• SHOPPING:
Most of the shops are open from 9.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and from 04.00 – 08.00 p.m. (normally they are closed Monday morning and all Sunday).
The supermarkets are open non-stop but normally they are closed on Sundays.
We recommend you to buy food on Saturdays because groceries are closed on Sunday or bring something with you if you arrive late.
• RESTAURANTS:
The opening hours of the shops are normally:
Lunch 12.00 - 14.00
Dinner 19.30 - 22.00.
(Try to avoid restaurants with “Tourist menus" – they often makes you disappointed!)
It is not necessary with tips in Italy but of course always appreciated. Most of the shops and restaurants accept credit cards, smaller food shops, bars etc. might not.
• POST OFFICE:
the General Post Offices are normally open from 8.30 a.m. till 16.00 p.m.
Stamps are generally sold in the so called TABACCHERIA stores that you easily may recognize because of the special sign of a large blue T.
• BANKS:
In every villages or cities you go, you will find banks with a cash point dispenser which accepts international credit cards.
Banks are usually opened from 8.20 a.m. till 13.20 and from 14.30 till15.30 Monday to Friday.
Currencies and travellers cheques may be changed at banks and exchange offices. Banks charge a transaction fee for exchanging traveller’s cheques and cash and the amount varies from bank to bank. Passports are required for the identification.
• Doctors:
in case of emergency, please dial 118 (ambulance with doctor on board)
• Pharmacy:
Pharmacies are opened from 9.00-13.00 16.00-20.00 Monday to Friday. Saturdays it is opened from 9.00 to 13.00. Displayed outside all chemists is the address of the nearest chemist on late evening and week end duty.
• Trains:
There are several kinds of trains – check before you buy your ticket, in some cases it might be convenient to wait for the next one:
LOCALE – very slow.
DIRETTO – not as direct as it sounds, quite slow!
ESPRESSO – stops at all bigger stations.
RAPIDO – stops only at some of the bigger cities.
SUPER RAPIDO – very fast, connects bigger cities and stops just a few times
When you check the timetable please note that “Feriale” means weekdays and “Festivi”means Sundays and public holidays.
You can use www.trenitalia.it to check the timetable for the whole country on-line. In several languages..
