Shopping
Shops are open from 9.00/9.30 am to
12.30/1.00 pm and from 3.30/4.00 pm to 7.30/8.00 pm, although shopping centres are becoming popular in Italy and some are open 24 hours a day. Prices are reasonable and the quality of goods very high. Chain stores such as La Rinascente, Coin, Upim are found in many Italian cities and towns. Shops and supermarkets are closed on Sundays and Mondays or Wednesdays plus bank holidays. Most towns have a weekly street market held once a week in the morning, information can be found on each town's
web site.
Suggestions: Clothes for men and women (dresses, shoes, gloves, silk ties, shirts) lacework, jewellery, leather goods (handbags, cases, boxes, luggage), ceramics, gold and silverware, alabaster, woodwork, straw, embroidery, glass and crystal. It is advisable to carry merchandise purchased with you in order to avoid any inconvenience. All major credit cards are accepted in Italy. A proof of purchase (receipt) must be kept.
Great stockists outlets Personal shoppers
Quality and value for money: the best combination in Italy in many ways! In recent years a fashion in itself is developing through the industry of stockists outlets. Many are located near the major cities of Milan and Florence, but also in other regions where the actual factories are located, namely, in Abruzzo, Marche, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont and Veneto.
A personal shopper can make it all happen in the shortest time, between High Street shopping and stockists outlets. You
can obtain information at your hotel of stay or local tourist board.
SCONTRINO FISCALE (receipt)
Foreign visitors to Italy, as all other persons, are required on every occasion they purchase goods or pay for services, to ask for a receipt (scontrino) or an invoice (ricevuta fiscale). This proof of purchase may be asked by town guards and plain clothes officers as you come out of the shop to prove that the shop has declared the sale and that the client has declared the
purchase. Failure to do so may result in fines for both the shop and the client.
In order to avoid paying the fines laid down by Italian law, foreign tourists must ask for these receipts.
It is the right of every citizen to ask for such a fiscal document confirming the exact amount due. Abuses and transgressions by the person required to issue this document can be reported to the nearest "Comando della Guardia di Finanza" the public body appointed to control fiscal
requirements. You might be asked by an officer of "Guardia di Finanza" to produce the receipt immediately after you leave the shop. If you don't have it, you may be obliged to pay a fine of up to €155.
Eating out
Although everyone loves Italian food, figuring out how, where and what to eat in Italy can pose problems for the traveller. Knowing what type of meal or snack you wish to have and considering time limitations,
you may wish to consider one of the following choices:
Bar: The place to have espresso and all its variations, rolls (panini) and small sandwiches (tramezzini), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Pay first and give the receipt to the barman with the order. It is usual to stand at the bar, as there is a service charge for sitting at a table. Bars in Italy are open from early in the morning to late at night.
Paninoteca: A sandwich bar where you can have a quick meal.
Trattoria: Less formal than a ristorante and where local specialities are served.
Ristorante: The most formal type of place to eat and where, traditionally, one is not in a hurry. The order of courses is antipasto, pasta or soup, main course with salad or vegetables, dessert and coffee.
It is customary in Italy to provide the coperto, constituted by the normal table dressing and a small basket of bread. This will be included in the final bill and is charged per person (about
€2 per person). A service charge might be included although it is customary to leave a tip (5% to 10% according to the bill).
There are plenty of discos and nightclubs in every major city or tourist resort all over Italy.
Pets
A traveller entering Italy with a dog or cat must have a veterinarian's certificate stating the animal is in good health and has been vaccinated against rabies between 20 days and 11 months before
entry into Italy. The certificate is valid for 30 days. The forms are available from all Italian diplomatic and consular representatives. A dog must be on a leash or muzzled when in public.
THE PET TRAVEL SCHEME:
It is now possible to take dogs and cats on holiday to Italy.
In order to qualify for the Pet Travel Scheme, the animal must be:
- Fitted with a microchip
- Vaccinated against rabies
- Blood tested
- Issued with an official PETS certificate
- Treated
against tapeworm and ticks 24 to 48 hours prior to leaving Italy and returning to the UK, the animal must be treated against tapeworm and ticks by an approved veterinary surgeon and a certificate obtained.
