Fast Facts

American Express -- The Rome offices are at Piazza di Spagna 38 (tel. 06-67641; Metro: Spagna). The travel service is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm.

Area Code -- The area code for Rome is 06.

Babysitters -- Most hotel desks in Rome will help you find a babysitter. Inquire as far in advance as possible. You can request an English-speaking sitter, but you may not always get one. You can also call American Women's Association (tel. 06-4825268; www.awar.org) for a list of reliable babysitters.

Business Hours -- Most stores open at 10am, closing at 7pm Monday to Saturday. Many still practice the habit of closing for 1 or 2 hours at midday for lunch. Some boutiques and chain stores in the center of Rome are also open on Sunday. In general, banks are open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 1:30pm and 3 to 4pm. Some banks keep afternoon hours from 2:45 to 3:45pm.

Currency Exchange -- There are exchange offices throughout the city, and they're also at all major rail and air terminals, including Stazione Termini, where the cambio (exchange booth) beside the rail information booth is open daily from 8am to 8pm. At some cambi, you'll have to pay commissions, often 1.5%. Likewise, banks often charge commissions.

Dentists -- For dental work, go to American Dental Arts Rome, Via del Governo Vecchio (tel. 06-6832613; www.adadentistsrome.com; bus no. 64), which uses all the latest technology, including laser dental techniques. There is also a 24-hour G. Eastman Dental Hospital at Viale Regina Elena 287B (tel. 06-844831; Metro: Policlinico).

Doctors -- Call the U.S. Embassy at tel. 06-46741 for a list of doctors who speak English. All big hospitals have a 24-hour first-aid service (go to the emergency room, Pronto Soccorso). You'll find English-speaking doctors at the privately run Salvator Mundi International Hospital, Viale delle Mura Gianicolensi 67 (tel. 06-588961; bus no. 115). For medical assistance, the International Medical Center is on 24-hour duty at Via Firenze 47 (tel. 06-4882371; www.imc84.com; Metro: Repubblica). You could also contact the Rome American Hospital, Via Emilio Longoni 69 (tel. 06-22551; www.rah.it; bus no. 508), with English-speaking doctors on duty 24 hours. A more personalized service is provided 24 hours by MEDI-CALL, Via Cremera 8 (tel. 06-8840113; bus no. 86). It can arrange for qualified doctors to make a house call at your hotel or anywhere in Rome. In most cases, the doctor will be a general practitioner who can refer you to a specialist, if needed. Fees begin at around 100€ per visit and can go higher if a specialist or specialized treatments are necessary.

Drinking Laws -- Wine with meals has been a normal part of family life for hundreds of years in Italy. Children are exposed to wine at an early age, and consumption of alcohol isn't anything out of the ordinary. The legal drinking age is 18.

Drugstores -- A reliable pharmacy is Farmacia Internazionale, Piazza Barberini 49 (tel. 06-4825456; Metro: Barberini), open day and night. Most pharmacies are open from 8:30am to 1pm and 4 to 7:30pm. In general, pharmacies follow a rotation system, so several are always open on Sunday.

Electricity -- It's generally 220 volts, 50 Hz AC, but you might find 125-volt outlets, with different plugs and sockets for each. Pick up a transformer either before leaving home or in any appliance shop in Rome if you plan to use electrical appliances. Check the exact local current at your hotel. You'll also need an adapter plug.

Embassies & Consulates -- In case of an emergency, embassies have a 24-hour referral service.

The U.S. Embassy is in Rome at Via Vittorio Veneto 119A (tel. 06-46741; fax 06-46742244; www.usembassy.it).

The Canadian Embassy in Rome is at Via Salaria, 243 tel. 06-854441. The Canadian Consulate and passport service is in Rome at Via Zara 30 (tel. 06-854443937; fax 06-854442905). The U.K. Embassy is in Rome at Via XX Settembre 80A (tel. 06-42200001; fax 06-42202334; www.ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk).

The Australian Embassy is in Rome at Via Antonio Bosio 5 (tel. 06-852721; fax 06-85272300; www.italy.embassy.gov.au).

The New Zealand Embassy is in Rome at Via Clitunno 44 (tel. 06-8537501; fax 06-4402984). The Irish Embassy in Rome is at Piazza di Campitelli 3 (tel. 06-6979121; fax 06-69791231; www.embassyofireland.it).

