Rome Practical Info
Your comprehensive guide to Everything Rome
Water
Rome´s tap water is potable and has the highest quality in the country. The water comes from the mountains. Tap water is safe in Rome and so are the many drinking fountains. Only when you see the sign: “Acqua non portabile”, the water is undrinkable. Most Italians prefer to drink mineral water with their meals. Rome is surrounded by many mineral water springs!
Currency exchange (cambio)
Bring a passport or ID. Since 2002 the currency in Italy is the Euro. Commission rates vary from 0 Euro to 5 Euro per transaction. Banks and post offices and some hotels, will also be able to help you with that service.
Banks and credit cards
Opening hours vary, but normally they operate:
Mon-Fri 8.30 am - 1.30 pm; 2.45 pm - 4.30 pm.
All banks close on public holidays.
Most banks have ATM (bancomat) machines available 24-hours. International credit cards are widely accepted.
Have in mind that most credit cards have a limit on how much you can withdraw in a foreign county. The bank may also charge you for withdrawing actions.
Post and stamps
Stamps (francobolli) can be bought at post offices or tobacconists.
To send a post card from Italy it will cost:
Europe and the other countries around the Mediterranean: 0.65 Euro
America and the rest of Asia and Africa: 0.85 Euro
Australia 1.00 Euro
Mailboxes you will find everywhere, they are usually red and quite often with two letter slits one for local (left slit) and one for the rest (right slit)
Phone, Internet and Wireless Hotspots
To make an international phone call you can buy an international phone card (scheda/carta telefonica). In Italy using public phones is still quite common compared to other western European countries. Also at the internet cafés they still have special phone boots.
If you use your cell phone, be informed about the costs. To use a U.S cell phone in Italy, it has to be a Tri- or Quad- band phone.
International dialing code to Italy: 0039
Area code Rome: 06
Throughout Rome you can find internet cafés and hotels, which offer these services. The city of Rome offers a number of public hotspots. They are situated in some piazzas, parks and museums. Take a look at www.romawireless.com before you go, choose a spot and you will have an hour of wireless for free in a beautiful space like Piazza Navona.
Tip (mancia)
At many places the tip is included or will be put on your bill automatically. If you are uncertain, just ask. Then it is up to you, if you are happy with the service, it is nice to give even more. It is usual that you round up your bill. If the service is not included it is normal to tip 10%.
Safety
The most common thing, as in any other big city with a lot of tourists, is pickpockets. They work more than 8 hours a day, they come in all different shapes, dressed as tourists themselves or even little kids. Just keep in mind not to have too much cash on you, don't wave with your money and don't leave your head at home just because you are on vacation!
Dress code
If you want to visit a church in Rome and particularly the Vatican, remember that you will have to dress respectably. For the catholic church that means covering up shoulders and knees for both men and women and not too big décolletage for the women and no hat or cap for the men. The big churches have controls for this.
