Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pharmacies
Marked by a green cross,
farmacie
(pharmacies) open from 8.30am to 1pm and 4pm to 7.30pm Monday to Friday and
on Saturday mornings. Outside these hours they open on a rotational basis, and all are legally required to post a list of
places open in the vicinity. Night pharmacies are listed in daily newspapers and in pharmacy windows.
If you think you'll need a prescription while in Rome, make sure you know the drug's generic name rather than the
brand name. Regular medications available over the counter - such as antihistamines or paracetamol - tend to be ex-
pensive in Italy.
There's a 24-hour
pharmacy
( 06 488 00 19; Piazza dei Cinquecento 51; 7.30am-10pm) on the western flank
of Piazza dei Cinquecento near Stazione Termini. In the station, you'll find a
pharmacy
(
06 488 00 19; Piazza dei
Cinquecento 51; 7.30am-10pm) next to platform 1.
In the Vatican, the
Farmacia Vaticana
( 06 6988 9806; Palazzo Belvedere; 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri Sep-Jun,
8.30am-3pm Mon-Fri Jul & Aug, plus 8.30am-1pm Sat year-round) sells certain drugs that are not available in Italian
pharmacies and will fill foreign prescriptions (something local pharmacies can't do).
Money
For the latest exchange rates, check out
www.xe.com
.
ATMs
ATMs (known as
bancomat
) are widely available in Rome and most will accept cards tied to the Visa, MasterCard, Cir-
rus and Maestro systems. The daily limit for cash withdrawal is €250. It's a good idea to let your bank know when you
are going abroad, in case it blocks your card when payments from unusual locations appear. If you are registered for on-
line banking, you may be able to do this online.
Remember that every time you withdraw cash, your home bank charges you a foreign exchange fee (usually around
1% to 3%) as well as a transaction charge of around 1%. Check with your bank before you go to find out its specific
charges.
Changing Money
You can change your money in banks, at post offices or at a
cambio
(exchange office). There are exchange booths at
Stazione Termini and at Fiumicino and Ciampino airports. In the centre, there are numerous bureaux de change, includ-
ing
American Express
(
06 6 76 41; Piazza di Spagna 38;
9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat) . Post of-
fices and banks tend to offer the best rates.
A few banks also provide automatic exchange mach- ines that accept notes from most major currencies.
Always make sure you have your passport or some form of photo ID when exchanging money.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are widely accepted but it's still a good idea to carry a cash back-up. Virtually all midrange and top-end ho-
tels accept credit cards, as do most restaurants and large shops. You can also use them to obtain cash advances at some
banks. Some of the cheaper
pensioni
(guesthouses), trattorias and pizzerias accept nothing but cash.
Major cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, Cirrus and Eurocheques are widely accepted. Amex is also recog-
nised, although it's less common than Visa or MasterCard.
Note that using your credit card in ATMs can be costly. On every transaction there's a fee, which can reach US$10
with some credit-card issuers, as well as interest per withdrawal. Check with your issuer before leaving home.