Pets can then enter the UK and avoid the previous need for six months' quarantine.
However, it should be noted that it is necessary to wait six months after vaccination and a successful blood test result before a pet is entitled to enter the UK under the travel scheme. This is
because if a pet is infected before vaccination, it can take up to 6 months for rabies to incubate.
For more information please contact:
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT FOOD and RURAL AFFAIRS
1A Page Street, London SW1P 4PQ
Tel. 0870 2411710 Fax 020 7904 6834
(Working Days: Monday-Friday 08.30-17.00)
E-mail: pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Library Enquiry Desk
DEFRA - Room 320 - Nobel House,
17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
DEFRA - Helpline: Tel. 08459 33 55 77/
Tel. 020 7238 6000
Fax 020 7238 6591 (Working Days: Monday-Friday 09.00-17.00)
E-mail: helpline@defra.gov.uk
For permanent pet export certificates call DEFRA Tel. 020 7238 6000 to obtain a contact number for the relevant local office.
Smoking
RESTRICTIONS FOR THE PROTECTION OF HEALTH NOW APPLY - SMOKING IS NOT ALLOWED IN PLACES THAT CAN GENERALLY BE DEFINED AS
"PUBLIC". AIRPORTS, POST OFFICES, BANKS, HOSPITALS, CINEMAS, THEATRES, SHOPS, MUSEUMS, ETC.
SMOKING IS NOT ALLOWED IN RESTAURANTS AND BARS UNLESS THEY HAVE SEPARATE AIR-CONDITIONED AREAS FOR SMOKERS. ANYONE SMOKING IN THE PROHIBITED ZONE RISKS A FINE OF BETWEEN €25 AND €250.
Church services
Churches are open from early morning until 1 p.m. and then again in the afternoon. Major cathedrals and
basilicas are open all day. Special hours apply during particularly significant religious periods such as Christmas, Easter, Lent, etc.
To visit churches a suitable "dress code" is required and visits are not allowed during religious services.
PAPAL AUDIENCES, VATICAN, GARDENS AND MUSEUMS
General audiences with His Holiness are usually held once a week (Wednesdays at 11 am) in the Vatican City. They may be held inside the basilica itself or in the hall of Papal
Audiences (Aula Paolo VI, Seating 7000), and in summer in Saint Peter's Square or in the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.
To participate in a general audience, one must apply to the office of the
Prefetto della Casa Pontificia, 00120, Citta' del Vaticano Tel. +39 06 6982 at least two weeks in advance. For tickets you can call +39 06 6988 3114 or +39 06 6988 3273.
Catholics are requested to have a letter of introduction from their parish priest. Also bring your
passport with you, it might be required by the Swiss Guard when entering. For this audience, women should dress modestly, with arms and head covered. Dark or subdued colours are requested. Men are asked to wear a tie and jacket and dark colours are suitable.
To visit the Vatican Gardens apply at the Information Office for Pilgrims and Tourists in St. Peter's Square; Tel. +39 06 6988 4466. Group visits by minibus take place from March to October.
Vatican Museums: opening hours:
REGULAR HOURS: Monday to Saturday 8.45 am to 1.45 pm (last admission 12.45 pm). SUMMER HOURS and Easter period: Monday to Friday, 8.45 am to 4.45 pm (last admission 3.45 pm). Saturday and the Last Sunday of every Month (on this day only admission is free) HOURS: 8.45 am to 1.45 pm (last admission 12.45).
CLOSING DAYS: Sundays (except on the last Sunday of the month), January 1 and 6, February 11, March 19, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, May 1, the Feast of the
Ascension Day, the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 29, the Feast of the Assumption (August 14-16), November 1, December 8, December 25 and 26.
Ticket price: 12 euros. Info Vatican Museums Tel. +39 06 6988 4947 www.vatican.va www.radiovaticano.org |
