From: owner-travel-advisories Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Italy Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 17:00:30 GMT Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die Xref: world wstd.travel.advisories:1400 Path: world!bzs Message-ID: <970716170030_76702.1202_CHN52-1@CompuServe.COM> Precedence: bulk Sender: bzs@world.std.com (daemons) Distribution: wstd Approved: usenet@world.std.com Lines: 189 STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Italy ============================================================ Italy - Consular Information Sheet July 14, 1997 Country Description: Italy is a developed democracy with a modern economy. Tourist facilities are widely available. Entry Requirements: A passport is required. A visa is not required for tourist stays up to three months. For further information concerning entry requirements for Italy, travelers may contact the Embassy of Italy at 1601 Fuller Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, tel. (202) 328-5500, or the Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco,. Medical Facilities: Medical facilities in Italy are adequate for most emergencies. Many hospitals in major cities have at least some personnel who speak English. Public hospitals sometimes do not maintain the same standards as hospitals in the U.S., so travelers may wish to obtain insurance that would cover a stay in a private Italian hospital or clinic. In public hospitals, patients are either billed upon discharge or are billed at their U.S. address at a later date. Private hospitals require cash payment before discharge; credit cards or foreign medical coverage might or might not be accepted. Travelers may wish to purchase supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage. Further information on health matters is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's international travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559 or by visiting CDC's Internet home page at http://www.cdc.gov. Crime Information: Italy has a low rate of violent crime, little of which is directed toward tourists. Petty crimes such as pickpocketing, theft from parked cars, and purse snatching, however, are serious problems, especially in large cities. Most reported thefts occur at crowded tourist sites, on public buses and trains, or at the major railway stations, including Rome's Termini, Milan's Centrale, Florence's Santa Maria Novella, and Naples' Centrale. Elderly tourists who have tried to resist petty thieves on motor scooters have suffered broken arms and collarbones. Carrying wallets or purses should be avoided when possible. When carried, shoulder bags should be held tightly under the arm with the clasp facing the body. Waist packs should be worn in the front, although they can unobtrusively be opened by thieves. Extra cash, credit cards and personal documents are better left in a hotel safe. Photocopies of passports and financial documents should be carried separately from those items. Thieves in Italy often work in groups or pairs. In most cases, one thief distracts a victim while an accomplice performs the robbery. Groups of street urchins are known to poke tourists with newspapers or pieces of cardboard to divert their attention so that another street urchin can pickpocket them. In one popular routine, one thief throws trash or waste at a victim; a second thief assists the victim in cleaning up the mess; and the third discreetly takes the victim's belongings. Criminals on crowded public transportation slit the bottoms of purses or bags with a razor blade or sharp knife, then remove the contents through the bottom. Theft of small items such as 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). In the Naples area, thefts have also been reported from occupied vehicles while stopped in traffic or at traffic lights. To discourage this kind of theft, drivers should keep their car doors locked, windows rolled up, and valuables out of sight when driving in cities and major towns. Tourists should immediately report thefts or other crimes to the local police station. In a scam practiced on the highway running between Rome and Naples, one thief punctures the tire of a rental or out-of-town car. An accomplice signals the flat tire to the driver and encourages the driver to pull over. When the driver stops, one thief helps change the tire, while the other takes the driver's belongings. Avoid driving at night on highways in Southern Italy. When stopping at service areas on the highway (Autostrada), make sure your parked car remains in sight. One person should remain with the car, partly because thieves sometimes mark unattended vehicles to make them identifiable. The marked vehicle is later followed by accomplices who use one of the aforementioned schemes to perpetrate a robbery. There have been occasional reports of break-ins of rental cars driven by Americans in Northern Italy when the precautions mentioned above were not followed during stops at highway service areas. In a scam practiced on trains, primarily in northern Italy, one or more persons will befriend a traveler and offer a drink. The drink will be drugged, and the traveler awakens to find he has been robbed. Thieves have been known to impersonate police officers to gain the confidence of tourists. The thief shows the prospective victim a circular plastic sign with the words "police" or "international police." If this happens, the tourist should insist on seeing the officer's identification card (documento), as impersonators tend not to carry forged documents. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. U.S. citizens can refer to the Department of State's pamphlet "A Safe Trip Abroad" for ways to promote a more trouble-free journey. The pamphlet is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Terrorist Activities: The terrorist threat level in Italy varies from low to medium, depending on geographic location. Most of Milan's consular district is classified as medium while Rome's, Naples' (including Palermo, Sicily) and Florence's districts, as well as Genoa, have a low terrorist threat level. This assessment takes into account historical data relevant to terrorist activities and recent reporting indicating whether acts could be conducted without prior advance warnings. The activities of the Red Brigade Units, which flourished in Italy in the late 1970';s, appear to be a thing of the past. However, some sympathizers, such as a group known as "The Autonomists," continue to claim responsibility for incidents like throwing firebombs or molotov cocktails at buildings or offices. These incidents tend to occur in the middle of the night, apparently in an effort to avoid human injury. There is no evidence to indicate that Americans were the targets of a handful of terrorist acts which occurred between 1993 and 1994. Customs Regulations: Italian customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into Italy of items such as professional equipment, commercial samples, or advertising material. To avoid stiff penalties and/or confiscation of the goods, Americans should obtain, in the U.S., the "ATA Carnet" issued by the U.S. Council of the International Chamber of Commerce, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, tel. (212) 354-4480. Drug Penalties: U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the country in which they are traveling. Those convicted of drug-related penalties can expect jail sentences and fines. Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: Italy has over 5,600 km. (3,480 mi.) of "Autostrade" or superhighways. Many drivers travel and pass on these excellently-maintained roads at high speeds. In contrast, streets in cities are often narrow, winding and congested. Travelers in northern Italy, especially, should be aware of ground fog and poor visibility, which each year causes numerous multiple-car accidents. All Italian-specification automobiles are equipped with special fog lights. For further information, travelers may wish to contact their nearest automobile club, travel agency, or the A.C.I. (Automobile Club Italiano) at Via Magenta 5, 00185 Rome, tel. (39-6) 4477. Dual Nationality: U.S. citizens who are also considered to be Italian citizens may be subject to compulsory military service and other laws while in Italy. Those who might be affected may inquire at an Italian embassy or consulate regarding their status. In some instances, dual nationality may hamper U.S. government efforts to provide protection abroad. Registration/Embassy and Consulate Locations: U.S. citizens who plan to be in Italy for more than a few weeks, or who have friends or relatives who may wish to contact them, should register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Rome or at one of the three U.S. consulates, where they may obtain updated information on travel and security in Italy. The U.S. Embassy in Rome is located at Via Veneto 119/A, tel. (39-6) 46741. The U.S. consulates are located in: Florence, at Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci 38, tel. (39-55) 239-8276/7/8/9, or 217-605; Milan, at Via Principe Amedeo 2/10, tel. (39-2) 290351; and Naples, at Piazza della Repubblica, tel. (39-81) 5838111. There are U.S. Consular Agents located in: Genoa, at Via Dante 2, tel. (39-010) 584492; Palermo, at 18/BIS Via Re Frederico, tel. (39-091) 6110020; and Trieste, at Via Roma 15, tel. (39-040) 660177, fax (39-040) 631240. No. 97-113 This replaces the Consular Information sheet dated November 15, 1995 to provide updated information on medical facilities, crime, customs and terrorist activities, and to add information on traffic safety and road conditions. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- The "travel-advisories@stolaf.edu" mailing list is the official Internet and BITNET distribution point for the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. 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