To and from Italy cheap international calls, calling cards and country code info

This post explains the cheapest way to make phone calls to and from Italy. If you simply want to pay a cheap rate when making calls to Italy, use a so called calling card or prepaid phone card.

It really couldn't be simpler to save yourself a fortune on your overseas calls. With a calling card, all you do is dial the access number (local or toll free number) before you dial your overseas number.

Too good to be true?

It sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Perhaps you’re thinking “Where’s the catch?” Well, there’s a small detail, a quick search on Google will get you hundred of sites selling calling cards. So how do you find a reputable online retailer that won’t rip you off with cards that do not work, or won’t give you any support in case of a problem?

After doing some research, I finally found that Cloncom is a reputable retailer with good rating from the Better Business Bureau that sells prepaid phone cards for Italy.

SpeedyPin is another BBB good rated retailer you may want to look at, although I can’t give you any opinion on this one because I never tried it myself.

As I always recommend better to start small, first with a $5 or $10 card to see how it works for you. In my experience it worked really well.

Calling instructions for calls to Italy

The Prefix, or calling code, or routing number, or country code (this goes by many names) for calling Italy, is +39.

Individual area codes for Italy are:

City/area list:

Area Name	Area Code
Amalfi	089
Ancona	071
Bari	080
Bologna	051
Bolzano	0471
Brescia	030
Brindisi	0831
Cagliari	070
Capri	081
Catania	095
Como	031
Ferrara	0532
Florence	055
Genoa	010
La Spezia	0187
Lecce	0832
Livorno	0586
Lucca	0583
Messina	090
Milan	02
Modena	059
Naples	081
Padua	049
Palermo	091
Parma	0521
Perugia	075
Pescara	085
Piacenza	0523
Pisa	050
Ravenna	0544
Reggio Calabria	0965
Reggio Emilia	0522
Rimini	0541
Rome	06
Salerno	089
San Remo	0184
Sassari	079
Siracusa	0931
Taranto	099
Terni	0744
Trieste	040
Turin	011
Vatican City	066982
Venice	041
Verona	045
Vicenza	0444

Here's how to make a phone call direct to Italy from America:

You have to dial 011 + 39 + AREA CODE + NUMBER.

But don't call Italy direct unless you want to spend a lot of money. Use a calling card or a prepaid phone service instead.

Some great prepaid phone cards for calling from Italy to the USA can also be found through Cloncom calling card search.