Airport code: FCO

Local time: GMT + 1 hour

Best way between airport and city:
Train

BASICS
The airport is 19 miles (30 km) southwest of
the center of Rome. There is a Rome tourist
desk (EPT) outside customs with maps,
brochures, and train information. There also is
an EPT office in Termini Station.


TAXI
As with many southern and eastern European
cities, there will be a crowd of people soliciting
you for a "taxi" ride into Rome. Ignore these
people and go to the taxi stand outside. Only
use the yellow or white taxis. Make sure the
meter is running, and if not, settle on a fare
before you leave the airport. The fare should
be about 60,000 lira ($37.50) including a
baggage charge. Travel time will be 40 to 60
minutes to central Rome.


TRAIN
There are two main trains from the airport.
There is a nonstop express to Termini Station,
the central rail station, and the other train
goes to Tiburtina Station on the east side of

Rome. The train to central leaves hourly and
takes 30 minutes to get to Termini Station.

The fare is 12,000Lira ($7.50). You can buy
your ticket from a ticket machine, but if you
have a problem go to a train information
counter in the airport. From Termini station
there is a good supply of taxis to take you to
your final destination.


RENTAL CAR
Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and Maggiore
have desks at the airport, at the main rail
stations, and several locations in the city 

All the phone numbers herein have to be dialed with the city code in front   06 + NUMBERS SHOWN BELOW

Embassies
Here are the majors, for the rest look in the phone book:
€ Australia: Corso Trieste 25C, tel: 852721.
€ Canada: Via G.B. de Rossi 27, tel: 445981.
€ Great Britain: Via XX Settembre 80/A, tel: 4825441/551.
€ Ireland: Largo del Nazzareno 3, tel: 6782541/2.
€ Japan: Via Quintino Sella 58/60, tel: 4817151/155.
€ New Zealand: Via Zara 28, tel: 4402928.
€ South Africa: Via Tanaro 14/16, tel: 8419794.
€ United States of America: Via Veneto 119/A, tel: 46741.

Information Centres
USO Rome Centre, Via del Mascherino 37, tel: 6896202/6864232/72.

Money
The lira. Don't be put off by the proliferation of zeros tagged on to the end of any sum of money. The exchange rate at the moment favours most foreign currencies. The pound stands at roughly 3000  lire, while the dollar is at about 2000 lire. The largest note is 100,000 lire and the smallest coin is worth 50 lire.
€ Banks open every day from Monday to Friday in the mornings until 1:30pm. In the afternoons only some banks open, from 2:30-4:30. If you want to make any transaction you must remember to take a document displaying a photograph with you.
€ Exchange booths are dotted around the city and are open all day. At night you will have to rely on the automatic machines placed at strategic points around town.
Banks and exchange booths set their own exchange rates, so be sure to check before you change your money.

Newspapers
Available at the green news-stands which are at just about every street corner. Foreign press is mostly available in the centre of town.

Post-Offices
Letters within Italy are slow to arrive, but the delivery system works relatively well outside the country. Post offices open every day from Monday to Friday from 8:15am-2pm, and until midday on Saturdays. To avoid queues in the post offices it's best to buy your stamps in tobacconists and put your mail in one of the red boxes usually outside.

Shop Opening Times
Opening times vary from shop to shop, but generally shops are open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am-1:30pm in the mornings and from 3:30-7:30pm in the afternoons. Food shops are all closed on Saturday afternoons, whereas all other shops are closed on Monday mornings. Most shops close on Sundays.

Telephones
Are often card-operated. You can buy cards from cigarette shops or news-stands. To call abroad you have to dial Œ00¹ and then your country's dialling code.

