Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rates
Letters up to 20g cost €0.85 to Zone 1 (Europe and the Mediterranean Basin), €2 to Zone 2 (other countries in Africa,
Asia and the Americas) and €2.50 to Zone 3 (Australia and New Zealand). For more important items, use registered
mail
(raccomandata),
which costs €4.80 to Zone 1, €5.60 to Zone 2 and €6 to Zone 3.
PRACTICALITIES
»
Vatican Radio (
www.radiovaticana.org
;
93.3FM and 105FM in Rome) Broadcasts in Italian, English and
other languages.
»
RAI-1, RAI-2 and RAI-3 (
www.rai.it
)
National broadcaster, running state TV and radio.
»
Radio Città Futura (
www.radiocittafutura.it
)
Great for contemporary and world music.
»
Main commercial TV stations (mostly run by Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset company): Canale 5 (
www.mediaset.it/canale5
), Italia 1 (
www.mediaset.it/italia1
), Rete 4 (
www.mediaset.it/rete4
)
and La 7 (
www.la7.it
).
»
Weights and measures use the metric system.
»
Italy's currency is the euro. The seven euro notes come in denominations of €500, €200, €100, €50, €20,
€10 and €5. The eight euro coins are in denominations of €2 and €1, and 50, 20, 10, five, two and one cents.
Public Holidays
Most Romans take their annual holiday in August. This means that many businesses and shops close for at least part of
the month, particularly around Ferragosto (Feast of the Assumption) on 15 August.
Public holidays include the following:
Capodanno
(New Year's Day) 1 January
Epifania
(Epiphany) 6 January
Pasquetta
(Easter Monday) March/April
Giorno della Liberazione
(Liberation Day) 25 April
Festa del Lavoro
(Labour Day) 1 May
Festa della Repubblica
(Republic Day) 2 June
Festa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
(Feast of St Peter & St Paul) 29 June
Ferragosto
(Feast of the Assumption) 15 August
