From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: *NEW* TRAVEL INFORMATION -- Italy
Date: 14 Oct 1992 08:14:41 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Italy
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Italy - Consular Information Sheet
 October 7, 1992

Embassy and Consulate Locations:  The U.S. Embassy in Rome is 
located at Via Veneto 119/a; telephone (39) (6) 46741.  There are 
are also U.S. consulates in Florence at Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci 
38, telephone (39) (55) 239-8276/8/9, or 217-605; in Milan at Via 
Principe Amedeo 2/10, telephone (39) (2) 290-351; in Naples at 
Piazza della Repubblica, telephone (39) (81) 583-8111; in Genoa at 
Banca d'America e d'Italia Building, Piazza Portello 6, telephone 
(39) (10) 282-741; and in Palermo at Via Vaccarini 1, telephone (39) 
(091) 343-532.  The consulates in Genoa and Palermo perform consular 
work only in emergency situations.

Country Description:  Italy is a highly developed and stable 
democracy with a modern economy.  Tourist facilities are widely 
available.

Entry Requirements:  A visa is not required for tourist stays up to 
three months.  For further information concerning entry requirements 
for Italy, travelers can contact the Embassy of Italy at 1601 Fuller 
Street N.W., Washington, DC 20009 tel: (202) 328-5500, or the 
nearest Italian Consulate General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los 
Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, or San Francisco.

Medical Facilities:  Medical facilities in Italy are adequate for 
any emergencies that may arise.  Many hospitals in major cities have 
at least some personnel who speak English.  Most hospitals are 
government operated with patients billed sometime after discharge.  
Private hospitals often expect cash payment before discharge; 
neither credit cards nor foreign medical coverage is generally 
accepted.  Supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas 
coverage is often useful in making claims for U.S. reimbursement of 
medical expenses.Further information on health matters can be 
obtained from the Centers for Disease Control's international 
travelers hotline on (404) 332-4559.

Crime Information:  Italy has a very low rate of violent crime, 
little of which is directed toward tourists.  Petty crime 
(pickpocketing, theft from parked cars, purse snatching) is a 
significant problem, especially in large cities.  Most reported 
thefts occur at crowded tourist sites, on public buses, or at the 
major railway stations, including Rome's Termini, Milan's Centrale, 
Florence's Santa Maria Novella, and the Centrale in Naples.  Thieves 
usually work in pairs, snatching purses from pedestrians, cyclists, 
or even from moving vehicles.  Groups of street urchins holding 
pieces of cardboard and newspapers will often surround tourists to 
relieve them of their valuables.  Theft of small items like radios, 
luggage, cameras, briefcases, and even cigarettes from parked cars 
is a major problem.  Robbers in southern Italy take items from cars 
at gas stations (often by smashing car windows).  Tourists driving 
vehicles with out-of-town or rental plates frequently lose valuables 
to the unseen partners of apparent good Samaritans, who divert their 
attention by offering to assist with problems such as flat tires.  
U.S. citizens can refer to the Department of State's pamphlet, "A 
Safe Trip Abroad" for ways to promote a more trouble-free voyage.  
The pamphlet is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402.

Drug Penalties:  Penalties for possession, use, or dealing in 
illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail 
sentences and fines.

Dual Nationality: U.S. citizens who are also considered to be 
Italian citizens may be subject to compulsory military service and 
other Italian law while in Italy.  Those who might be affected can 
inquire at an Italian Embassy or Consulate regarding their status.  
In some instances, dual nationality may hamper U.S. goverment 
efforts to provide protection abroad.

Other Information: American citizens are reminded that certain 
Alitalia flights between Italy and various Middle Eastern points 
(usually Damascus or Amman) make en route stops in Beirut.  (The 
State Department warns U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to or 
through Lebanon).

Registration:  Americans who register in the Consular Section at 
the U.S. Embassy or consulate may obtain updated information on 
travel and security within the area.

 No. 92-027

Newsgroups: rec.travel