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 113 to call the police; call tel. 118 for an ambulance; to report a fire, call tel. 115.

Holidays -- Offices and shops in Rome are closed on the following national holidays: January 1 (New Year's Day), Easter Monday, April 25 (Liberation Day), May 1 (Labor Day), August 15 (Assumption of the Virgin), November 1 (All Saints' Day), December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), December 25 (Christmas Day), and December 26 (Santo Stefano). Many offices and businesses also close on June 29, for the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, the city's patron saints.

Hospitals -- See "Doctors," above.

Insurance -- Medical Insurance -- For travel overseas, most U.S. health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage, and the ones that do often require you to pay for services upfront and reimburse you only after you return home. As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation might be necessary. If you require additional medical insurance, try MEDEX Assistance (tel. 800/732-5309; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (tel. 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com; for general information on services, call the company's Worldwide Assistance Services, Inc. at tel. 800/777-8710; www.worldwideassistance.com).

Canadians should check with their provincial health plan offices or call Health Canada (tel. 866/225-0709; www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find out the extent of their coverage and what documentation and receipts they must take home in case they are treated overseas.

Travelers from the U.K. should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111 form as proof of entitlement to free/reduced cost medical treatment abroad (tel. 0845/606-2030; www.ehic.org.uk). Note, however, that the EHIC only covers "necessary medical treatment," and for repatriation costs, lost money, baggage, or cancellation, travel insurance from a reputable company should always be sought (www.travelinsuranceweb.com).

Internet Access -- Try Internet Café, Via dei Marruncini 12 (near Stazione Termini; tel. 06-4454953), open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1am, Saturday 10am to 1am, and Sunday 2pm to midnight.

Language -- Although Italian, of course, is the official language, English is widely understood in central Rome, especially in the tourist industries such as shops, hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs. To get a leg up, refer to the key phrases and terms in this guide.

Legal Aid -- The consulate of your country is the place to turn for legal aid, although offices can't interfere in the Italian legal process. They can, however, inform you of your rights and provide a list of attorneys. You'll have to pay for the attorney out of your pocket -- there's no free legal assistance. If you're arrested for a drug offense, about all the consulate will do is notify a lawyer about your case and perhaps inform your family.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to contact your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen, and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two.

If you lose your card, call the following Italian toll-free numbers: Visa (tel. 800/819-014; www.visa.com), MasterCard (tel. 800/870-866; www.mastercard.com), or American Express (tel. 800/872-000, or collect 336/393-1111, www.americanexpress.com, from anywhere in the world). As a backup, write down the phone numbers that appear on the back of each of your cards (not the U.S. toll-free number -- you can't dial those from abroad -- but rather the number you can call collect from anywhere; if one does not appear, call the card company and ask).

Luggage Storage/Lockers -- These are available at the Stazione Termini. Lockers, which are open daily from 6am to midnight, are on the underground floor of the Termini Wing accessible from the Forum Termini by means of the tapis-roulant, from via Giolitti, or platform 24. The charge is 4€ per piece of luggage per 5-hour period. Luggage storage is also available daily 7am to 11pm in the main arrivals building of the airport, costing 2€ per bag for up to 7 hours of storage, 3.50€ per bag between 7 and 24 hours, and 6€ for oversize luggage per day.

Mail -- Mail delivery in Italy is notoriously bad. Your family and friends back home might receive your postcards in 1 week, or it might take 2 weeks or more. Postcards, aerogrammes, and letters weighing up to 20 grams sent to the United States and Canada cost .85€; to the United Kingdom and Ireland, .65€; and to Australia and New Zealand, 1€. You can buy stamps at all post offices and at tabacchi, but it's easiest just to buy stamps and mail letters and postcards at your hotel's front desk. You can buy special stamps at the Vatican City Post Office, adjacent to the information office in St. Peter's Square; it's open October to June Monday to Friday 8:15am to 6pm, and Saturday 8:15am to 2:15pm; and July to September Monday to Saturday 8:15am to 2:30pm. Letters mailed at Vatican City reach North America far more quickly than mail sent from within Rome for the same cost.

