Page 376 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

374  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Communications and Media Tre, Poste, Mobile, and
Wind. The SIM cards cost
With the most recent advances in technology, it is easier around €15 and usually come
and cheaper than ever to stay in touch with family and with €5 of free credit. They can
friends while overseas. Even if you don’t have a cell phone be purchased, and refilled,
with Internet capabilities, you will find that Wi-Fi and Internet from various cell phone
outlets, which can be found
cafés are everywhere in Rome, and phone cards offering very throughout the city.
reasonable call rates abound. You can stay abreast of global Once you have the SIM,
news through BBC World (most likely available in your hotel) you can also add credit with
or the English-language publications available at many a scratch card (ricarica)
newsstands in the center of Rome. available at tobacconists or
some newsstands. Some
tobacconists have a
booth and meter your call. You computerized system where
pay at the desk when you are they enter your cell phone
finished, so coins are not number and put the credit
needed. Call centers tend to be onto your phone for you,
Telephone company logo open from early morning until which is easier and quicker
late night, and many also offer than following the instructions
fax, photocopying and Internet. on the scratch card. You can
International and Local International phone cards, also top up your phone credit
Telephone Calls such as the Europa card, are at ATMs.
The cell phone revolution led by far the cheapest option if Smart phone applications
the Italian national telephone you are calling abroad from such as WhatsApp and Viber
company, Telecom Italia, to Italy. They come in either €5 or can be used to make free calls.
dismantle the last €10 cards, which give 120 The service can only be used if
remaining public (or more) minutes of the person you are calling is
phone booths in 2014. calling time. When using the same application
However, privately using, dial the main and your phone is connected
owned “call centers” number on the card, to the Internet.
offer a convenient way key in the PIN, and then
of making private long- Public dial the number
distance calls for telephone sign required.
travelers who are not Any Italian landline
using their own cell phones. telephone number needs to
The centers are equipped with have the full area code
several metered telephones in (including the zero) dialed in
sound-proofed booths. An front of it, even if you are calling
assistant will assign you a within the same city. Cell phone
number prefixes begin with a 3
Reaching the Right and do not require a 0.
Keep in mind that making
Number
calls from the telephone in your
• The code for Rome is 06 hotel room is usually very
(required also within the expensive, sometimes marked
city and after dialing +39 up by as much as several
when calling from abroad). hundred percent.
• Multilingual directory Cell Phones
assistance is at 1254 (press 2).
• Operator assistance is at If you are staying in Rome for Internet café sign
170. Collect calls and credit a longer period of time, it is
card calls are also accepted. probably worth setting up a Internet Access
• Italian directory assistance is roaming agreement with your Many hotels offer an Internet
at 1254 (press 1).
• To reach the operator in cell phone provider at home. connection or Wi-Fi so you
your own country to place Another option is to buy an can access the Internet and
a collect or credit card call, Italian SIM card, with its own email with your own laptop
dial 800 172, then: 444 unique telephone number, (sometimes for an extra fee).
for AT&T, US; 401 for which you can use with your There are some Internet cafés
Verizon, US; 405 for Sprint, own cell phone. You must (Italians call them “Internet
US; 441 for the UK; 610 for show an official ID (such as a points”) where you can go
Telstra, Australia; and 611 passport) when buying a SIM online, such as Yex Change
for Optus, Australia. card. There are five main in central Rome. Those
providers: Vodafone, TIM, traveling without their own

US_374-375_EW_Rome_US.indd 374 15/03/17 4:22 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Directory Listing template (Source v1) “UK” LAYER
Date 9th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm