Tourists can come for two weeks and enjoy the food, scenery and culture, but the only way to experience ‘La Dolce Vita’ properly is to live here.
With over 3,000 museums, a spectacular coastline and beautiful mountains and lakes to explore, there’s a lot to take in.
No wonder that Italians live with pleasure – the Mediterranean climate is mild and there’s an attitude to food and eating that is almost a religion.
It also helps to appreciate that, in Italy, a lot depends on who you know. Italians prefer to do business with people they trust. Be patient and learn to speak Italian.
The European Health insurance card is very handy; non-EU citizens may find it they wait longer for the attention they require.
You have to register for membership of the SSN, Italy’s national health service, at your local health authority building; this can be found in the phone book under ASL - Azienda Sanita Locale. Bring with you the usual forms of identification – passport, letter from employer and your Permesso di Soggiorno – the Italian Residence Permit.
It’s best to open an Italian bank account in person. Ask your friends, neighbours or colleagues for their recommendations, go to your bank of choice and introduce yourself. Remember to bring your residence certificate, passport and proof of address in Italy - a utility bill should suffice. Before choosing a bank, compare the fees charged for international money transfers and other services.
Don’t close your domestic accounts, even when you’re living permanently in Italy; it’s cheaper to keep some local currency in a country that you visit regularly rather than pay commission on converting to Euros. Many foreigners living in Italy maintain at least two accounts: a foreign account for international transactions and a local account for day-to-day business.
All banks provide credit and debit or ATM cards. These are called Bancomat cards and you can use them to withdraw cash via the CIRRUS and NYCE networks.
In major cities like Rome and Milan, rented accommodation is greatly in demand and rents are high. Apartments are more common than detached houses, which are rare and prohibitively expensive.
Most rental properties are let unfurnished, particularly for lets longer than one year and long-term furnished properties are difficult to find. In Italy, unfurnished means a property is completely empty, except perhaps for the bathroom porcelain and possibly a kitchen sink.
The best way to find a place is through word of mouth. Failing that, try letting agents. Look under Agenzie Immobiliare in the yellow pages. It’s often better to deal with an agent than directly with owners, particularly with regard to contracts and legal matters.
Look for advertisements in shop windows, online and company offices. Check the small ads in local newspapers and expat publications.
Train travel in Italy is cheap compared with surrounding countries. But be warned, at rush hour trains get overcrowded.
The bigger cities have excellent public transportation systems.
Milan has an underground with an extensive tram and bus system. The system has a useful website (in English) to calculate your best route.
Rome has a Metro with two lines. A ticket costs one Euro and is good for one ride or 75 minutes on the busses.
Driving in Rome is notorious and a subject in itself.
In Italy, there’s a huge disparity between the cost and standard of living in the prosperous North and Central regions of Italy and the South. Things are substantially more expensive the further North you go.
Italy has some of the highest taxes in the EU and is one of the most expensive to live in. Food costs twice as much as in the US.
Luxury and quality products are expensive, as are cars, but wine and spirits are inexpensive.
