Telephones

If you want to stay in touch, it is a good idea to use a cellphone on your visit to Tuscany and Umbria. Pay phones have not entirely gone by the wayside, but these days there are very few pay phones in central Italy -- a place where there are far more cellular numbers than landline numbers.

To call Tuscany/Umbria

1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S.; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.

2. Dial the country code: 39.

3. Dial the city code (for Florence: 055) and then the number. (Do not drop the initial 0 as you might in other European countries.) Even when calling within Italy, you always need to dial the city code first.

To make international calls from Italy -- First dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64). Next you dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.

For directory assistance -- Each cellphone carrier has its own directory assistance number, which is listed automatically in the address book of your SIM card. For Telecom Italia, and its mobile carrier, TIM, the directory assistance number is tel. 412.

For operator assistance -- For operator assistance in making either a domestic or international call from a Telecom Italia landline, call tel. 170.

Toll-free numbers -- Numbers in Italy beginning with 800 or 877, and a few others beginning with 8, are toll-free, but calling a 1-800 number in the States from Italy is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Mobile Phones

The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. GSM phones function with a removable plastic SIM card, encoded with your phone number and account information. If your cellphone is on a GSM system, and you have a world-capable multiband phone such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, iPhone/smartphone, or Blackberry, you can make and receive calls in Tuscany and Umbria. In the U.S. this means that Verizon customers (including iPhone users) will not be able to make calls in Italy (Verizon uses the CDMA system); AT&T users should be okay, although international rates for iPhones can be very expensive. All U.K. networks have roaming agreements with their Italian counterparts. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account. Unfortunately, per-minute charges can be high -- usually $1 to $1.50 in Italy. Coverage with major carriers is excellent in Tuscan and Umbrian cities, like Florence, but can be spotty sometimes in the region's less populated countryside.

Buying an Italian SIM card or phone can be economically attractive, as Italy has relatively cheap prepaid phone programs; TIM, Vodafone, Wind, and Tre have very cheap, entry level pay-as-you-go rates. Once you arrive at your destination, stop by a local cellphone shop and get the cheapest package; you'll pay less than 35€ for a phone and a starter calling card, and just 5€ for a SIM card. The best deals will probably be in Rome and Milan, if you're flying into one of those cities. Both cities' principal train stations, Stazione Centrale in Milan and Termini in Rome, in the lower level shopping center, have cellular stores. Local calls may be as low as 15¢ per minute, (international calls 50-60¢ per minute), and all incoming calls are free, including international ones. Data, of course, will be much cheaper than roaming rates (2€ per week for up to 500MB was fairly standard at the time of writing).

Internet & Wi-Fi

Cybercafes are in healthy supply in most Italian cities. In smaller towns you may have a bit of trouble, but increasingly hotels are offering Wi-Fi throughout the rooms, although those in rural areas are not as likely to have a high-speed connection. In a pinch, hostels, local libraries, and, sometimes, bars will have some sort of terminal for access. More and more hotels, resorts, airports, cafes, and retailers are offering Wi-Fi, for a small fee or for free. Most hotels and lots of wine bars and Irish pubs in Florence have wireless Internet access, as do many hotels throughout Tuscany and Umbria.

If you are bringing your own computer, keep in mind the outlets are 220 volts in Italy, and you will need an adapter for a U.K. or North American plug -- the same one used for France and most of the rest of the Continent.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.