – must do the
honors da sola (alone) and visit the nearest police station.
Rome runs an information office with interpreters (461-950 or 486-609).
| |
|
