Running some numbers: phone calls from and to Italy

A detail of a building in Verona (Photo by Francesca Tosolini)

In Italy, you must first dial the city area code (prefisso) even if you call within the same city. The city area code always starts with “0”. Until mid-’98, the area code was separated from the actual phone number. Then, as cell phones (cellulari) became more and more popular, the dialing system had to be changed and now the area code number is built into the number itself.

Cell phones area codes never start with “0”, but usually with “3”. Another important thing to remember is that city area codes don’t apply when you call a cell phone number. So, if you are calling a cell phone, you would not dial the “0” first.

To call Italy from the States dial 011 39 + the city area code (which starts with a 0) + the number.
To call a cell phone from the States dial 011 39 + the cell phone code (which probably starts with a 3) + the number.
To call the States from Italy dial 001 + the area code + the number.

{This is an excerpt from Chapter 10 “Telephones” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”, available on Amazon.com}