Emergency Telephone Numbers
12   Phone Directory Assistance
112 for Carabinieri's service
113 for Emergency Police Help
115 for the Fire Department
116 for the A.C.I. (Italian Automobile Club) - for road side assistance
118 for Medical Emergencies
176 International Inquires

Public Telephones
Public telephones are available throughout Italy.  Either local or international calls  require the use of a phone card (Carta Telefonica) which  may be purchased at any newsstand, tobacco shop or "bar"(coffee shop).

Long distance Calls (Interurbana)
Both local and long distance call require the proper area code before dialling the number. Ex: to place a call within Rome you must dial 06 + phone number.
To call Rome from Florence : 06 + phone number; to call Florence from Rome : 055 + phone number. 
When calling a cellular phone, drop the zero of the area code, ex: 397 + phone number of the cellular.
To call USA or Canada from Italy: 001+area code+ phone number.

Area Code (Prefisso Telefonico)
Following are the area code numbers for some of the principal cities of Italy.

Ancona 071
Cagliari 070
Messina 090
Rome 06
Aosta 0165
Campobasso 0874
Milan 02
Siena 0577
Bari 080
Catania 095
Naples 081
Turin 011
Bergamo 035
Catanzaro 0961
Palermo 091
Trento 0461
Bologna 051
Florence 055
Perugia 075
Trieste 040
Bolzano 0471
Genoa 010
Pisa 050
Venice 041
Brescia 030
L'Aquila 0862
Potenza 0971
Verona 045
Brindisi 0831
Livorno 0586
Reggio C. 0965
 

Country Direct Service
From phones in major cities, to connect to a US long distance service, dial:
1721011 for AT&T
1721022 for MCI
1721877 for US Sprint
The numbers above work for Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Venezia, Torino, Catania, Vicenza, Livorno, Olbia, Bologna, Brindisi, Cosenza, Formia, Genova, Latina, Padova, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Pordenone, Pisa, and Trieste.
When calling from pay telephones, just insert the prepaid card. You automatically reach an operator in the country of destination, avoiding all language difficulty.
Canada can be reached by dialling 1721001.

Internet Cafes
No matter how responsible you try to be with your phone card, you can run up
quite a bill when you call your parents/ your kids/ your significant other. E-mail may be an alternative and less expensive mean of communication.

Whatever e-mail service you use in your daily life, I would set up web-access mail for your trip (like the mail offered by Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc.). It is the easiest to use abroad since the only software and configuration you need are built right into the browser. Set this account up before you leave home, so you don't waste valuable time abroad.

It is getting easier and easier to find Internet cafes and clubs in Italy. Some, among many:

Directory of the Italian Internet Cafes
http://www.ecs.net/cafe/

Cybercafes Guide
http://www.netcafeguide.com/textindex.htm

TheNetGate
http://www.thenetgate.it

Postal Service
General Delivery Service
Mail can be addressed c/o Post Office by adding "FERMO POSTA" after the name of the town. The addressee can claim mail at the Central Post Office upon identification by passport.

Example:
Mr. John Smith
c/o Ufficio Postale Centrale
FERMO POSTA
00187 Rome, Italy

Stamps
Stamps may be purchased only at tobacco shops and at the Post Office. Always check at the counter for the exact fare to the country of destination

Post Office Hours
Post Offices are generally open from 8.00 am - 1.30/2.00 pm from Monday to Friday, Saturday 8.00-11.45 am . Some counters (e.g. registered mail, telegrams, etc.) have different hours and in the main cities they may also open in the afternoon. Information about postal services can be obtained by dialling 160. Stamps (francobolli) can be obtained in any post office and any appointed tobacconist.
www.poste.it