Newspapers & Magazines -- You can get the International Herald Tribune, USA Today, the New York Times, and Time and Newsweek magazines at most newsstands. The expatriate magazine (in English) Wanted in Rome comes out monthly and lists current events and shows. If you want to try your hand at reading Italian, the newspaper La Repubblica is full of cultural and entertainment listings.

Police -- Dial tel. 113.

Safety -- Pickpocketing is the most common problem. Men should keep their wallets in their front pocket or inside jacket pocket. Purse snatching is also commonplace, with young men on Vespas who ride past you and grab your purse. To avoid trouble, stay away from the curb, and keep your purse on the wall side of your body and place the strap across your chest. Don't lay anything valuable on tables or chairs, where it can be grabbed up. Children have long been a particular menace, although the problem isn't as severe as in years past. If they completely surround you, you'll often virtually have to fight them off. They might approach you with pieces of cardboard hiding their stealing hands. Just keep repeating a firm no!

Smoking -- On January 10, 2005, a nationwide smoking ban went into effect in bars and restaurants. This law is strongly enforced nationwide.

Taxes -- As a member of the European Union, Italy imposes a value-added tax (called IVA in Italy) on most goods and services. The tax that most affects visitors is the one imposed on hotel rates, which ranges from 10% in first- and second-class hotels to 20% in deluxe hotels.

Non-E.U. (European Union) citizens are entitled to a refund of the IVA if they spend more than 155€ at any one store, before tax. To claim your refund, request an invoice from the cashier at the store and take it to the Customs office (dogana) at the airport to have it stamped before you leave. Note: If you're going to another E.U. country before flying home, have it stamped at the airport Customs office of the last E.U. country you'll be in (for example, if you're flying home via Britain, have your Italian invoices stamped in London). Once back home, mail the stamped invoice (keep a photocopy for your records) back to the original vendor within 90 days of the purchase. The vendor will, sooner or later, send you a refund of the tax that you paid at the time of your original purchase. Reputable stores view this as a matter of ordinary paperwork and are businesslike about it. Less-honorable stores might lose your dossier. It pays to deal with established vendors on large purchases. You can also request that the refund be credited to the credit card with which you made the purchase; this is usually a faster procedure.

Many shops are now part of the "Tax Free for Tourists" network (look for the sticker in the window). Stores participating in this network issue a check along with your invoice at the time of purchase. After you have the invoice stamped at Customs, you can redeem the check for cash directly at the Tax Free booth in the airport (in Rome, it's past Customs) or mail it back in the envelope provided within 60 days.

Time -- In terms of standard time zones, Italy is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States. The E.U. version of daylight saving time runs from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October.

Tipping -- This custom is practiced with flair in Italy -- many people depend on tips for their livelihoods. In hotels, the service charge of 15% to 19% is already added to a bill. In addition, it's customary to tip the chambermaid 1€ per day, the doorman (for calling a cab) 1€, and the bellhop or porter 1.50€ to 2.50€ for carrying your bags to your room. A concierge expects about 15% of his or her bill, as well as tips for extra services performed, which could include help with long-distance calls. In expensive hotels, these amounts are often doubled.

In restaurants and cafes, 15% is usually added to your bill to cover most charges. If you're not sure whether this has been done, ask, "È incluso il servizio?" (ay een-cloo-soh eel sair-vee-tsoh?). An additional tip isn't expected, but it's nice to leave the equivalent of an extra couple of dollars if you've been pleased with the service. Checkroom attendants expect 1.50€, and washroom attendants should get 1€. Restaurants are required by law to give customers official receipts.

Taxi drivers expect at least 10% of the fare.

Toilets -- Facilities are found near many of the major sights and often have attendants, as do those at bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, and hotels, plus the airports and the rail station. (There are public restrooms near the Spanish Steps, or you can stop at the McDonald's there -- it's one of the nicest branches of the Golden Arches you'll ever see!) You're expected to leave 1€ for the attendant. It's not a bad idea to carry some tissues in your pocket when you're out and about, either.

Water -- Most Italians take mineral water with their meals; however, tap water is safe everywhere, as are public drinking fountains. Unsafe sources will be marked ACQUA NON POTABILE. If tap water comes out cloudy, it's only the calcium or other minerals inherent in a water supply that often comes untreated from fresh springs.