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12Inside front coverBlankThings I wish I knewWhat It Took Us Foreverto Figure OutCompiled by the Spouses ofNaples, Italy.

34Things I wish I knew aboutItalyBenvenutiin Italia!Moving to Europe often involves getting useded to differentways of doing things. This list was compileddby our SOCEUR spouses, in the hopes thatyou will never have to say, as so many offus have, “Gosh, I wish I’d known that!ContentsAll Things Automotive 1 2Transportation 3Shopping Schools 5Around the House 6Pets 8Communication 9Health Care 9Travel and Entertainment 10Speaking Italian 10In General 11DisclaimerseasThis guide is made up of notes and suggestions for making life overseasa little easier and more enjoyable. Some things we learned the hardd way,and we hope what we’ve learned will be helpful to you. However, wee areeriences.not experts, and all information is based on our own personal experiences.All Things Automotiveve(Driving, Parking and Fueling)The gas coupons have an expiration date,but you can sell them back at the NavyExchange and purchase new coupons. Itis a good idea to watch the date closelybecause there can be a long line when itcomes time to sell them back.Stay out of the left lane unless you arepassing; in Italy, the left lane really isfor passing only. If a car behind you isflashing its lights they are trying to tell youto move to the right so they can pass.The base Exchange does sell GPS’s and IOn-street parking usually requirespayment as well. Look for a nearby metalbox mounted on a pole where you canpurchase your ticket. You must buy aticket (good only for a certain amountof time; stated on both the machine andticket) and place it in the window of yourwould recommend picking one up. Youcan buy one in the states before you PCS(it may be less expensive there) and getthe European map disks (if they are notincluded) as well. Depending on thebrand you choose, you may also be ableto download maps online.vehicle BEFORE you go to dine, shop, etc.1If you don’t have one, or if it expires, youcan be ticketed. This is why it is a goodidea to always have Euro coins with you.If you purchase a used car here,especially from another military familywho is PCS’ing, remember that many of

5these cars have European specifications.Two indicators are the speedometerand the gas gauge. If the speedometeris in kilometers or the gas gauge ismeasured in liters, the car has Europeanspecifications. These cars cannot be6If the Caribinari wave their red“lollypop” at you as you drive by, makesure you STOP! Police here havedifferent rules and may react in a moreforceful manner than American police.taken back to the US without a (usuallyexpensive) conversion. If the car has U.S.specs, you can take it back to the States.TransportationTalking on your cell phone while drivingis illegal on and off base.Always carry both your U.S. and Italiantranslation driver’s licenses with you.You can register up to 3 (50cc and up)vehicles and 1 (49cc and below) motorscooter. The registration fee for each is20 Euro. After that you do not need to reregister the vehicles but you will have topay road tax on all non-primary vehicles.(Trains and Planes)I wish I had known how easy it was totake the train to Rome. The first coupleof times I drove up and hit a ton oftraffic. The train was inexpensive, tookthe same amount of time, and was a lotless stressful.The web-site easyjet.com is a great wayto fly throughout Europe. The tickets areas low as I have ever seen.ShoppingShipping to and from the States canbe expensive and time consuming.Christmas cards and packages nearlyalways need to be mailed a week ortwo before Thanksgiving. The PostOffice publishes a “Mail By” guide everyyear with the dates by which packagesmust be mailed to get to the U.S. forAlways carry Euros! Italy is essentiallya cash economy. Many Italian grocerystores, smaller stores, bars and restaurantsdo not take credit cards.For Army, Marine and Air Force servicemembers, you may want to visit yourUniform Shop before coming to Naples.AAFES Clothing Sales has a very limitedChristmas. Also, consider shipping timewhen ordering gifts that you want tohave here before the holidays. For giftsto stateside family and friends considerordering online and shipping directly tothe recipient; it could save you time andmoney.selection of items for services otherthan Navy. If the shop is sold out of aparticular item they will order replacementitems for you. However, special orders(items they do not currently keep in stock)must be placed on-line.If you go shopping in a store that usesshopping carts, you must have a 1 Eurocoin to unlock the cart. You get the coinback when you return the cart and lock3it in with the rest.Online shopping can be a great way toget things that are hard to find and/orexpensive in Europe; however, checkshipping and handling costs before youorder. Also, make sure the company shipsto FPO addresses before filling your “cart”.

