economy apartments and houses are almost always unfurnished the rooms are usually smaller than stateside there are no closets and the landlord does not provide any household appliances or light fixtures in almost all cases communities will furnish these items finding economy housing that suits you may take time and effort and a lot of patience especially if you're assigned to a remote site in or near a popular vacation spot your sponsor will be able to help you both before and after you arrive if you're assigned to vicenza the housing referral office will help you make arrangements once you found something satisfactory in other locations the local command through your sponsor will be your primary source of help as a protection to you an hro official in vicenza is required to review any contract you sign with an italian landlord along with a pre and postinspection of the quarters rents for economy apartments will vary according to size and location frequently you will get more for your money than in the states keep in mind however that you will be required to pay a security deposit of up to two or three months rent plus a utility hookup fee this can total as much as one thousand five hundred this amount could be lower depending on where you are assigned wherever you end up living the government will provide you with major appliances such as refrigerators stove washer and dryer basic furniture is provided on a temporary basis of up to ninety days or until your own arrives as you plan what to bring remember the rooms are usually small and not everything you have may fit or be appropriate for example electrical power in italy is generally 220volt 50cycle except in villaggio della pace units where there is 110volt 50cycle power that means that your one hundred and ten appliances will work there but any motordriven appliances will run slower this affects what you should bring lamps are okay with italian current they just need 220volt bulbs and inexpensive adapter plugs for european style outlets radios will operate with transformers you can buy at the px tape and record players run slower on 50cycle current and will have to be modified at the px if you do not live in villaggio della pace your us television set can be modified to receive us programs as well as programs from italian television residents in villaggio della pace can also receive programming by cable from the armed forces television service and the southern european broadcasting network seb without any conversions just plug in the tv and turn it on telephone service in italy is adequate but new phones are in short supply getting one may take you several months even up to a year should an emergency occur at home during that period your family will have to reach you through the red cross all this sort of thing can be spelled out for you by your local army community service office in fact once you're here you can turn to acs to help you get settled into your new quarters they have lending closets where you can borrow household utensils and other items on a temporary basis and they can provide you with all kinds of assistance services and information about local facilities and community resources since finding appropriate housing on the economy may take several months or even longer you will probably begin your tour in italy by living in temporary housing for example the guest house at caserma ederle or you may be required to live in a local italian hotel near your duty station after housing a major concern most families have is school for the kids the vicenza american school is an excellent fully accredited us type school covering grades kindergarten through twelve a similar school located in livorno serves students from camp darby children of family station at remote sites are taught at american schools in ariano and livorno since there are some sites that are simply too distant to permit busing of students to us schools you should advise your sponsor of your children's specific educational needs if your family requires special education services you should contact your local acs and milpo and inquire about the army's exceptional family member program the us schools in italy have hot lunch programs club activities and sports programs similar to those in the states plus they offer field trips and learning experiences in the italian culture a daycare center is operated in vicenza at caserma ederle and the camp darby on a schedule that may be handy if your spouse wants to go to work to help supplement the family income every effort is made to help army spouses find jobs on us military installations however there are usually more applicants than there are jobs available in addition to childoriented education and daycare the army offers a number of continuing education programs for adults in italy they range from prehigh school remedial and refresher studies to college level and advanced graduate degree programs something else you ought to think about is how you and your family are going to get around while you're in italy facilities over here are normally dispersed so you'll have to make frequent trips especially if you live on the economy public transportation is excellent and inexpensive but many people still want to have their own private vehicle keep this in mind italy and usa ctef require us private vehicles to pass rigid safety inspections before they are allowed to be driven check with your current installation transportation office to find out about auto safety standards in italy and greece so you can make any needed repairs or modifications before you depart or make a decision whether to bring it at all in turkey you are not authorized to have a privately owned vehicle driving in italy and in greece is different than back home many streets in the towns are very narrow and handling and parking a car especially a large one can be difficult on the autostradas driving is faster with fewer constraints you will be required to learn the local laws to qualify for a command issued driver's license and you will also be required to have liability insurance with collision and comprehensive suggested for your peace of mind insurance rates are high and should be considered in your financial planning you may have gathered by now that a pcs to southern europe can involve some substantial onetime cost to get started despite the fact that work is being done to reduce these costs the success of your stay may be determined by how well you're prepared to handle the required financial obligations involved in a move abroad you will be paid in dollars which you can use for purchases in us facilities but you must use italian lira for purchases on the economy your purchasing power off the base depends on the rate of exchange which changes frequently when the dollar is strong you get more lira for each dollar so you're able to buy more italian goods but when the dollar weakens you can buy less so you should be prepared to budget carefully this cannot be overemphasized an assignment in southern europe will be a satisfying and rewarding experience when you plan ahead for your trip and are prepared to meet your financial obligations discuss your specific situation with your sponsor or acs financial counselor and arrive knowing that you will not be overextended financially then you'll be able to do your job as a soldier effectively and efficiently and you'll be able to take the fullest advantage of the opportunities open to you in this interesting country you can enjoy visits to picture book locales that will take your breath away you will be able to join regularly scheduled trips to ski resorts in the nearby dolomite mountains arranged by usmcav the us military community activity vicenza if you aren't a skier now you can be by the time you complete your tour here you'll also have plenty of time to participate in a variety of other outdoor recreational activities you may especially enjoy the popular sport of volksmarching walking in groups along a specified course through local forests or through historic areas of famous cities or towns you can enjoy the famous food and wine of italy in a variety of different eating places you will learn that over here the main meal is at midday followed by a period of relaxation or proposal as you meet the italian people of northern italy you will learn that they're generally attractive intelligent and welldressed like all other cultures they have some customs that are different from our own your sponsor can help acquaint you with italian customs to help you make your stay here more enjoyable the bottom line of a successful experience here in italy is being able to communicate with the local people and that begins with attempting to learn the language the army's gateway or head start programs are good places to begin when you can converse in italian you'll be able to make friends easier and enjoy your travels in italy to the fullest the main thing you want when you get orders is peace of mind contact your sponsor and let him or her know about your special needs and arrival date your local acs can also provide you with useful information review your acs orientation package turn to your local acs center learn all you can about italy or greece or turkey if you're headed for either of those ctef commands begin studying the appropriate language and plan ahead when you prepare yourself for your pcs in southern europe you will help assure that your arrival here will be the beginning of one of the most positive experiences of your life