Directory A–Z - Southern Italy - page 522

» To call Italy from abroad, dial the international access number (

011 in the United States, 00 from most other

countries), Italy's country code ( 39) and the area code of the location you want, including the leading 0.

Mobile Phones
» Italy uses GSM 900/1800, compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia but not with North American GSM 1900
or the totally different Japanese system.

» Most modern smartphones are multiband, meaning that they are compatible with a variety of international networks.
Before bringing your own phone to Italy, however, check with your service provider to make sure it is compatible, and
beware of calls being routed internationally (which will make it very expensive for a 'local' call).
» Unlocking your phone for use with an Italian SIM card is often the cheapest option, but always check with your home
mobile-service provider first to ascertain whether your handset will allow the use of another SIM card.
» You can get a temporary or prepaid account from most phone company stores in Italy if you already own a GSM,
multiband cellular phone (take your passport). Activating a local prepaid SIM card can cost as little as €10 (sometimes
with €10 worth of calls on the card). Pay-as-you-go SIM cards are also readily available at telephone and electronics
stores throughout Italy. Alternatively, you can buy or lease an inexpensive Italian phone for the duration of your trip.
» You can easily top up your Italian account with recharge cards (ricariche), available from most tobacconists, as well
as from some bars, supermarkets and banks.
» Of the main mobile phone companies, TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile), Wind and Vodafone have the densest networks of
outlets across the country.

Payphones & Phonecards
Telecom Italia is the largest telecommunications organisation in Italy. You'll find Telecom payphones throughout the
country, on the streets, in train stations and in Telecom offices. Most payphones only accept carte/schede telefoniche
(phonecards), although some also accept credit cards. Telecom offers a wide range of prepaid cards for both domestic
and international use; for a full list, see www.telecomitalia.it/telefono/carte-telefoniche . You can buy phonecards (most
commonly €3 or €5) at post offices, tobacconists and newsstands.

Time
» Italy is one hour ahead of GMT. When it is noon in London, it is 1pm in Italy.

» Daylight savings time, when clocks are moved forward one hour, starts on the last Sunday in March. Clocks are put
back an hour on the last Sunday in October.
» Italy operates on a 24-hour clock.