7Many Italian grocery stores, do not giveout shopping bags. They do offer plasticbags but you must purchase them. Thecommissary sells cloth bags which aregreat on and off base. These bags arealso very useful at flea markets.Leroy Merlin is very similar to HomeDepot in the States. Auchan is a giantmall with a grocery store. It is similar toa Wal-Mart.Most towns have at least a weeklyopen-air market from spring until fall;some are year-round. Fresh vegetables,flowers, meat, cheese, wine and otherlocal specialties are only some of what isavailable.You may use any Italian bank(Bankomat/ATM) that takes your ATMcard to get Euros. Exchange rates arenot created equal; Italian banks typicallyoffer an exchange rate that is slightlybetter than what you get at an American8bank. If you are making a big purchaseor if you pay your monthly bills in Euros,using the Italian ATM machines may saveyou some money.Do not rely on the NEX for all sportinggoods. The Marathon stores have anice selection of sports items. You alsomay want to consider ordering onlineif there is a specific brand or style youneed. Whatever you decide to do, wesuggest that you do not wait until thelast minute to purchase your child’ssports supplies.The Navy Exchange has a limited supplyand selection of Halloween costumes.You may want to consider orderingonline as early as September.If your child has his or her heart set ona particular themed birthday party, thesupplies may not be available here. Thisis another thing you may want to orderonline, and early.SchoolsIf you would like to continue or start yourcollege education, NSA hosts 5 colleges:University of Maryland University College,University of Phoenix, Central TexasCollege, Oklahoma University, and EmbryRiddle. Employment opportunities canbe difficult to come by for spouses socontinuing your education is a great wayto spend your time in Italy.Some colleges to consider are listed below:University of Oklahomaapnaples@ou.edu39-081-568-6672Two Master degree programsUniversity of PhoenixAli.rockwell@phoenix.edu39-081-568-6670MBA and Master of Arts in EducationCentral Texas ates es, Bachelors, and MastersEmbry Riddle Aeronautical tificates, Associates, Bachelors, & Masters5There is a new program for active duty,activated Guard and Reserve ServiceMembers spouses. The program is calledMilitary Spouse Career AdvancementAccount Program (MyCAA). It offers upto 3,000 per year, for 2 years, for a totalof 6,000 which does not need to be paidback. Spouses can enroll in the programthrough Military OneSource by visitingaiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/.After spouses have completed an online profile, they should call the MilitaryOneSource Career and EducationConsultants (1-800-342-9647) foradditional guidance. MSCAAP Consultantsare available to speak with spousesbetween 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. EST,Monday through Friday. (NOTE: Naplesis not listed as a separate site on the web.Applicants should check “All” and thencheck “Other” in the appropriate place.)You can pre-register your child in theChild Development Center, the Elementaryand the High Schools before leavingthe States. The following site naples.eu.dodea.edu/registration.htm will takeyou to the Naples school system homepage. Click on the Pre-Registration linkand follow the instructions. To add yourchild to the CDC waiting list check out thefollowing site www.mwr.navy.mil. Once

1112household goods shipment. Eachapartment does have its own storage unitbut they are not that big. Try to judgewhat you really need and what you canJust because you and your familyleave in permanent storage back in thestates.spot. If you cannot get a spot, then youmust send them on a commercial flightwhich can be very expensive. Plus, mostcommercial airlines have black-outdays during the summer and they willnot fly pets. Each airline has their ownrequirements to ship so make sure youask your respective airline their rulesand regulations.PetsNaples now allows dogs in governmentquarters. You can have 2 pets (2 cats/2 dogs) but they must be less than 70pounds each. There are also certain dogbreed restrictions. The following breedsare not permitted in base housing: PitBulls (American Stafford Bull Terrieror English Stafford Bull Terrier),Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, andwolf hybrids. This does included anymixes of those breeds.get a seat on the AMC flight does notguaranteed a spot for your pets. Youhave to call in advance and reserve aCommunicationYou are issued a U.S. phone numberwhich people in the States can dial asthey would any stateside number.If your computer is dual voltage, you canplug it into both 220v and 110v; the latterrequires a plug adapter for 220v sockets.You will likely have to flip a switch (from110v to 220v) on your computer beforeyou turn it on. Do NOT forget to checkthis before powering up; otherwise, youcan instantly fry your computer.Before your dog can come to Italyyou must have a bi-lingual healthcertificate from the USDA, the rabiesshots cannot be more than 1 year oldand no less than 30 days old, and thedog must be micro-chipped. Gettingall of this can take a long time so makesure you start early.Appending your standard FPO AE addresswith “ITALY” or “NAPLES” can routeinbound U.S. mail through the ItalianPostal system and delay its otherwisetimely delivery to you. To ensure thefastest and most direct delivery, pleaseencourage your stateside friends andfamily to only use the standard addressyou provide them without adding “ITALY”or “NAPLES.”Health CareIn the states dependants are not entitledto use Navy dental but overseas familiescan receive dental care.I was pregnant with my first child whenwe arrived in Italy. The pre-natal careI received was great; however, if I hadbeen high-risk I would have had to goout in town to an Italian doctor.