4. Is there a telephone?

Yes. The house telephone is available for local calls to land lines; this does not include calls to cell phones. If you have a cell phone with international capabilities, we suggest that you bring that for calling home.  And, of course, we’ll let you know the telephone number at the house so you can give it to people who may need to call you during your stay.

Alternatively, if your cell phone is a three-band GPS phone, you may purchase an Italian Vodafone SIM for 10 Euros at any cell-phone store carrying Vodafone.

Otherwise, international calls may be made using an international phone card. Our favorite is the SISAL EDICARD available at many tobacco shops (tabaccherie) that also sell lottery tickets.  Available for as little as 5 Euros, the card saves money on calls to the United States and throughout Europe.  When dialing the U.S. from a home phone we get about 180 minutes for 5 Euros. (It appears that you'll get fewer minutes calling from a cell phone or a public phone.) And, you are told how many remaining minutes you have after you've dialed the number you want to reach. There is no extra charge at the start of the call and no monthly charge added. You do the math. The card is good for 90 days beginning with your first usage. 

Generated by a computer in the tobacco shop, your card shows a unique 12-digit pin number.  To use it, (1) dial a toll-free number from a fixed or mobile phone, or even from a phone booth.  Note that there are separate toll-free numbers for users of Mobile Wind or Mobile TIM service. There is an option for English. (2) Follow the voice prompts after each step.  (3) Dial your 12-digit pin number, then the telephone number you want to reach. If you're dialing the United States, dial the usual 001, then the area code, and so forth.