Italy

Practical Information

Below are some helpful bits of information for you to plan your holiday with.

Currency
The local currency is the Euro (€).

Exchange rate
£1 = €1.35 (approximate at October 2007).

Time Zone
Italy is 1 hour ahead of GMT.

Calling Home
Remember to add 00 44 and to remove the ‘0’ from the start of the local area code.

Electricity
Italy operates on 220 or 240 volts AC, the same as the UK but plugs and sockets are different which means you’ll need a continental adaptor.

Smoking
At the beginning of 2005 smoking was banned in all indoor places in Italy. This means smokers will have to step outside to indulge or face a hefty fine!

Some Useful Phrases
Excuse me - Scusi (skoo-zee)
Please - Per favore (per favo-ray)
Thankyou - Grazzi (gratz-zi)
Hello - Buongiorno (bwon-jaw-no)
Goodbye - Arrivederci (a-ree-ver-der-chi)
How are you? - Come sta? (kom-eh-sta)
Do you speak English? - Parlate Inglese? (par-lay-tay-Ing-glay-say)
Yes - Si (see)
No - Non (no)

Some Useful Tips

• Look out for hotels and bars offering “aperitivos” as these pre-dinner drinks and snacks are unique to Italy.


• Italians love skiing and they love sunshine. The mountain restaurants can look more like beach front cafés when the sun shines as the locals lose their jackets and relax on the deckchairs.


• It is now a legal requirement for all children under the age of 14 years old to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding in any Italian resort, although we would recommend any child wears a helmet while skiing.