Marche Voyager - money, post and telephone info

Useful Information | Pages from money to health

getting to le marche | getting around in le marche | driving in italy
holidays & clothing | documents & medical | money, post & telephones

Money
The standard currency of Italy is the Euro. For currency conversions use the brilliant Universal Currency Converter™ website.

Travellers cheques in major foreign currencies are widely acceptable. Read the instructions in the event of loss or theft that come with the cheques. The major international credit cards, such as Visa, can be used to get cash in the automatic cash dispensers that are now the norm outside banks across the Marche - don't forget your PIN code.

The most popular bank in the Marche is - surprise, surprise - La Banca delle Marche which boasts branches in even the most outlandish corners of the region. Banks open Monday to Friday 8.30-13.30 and one hour in the afternoon sometime between 14.30 and 16.00, varying between one bank and another.

Credit cards in place of cash transactions are not yet as widespread in Italy as in Northern Europe and the States, but they are catching on fast. All but the humbler guest-houses and simpler restaurants in central Italy now accept them as do most petrol stations. The most common card sign in central Italy is Carta Si, which includes Visa, Mastercard and Eurocard.

Post and telephones
Post offices are open weekdays and Saturday from 8 am to 1.30 pm. Offices in larger towns stay open until 7 pm and also have a Sunday and holiday telegraph service from 8 am to 1 pm. If you just want stamps get them from a tobacconist where you see the "T" sign.

Post offices will hold letters addressed to individuals on the move until collected in person. The envelope should carry the name of the recipient, the words Fermo Posta and the name and post code of the locality. The recipient pays a fee and must show identification to collect the letter.

Standard payphones, found both on main streets and in many bars usually take coins and phone cards, ask for a carta telefonica, available from post offices, tobacconists and many bars; you must break off the top left-hand corner before use. In principal towns Telecom Italia has offices where you can take a cabin and pay for your call afterwards. Some bars also operate this service a scatti (payment per unit used). Calls from your hotel will usually cost appreciably more than from standard payphones.

Note that all Italian telephone numbers must now be dialled with the full area code even for local calls. If calling from abroad the initial "0" of the area code is no longer omitted.

To make international direct-dial calls use 00 + your country code. For directory enquiries within Italy dial 12. For information on international calls, dial 176; to make operator-assisted international calls dial 170.

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Marche Voyager is backed by the
Marche Region Tourism Department