Loyola University Chicago

• Air Freight, Cargo and Unaccompanied Luggage
• City Transportation
• E-Mail
• General Information
• Mailing Letters from Rome
• Packages
• Stores
• Telephoning
• Weather

Rome Mailing Address:          
Name of Student
Loyola University / John Felice Rome Center
Via Massimi, 114-A
00136 Rome, Italy

The Zip code precedes the name of the city: 00136 Rome, Italy.

• From the U.S. to Rome:
  The local phone number for the Rome Center is 355-881. The international code is 011, the country code for Italy is 39 and the city code for Rome is 06. Thus the dialing procedure is 011-39-06-355-881. This number connects with the central switchboard 24 hours. If the hall extension desired is known, it may be dialed directly by dropping the final number "1" from the number above and replacing it with the three-digit extension.

  Faxes may be sent directly to 011-39-06-355-88-352.

• From Rome to the U.S.
  Generally speaking, transatlantic calls originating in Italy can be much more expensive than U.S. rates. It is recommended that students either obtain a credit card from their telephone company because it greatly facilitates calling, and the rates are substantially cheaper than the Italian rates, or that they consider the purchase or lease of a cell phone.                                                                         -With a calling card, students can be connected to U.S. operators directly from most public phones in Italy and in Europe. Specific information regarding this service can be obtained through the telephone company issuing the card. At the Rome Center Porter Desk, students can buy Europe Phone Cards for 5 Euro.  These are the best deal on phone cards for international calls to the United States.              
•       -In Rome, vendors are brought onto campus for students who wish to lease a cell phone for the semester or year. Cellular phones are ubiquitous in Italy and can easily be leased or purchased from local vendors as well. There are many varities and manufacturers, so be sure to check out whether there is transatlantic capability vs. just within Italy vs. restricted to Europe.

Students can continue to use the email address that they regularly use in the United States while in Rome.  Students should inform their family and friends of their email address.  Students have access to no fewer than 36 personal computers with Internet capability throughout the Rome Center campus; a laser printer is located in each area where there are PCs.

Air mail service between Italy and the United States usually takes 7-10 days under the best conditions. Surface mail is very slow and may take 6-8 weeks. Air mail with insufficient postage from Italy to the United States is not returned to the sender but is sent by surface mail. Stamps are sold in post offices, tobacco shops and in some coffee bars. Students can use the Vatican mail system where air mail service to the United States is usually 5-7 days. Vatican stamps can be purchased only at Vatican City. Student volunteers pick up Vatican mail from a special box at the Rome Center and take it daily to the Vatican for mailing.

Fees levied on packages arriving in Italy from the States are based on the value of the contents determined by the Italian Post Office and customs regulations. These charges can be exorbitant even for items marked "Used Personal Effects." Since insuring a package only calls attention to its possible value, senders should consider no insurance and/or declare only minimal value. Packages are usually opened by customs at random, and those not stopped for duty will be delivered to the Rome Center. The student must pay the customs' tax at the porter's desk before claiming it. Small packages generally arrive without problems and only a small service fee is charged. The U.S. Mail Service is the best way to send packages. FedEx, UPS or DHL are useful for documents or minute articles when speed is the main factor.

Boxes and other items shipped from the United States by air must be taken through customs by the receiver at the port of entry. The port of entry for Rome is the Leonardo Da Vinci Airport in the seaport suburb of Fiumicino. Regardless of what a shipping agent in the United States may advise, there is little or no door-to-door service which does not involve considerable time and energy for the receiver of the shipment. When an air shipment arrives, the addressee will receive an official notice by mail that the items are in Rome and where they are to be claimed. One must take the notice along with any other receipts, passport, and key (if the item is locked) and go to the airport to claim and accompany the item through customs. The process is lengthy and requires three to four hours.

Items shipped as cargo on the same commercial flight that an individual is taking to Rome will arrive in the cargo section of the airport where they must be claimed and brought through customs. Students are advised that the cargo stations are in a completely different area of the airport, approximately one half hour from the regular baggage claim area. This is about a two hour process.

No trunks, suitcases, boxes, or unaccompanied luggage of any kind may be shipped to the Rome Center campus prior to a student's arrival. A student must be currently enrolled and resident in order to receive freight from elsewhere.

Transportation will not be provided by the university for those students claiming luggage shipments. Shipments by sea are not recommended.

When students arrive in August, Rome will be at its hottest. Sunny 90 degree Fahrenheit weather and humid conditions can be expected to continue through September. Since there are almost no window screens in Italy, students are advised to bring mosquito repellent for the hot spells. Rome is at its best during its long autumn and spring, when average temperatures during the day vary between 60 and 80 degrees with some rain. The nights are considerably cooler.

Although the temperature rarely goes below freezing in winter, by American standards Italian buildings are inadequately heated. When the heat is turned on [usually November 15 through April 15 regardless of temperature], it is not on all day and evening but at scheduled intervals. Winters, though a mild 40-50 degrees, can be very wet. The stone and tile throughout the building reinforce the damp and chill. Students are strongly advised to bring warm clothing, especially for head and feet, as well as warm bed clothes.

• Buses

  The bus system is quite extensive and services the entire city. Five bus lines service the area immediately surrounding the Rome Center and can take a person to Vatican City in about twenty-to-twenty-five minutes. Fares are reasonable [about $1.00 or € 75 per ticket, a ticket being valid for three rides within 75 minutes], and routes are clearly indicated on the buses and at the bus stops. Monthly bus passes are available and are recommended. Most of the bus lines stop service at midnight. One of the five lines servicing the Rome Center area has post-midnight service.

• Metro

  There are two subway lines [Linea A and Linea B] servicing Rome which intersect at the train station. Four of the five bus lines serving the Rome Center connect directly with one of the two subway lines. Metro service ends at 11:30 PM.

• Taxis

  Taxi fares are moderate; it is recommended that only YELLOW or WHITE metered taxis should be used. Taxi fares are incremented after midnight. A schedule of fares in English and other languages can be found on the back seat of all taxis.

Italians still enjoy a siesta period during which few businesses are open other than beauty parlors, barber shops, coffee bars, and restaurants. The winter store hours are 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM, Monday through Saturday. Individual restaurants have an obligatory closing day during the week and stores close for one half-day according to their category. Bargaining is no longer a widespread custom in Italy. Most stores, especially in downtown areas, have fixed prices.