You planned to be in Palermo by Thursday evening, but you've been delayed in Rome and now you want to cancel your hotel reservation. These quick, step-by-step instructions will help you dial that number and make the call.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 15 minutes
Here's How:
- Purchase a scheda telefonica (magnetic calling card) at a tobacco store (la tabaccheria) or a café. The card allows the caller to make calls up to the prepaid amount of the card - usually a 5 or 10 Euro value.
- Find a telefono pubblico (public telephone).
- Clip off the scored corner of the scheda telefonica.
- Slide the scheda telefonica into the opening as indicated, or deposit the coins. When you insert the card in the phone, a small digital screen will show how much is still available on the card.
- Dial the desired number.
- If you prefer instead, cellular phones can be leased in Italy with a prepaid amount of time of use. Then you'll fit right in!
Tips:
- Common expressions used to make a telephone call include: Pronto? - Hello? Chi parla? - Who is speaking? C'è [Carlo], per favore? - Is [Carlo] in? ArrivederLa. - Good-bye.
- It is not uncommon for an Italian family to have only one telephone in the house. Most families don't need an extra phone because Italians prefer to meet one another in the town square or at the local cafe'.
- Since the tax rate on cellular phones (telefonini) is one-third that of land lines, the majority of Italians prefer to use them instead nowadays.
- Quick vocabulary guide: prefisso internazionale (prefix to call your country), prefisso per l'Italia (prefix to call Italy), fuso orario (time difference).
