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Mail Service
In Italy the Italian Mail Service is a public
service of the State. In February 1998 with thetransformation
in joint-stock company, Poste Italiane have been set
up and include the followingcompanies: SDA
(Express Courier), Postel (communication services for companies
and public administrations), Postevita (insurance policy services),
Postecom (for Internet services).
The Italian Mail Service carry out an immense range of services
divided in two fields, financial and postal.
Counter services (Sale and transactions for the customers
of the post offices) and delivery services (collection,
distribution and delivery of the correspondence) are guaranteedthrough
15 regional centres, 140 provincial branchs, about 14.000
post offices.
Post
offices
The majority of Post offices are generally open from 8.30
to 14.00, except on Saturday and the last day of the month,
in which the closing time is anticipated at 12.00. In the
big cities the Central Post Office Mail (and some offices)
is generally open also in the afternoon until 18,30/19 and
on Saturdays from 8.30 until 13.50.
Through the site of the mail service http://www.poste.it/online/cercaup/ it is
possible to have the list of all the Italian post offices
with indication of the timetable and the services offered.
You can buy stamps in Post offices and in tabaconists
(marked by the T symbol).
The postage price depends on the weight of the letter, on
the destination and on the choice of the type of postal service
of which you avail of.
Sending a letter in Italy and the European Union costs 0,41
euro (unless the weight does not exceed 20 grams), for other
continents the stamp costs between 0,65 euro (North America)
and 0,75 euro (Australia and New Zeland). It is possible to
send telegrams through Post offices and also through
a telephone service (dialling number 186).
If you do not have a fixed residence, you can receive your
correspondence, your packages and whatever things to poste
restante or a confidential Post office box at one
of the qualified offices.
For getting to know the addresses of these offices, contact
the Italian Call Center of Poste Italiane at number 160 or
consult the site of the Poste Italiane. The main postal and
financial services offered by Poste Italiane can be found
at the page: http://www.poste.it/postali.
To point out:
National + international postal order (postal credit
transfer):
The postal order is used in order to send money to another
person, from whichever post office, without the obligation
to have a bank or post office account.
Transfer cash via Eurogiro:
It is useful in order to send and to receive money in the
countries supporting the Eurogiro circuit without the obligation
to have a postal or bank account.
For information on all the services of the
Poste Italiane:
Unique Call Center of Poste Italiane: 803160
(active from Monday to Saturday from 8 to 20, and free from
fixed telephone and mobile TIM, OMNITEL, BLU.
Useful references:
Couriers
Besides the public service of Poste Italiane
SDA http://www.sda.it/ - tel. 800-016027,
there are companies and agencies operating in this field in
Italy that manage their services so as to meet the need of
the customer (fast delivery times to the adressee, document
or goods safety up to the delivery). Some international couriers
that operate in Italy are:
Useful References:
Holidays
Most of Italians go on holiday in August leaving
the big cities, detination of curious tourists, practically
deserted; with a few shops open and active services.
The days of national festivity are as follows:
- 1st January (New Year's Day)
- 6th January (Epiphany)
- Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
- 25th April (anniversary of the liberation of 1945)
- 1st May (Festivity of workers)
- 2nd june (Proclamation of the Republic)
- 15th August (feast of the Assumption)
- 1st November (All Saints' Day)
- 8th December (Immaculate Conception)
- 25th and 26th Decembers (Christmas and Boxing Day)
Each city celebrates, moreover, its patron
saint. For example, in Catania from 3rd to 5th February they
celebrate Saint Agata, in Venice on 25th April Saint Mark;
in Florence, Genoa and Turin on 24th June San Giovanni (St
John); in Rome on 29th June Saint Peter and Paul; in Milan
on 7th December San Ambrogio, in Naples on 19th September
San Gennaro.
Sicily and Sardinia are theatre of numerous religious celebrations
as for Easter time in Sicily.
Shops and shopping
The timetables of the shops can vary a lot
according to the geographic position of the place where you
are.
Generally they are open from 9-12.30/15.30-19.30 from Monday
to Saturday, with a half midweek day of rest.
However, in the centre of the big cities shops remain open
also at lunch.
Moreover, as you go to the South the opening and the closing
time of the shops strengthen, in the small centres and in
the tourist venues, therefore as well as on christmas time
it is possible to find shops open also on Sunday.
Department store (big chains of distribution) and supermarkets
have a longer timetable, generally they are open from Monday
to Saturday from 9 to 19.30 with continued timetable and sometimes
also on Sunday from 9 to 13.
Advices for shopping
It is advisable to pay attention on when you buy clothing
since sizes, sometimes, can be different from those of the
country of origin.
If you buy video cassettes just remember that in Italy they
are recorded with PAL system (in France for example they adopt
SECAM system).
It is not obligatory to leave tips in the restaurants, in
the bars or to taxi drivers, while it is advisable to make
it in hotels.
In Italy you can negotiate the price in the flea market, you
are not allowed to do it in the shops, where you can ask for
a discount just if you buy a lot of things.
Where to buy and how
to pay
Italy is not a very cheap country. The prices vary in a considerable
way between the North and the South of Italy (they are higher
in the North) and the big cities, provinces or rural areas.
Generally it is more convenient to buy in the local street
markets, in the supermarkets, in the trade centre or in department
store.
It is possible to make good business if you buy during the
sales, when business activities propose their goods at very
discounted prices. But pay attention to the swindles! Not
all the shopkeepers are honest, you have to be careful and
compare the prices
Some common chains of distribution are:
How to pay
Generally only the shops in the biggest cities and in the
the areas of greater tourist interest accept traveller chèques,
but it is getting every day easier to pay through credit card,
since more and more shopkeepers, supermarkets and hotels,
above all in the big cities and in the tourist venues, are
equipped with this type of payment.
The main tourist guides indicate the commonly accepted credit
cards (Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard, Cirrus and Euro Cheques...).
Some automated teller machines (Bancomat) allow us also to
draw money through credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American
Express).
If the credit card gets lost, stolen or destroyed, it is possible
to block it contacting the following numbers:
In case of emergency, it is possible ask for
money to be sent at a post
office in 24 hours or through the foreign office of a
big Italian bank or calling the Union Western at the 800/013839.
Electrical appliances
In Italy the voltage for being able to use
Electrical appliances at home and in hotel is 220 Volt. It
is advisable to have always a current adapter if the electric
household- are designed for a different voltage.
Hygienic services
Public hygienic services are not so much diffused
in Italy even if it is more common to find in the areas of
greater tourist interest service on payment . Most of people
go to the toilet of the bars and of the cafeterias but beforehand
they are supposed to ask for a drink.
Weights and Measures
The adopted system is the metric decimates.
Domestic animals
If it you travel together with a domestic animal,
you should keep into consideration that not all the hotels,
the camping sites or the hostels accept them; we suggest you
should consult Italy Red Guide (published by Michelin) of
the current year in order to choose a hotel thatcan host them.
Moreover it is useful to bring an international Certificate
of Origin and Health, that proves the good health of the
animal. The certificate is issued by an authorized veterinary
or a veterinary of the ASL of competence.
Normally it has a validity of 30 days, but there are Nations
with different regulations. It is necessary therefore to get
information in Consoles of the various Countries.
The certificate of good international health must report that
the animal has been vaccinateed against the anger from less
than 11 months (annual callback ) and from more than 20 days
and that it has been visited the issue day of the certificate
and recognized clinically healthy.
Useful references:
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