Transport
€ Roads: on the motorways the speed limit is at 130 kph, highways 90kph and 50kph in towns. Someone once said that in Italy drivers could do away with the rear-view mirror because they all keep such a close eye on what's going on in front of them. Do the same.
€ Trains
Information: 064775
Train Information: 064884466
Trains in Italy are generally punctual and cheap. You can buy train timetables from any news-stand. For long journeys it is advisable to book a place during the summer months.
€ Buses and Tube
ATAC Customer Office: 0646954444
Tube Information: 0657531
Rome has an intricate bus network and only two tube lines. Tickets for buses and tubes should be bought beforehand either in bars or at news-stands. When you get onto the bus you have to insert your ticket in the small orange machine. The bus ticket is valid for 75 minutes starting from the moment you stamped it. Transgressors are fined heavily and thrown off the bus. The tube works in a similar way except that you stamp your tickets at the gates before going in. Bus and tube tickets cost 1500 lire.
The tube runs roughly until midnight, whereas most buses run until 8 or 9 in the evening. Buses marked in black on the route maps are night buses.
€ Taxis
3570 - 6645 - 8433 - 4157 - 4994 - 88177 - 63898
Few taxis will stop if you try to hail them from the street. You either have to order one by phone or walk to the nearest taxi rank, which will be signalled by a dark blue Œtaxi¹ sign. Taxis have a cover charge (which increases late at night) regardless of how far they have to travel.
€ Airports
Fiumicino: 60121
A special fast train leaves Stazione Termini for the airport every hour. Stazione Ostiense is connected to the airport by a train which leaves every twenty minutes.
Ciampino: 794941
Urbe: 8120571

Useful Numbers

Emergencies
Carabinieri: 112
Police: 113
Fire Brigade: 115
Vigili Urbani: 67691
Road Police: 55441
Sea SOS: 6581911/33
Prefettura: 67291
Questura: 4686
Municipio: 67101
ACI Rescue Service: 116

Assistance
Voce Amica: 8554864
Helpline for Drug Addiction: 1662512
Telefono Azzurro (child abuse): 1678/48048
Telefono Rosa (abuse against women): 6832690
AIDS Prevention: 166261 - 1678/61061
Helpline for Alcoholics: 1662512
Teenage Centre (AIED): 8840661
Contraceptive Information (AIED): 85301120
Arci Baby-sitter Service: 316449
Animal Protection Line: 3242873 - WWF: 8440180
Consumer's Union: 3729551
Caritas Night Assistance: 70301560
Tenants Union: 4882374
Child Emergency: 67105282
AGRISALUS (social rights: homes): 4747517 - 4740981

Waste Removal
Obstructive waste: 5472287
Dangerous waste: 5472264
Syringes: 5401300

Bulletins
Weather: 1911/2 - Seas: 196 - Snow: 162 - Avalanches: 075/992992

Ambulances
Red Cross: 5510
Green Cross: 76963584 (private service)
White Cross: 891062/891581 (private service)
Helicopter Ambulance: 112 - 113 - 115 - 116

First Aid
Policlinico S. Agostino, Ostia: 5615541
Policlinico Umberto I°, Viale Policlinico: 4462341
Policlinico Gemelli, Via Pineta Sacchetti 664: 30154036/7
San Camillo, Circonvallazione Gianicolense 87: 58200066
Sant'Eugenio, Piazzale dell'Umanesimo 10: 59041
San Filippo, Via Giovanni Martinotti 20: 33061
San Giacomo, Via Antonio Canova 29: 36261
San Giovanni, Via Amba Aradam 8: 77051
Santo Spirito, Lungotevere in Sassia 1: 68351

Heart Problems: 47721
Permanent Medical Watch: 4826741
Poison Centres: 490663 (university), 3054343 (Gemelli)
Urgent Assistance in the Home: 6810280 (private service)
Specialised Home Assistance: 8080995 (private service)
Geriatric Urgent Assistance: 490042
Health Information: 1661/2
Urgent Blood Transfusions: 4456375/7705-563

Pharmacies Open
Centre: 1921 ­ North: 1922 ­ East: 1923 ­ South: 1924 ­ West: 1925 *

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