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Things I wish I knew
What It Took Us Forever
to Figure Out
Compiled by the Spouses of
Naples, Italy.
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Inside front cover
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Disclaimer
This guide is made up of notes and suggestions for making life overseas
a little easier and more enjoyable. Some things we learned the hard way,
and we hope what we’ve learned will be helpful to you. However, we are
not experts, and all information is based on our own personal experiences.
All Things Automotive …………………………………………… 1
Transportation …………………………………………………… 2
Shopping ……………………………………………………… 3
Schools ………………………………………………………… 5
Around the House ………………………………………………… 6
Pets …………………………………………………………… 8
Communication ………………………………………………… 9
Health Care ……………………………………………………… 9
Travel and Entertainment ……………………………………… 10
Speaking Italian ……………………………………………… 10
In General …………………………………………………… 11
Moving to Europe often involves getting used to different
ways of doing things. This list was compiled
by our SOCEUR spouses, in the hopes that
you will never have to say, as so many of
us have, “Gosh, I wish I’d known that!
Contents
Benvenuti
in Italia!
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The gas coupons have an expiration date,
but you can sell them back at the Navy
Exchange and purchase new coupons. It
is a good idea to watch the date closely
because there can be a long line when it
comes time to sell them back.
On-street parking usually requires
payment as well. Look for a nearby metal
box mounted on a pole where you can
purchase your ticket. You must buy a
ticket (good only for a certain amount
of time; stated on both the machine and
ticket) and place it in the window of your
vehicle BEFORE you go to dine, shop, etc.
If you don’t have one, or if it expires, you
can be ticketed. This is why it is a good
idea to always have Euro coins with you.
Stay out of the left lane unless you are
passing; in Italy, the left lane really is
for passing only. If a car behind you is
fl ashing its lights they are trying to tell you
to move to the right so they can pass.
The base Exchange does sell GPS’s and I
would recommend picking one up. You
can buy one in the states before you PCS
(it may be less expensive there) and get
the European map disks (if they are not
included) as well. Depending on the
brand you choose, you may also be able
to download maps online.
If you purchase a used car here,
especially from another military family
who is PCS’ing, remember that many of
All Things Automotive
(Driving, Parking and Fueling)
Things I wish I knew about
ve
Italy
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these cars have European specifi cations.
Two indicators are the speedometer
and the gas gauge. If the speedometer
is in kilometers or the gas gauge is
measured in liters, the car has European
specifi cations. These cars cannot be
taken back to the US without a (usually
expensive) conversion. If the car has U.S.
specs, you can take it back to the States.
Talking on your cell phone while driving
is illegal on and off base.
Always carry both your U.S. and Italian
translation driver’s licenses with you.
You can register up to 3 (50cc and up)
vehicles and 1 (49cc and below) motor
scooter. The registration fee for each is
20 Euro. After that you do not need to re-
register the vehicles but you will have to
pay road tax on all non-primary vehicles.
If the Caribinari wave their red
“lollypop” at you as you drive by, make
sure you STOP! Police here have
different rules and may react in a more
forceful manner than American police.
Transportation
(Trains and Planes)
I wish I had known how easy it was to
take the train to Rome. The fi rst couple
of times I drove up and hit a ton of
traffi c. The train was inexpensive, took
the same amount of time, and was a lot
less stressful.
The web-site easyjet.com is a great way
to fl y throughout Europe. The tickets are
as low as I have ever seen.
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Shopping
Shipping to and from the States can
be expensive and time consuming.
Christmas cards and packages nearly
always need to be mailed a week or
two before Thanksgiving. The Post
Offi ce publishes a “Mail By” guide every
year with the dates by which packages
must be mailed to get to the U.S. for
Christmas. Also, consider shipping time
when ordering gifts that you want to
have here before the holidays. For gifts
to stateside family and friends consider
ordering online and shipping directly to
the recipient; it could save you time and
money.
If you go shopping in a store that uses
shopping carts, you must have a 1 Euro
coin to unlock the cart. You get the coin
back when you return the cart and lock
it in with the rest.
Always carry Euros! Italy is essentially
a cash economy. Many Italian grocery
stores, smaller stores, bars and restaurants
do not take credit cards.
For Army, Marine and Air Force service
members, you may want to visit your
Uniform Shop before coming to Naples.
AAFES Clothing Sales has a very limited
selection of items for services other
than Navy. If the shop is sold out of a
particular item they will order replacement
items for you. However, special orders
(items they do not currently keep in stock)
must be placed on-line.
Online shopping can be a great way to
get things that are hard to fi nd and/or
expensive in Europe; however, check
shipping and handling costs before you
order. Also, make sure the company ships
to FPO addresses before fi lling your “cart”.
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Many Italian grocery stores, do not give
out shopping bags. They do offer plastic
bags but you must purchase them. The
commissary sells cloth bags which are
great on and off base. These bags are
also very useful at fl ea markets.
Leroy Merlin is very similar to Home
Depot in the States. Auchan is a giant
mall with a grocery store. It is similar to
a Wal-Mart.
Most towns have at least a weekly
open-air market from spring until fall;
some are year-round. Fresh vegetables,
fl owers, meat, cheese, wine and other
local specialties are only some of what is
available.
You may use any Italian bank
(Bankomat/ATM) that takes your ATM
card to get Euros. Exchange rates are
not created equal; Italian banks typically
offer an exchange rate that is slightly
better than what you get at an American
bank. If you are making a big purchase
or if you pay your monthly bills in Euros,
using the Italian ATM machines may save
you some money.
Do not rely on the NEX for all sporting
goods. The Marathon stores have a
nice selection of sports items. You also
may want to consider ordering online
if there is a specifi c brand or style you
need. Whatever you decide to do, we
suggest that you do not wait until the
last minute to purchase your child’s
sports supplies.
The Navy Exchange has a limited supply
and selection of Halloween costumes.
You may want to consider ordering
online as early as September.
If your child has his or her heart set on
a particular themed birthday party, the
supplies may not be available here. This
is another thing you may want to order
online, and early.
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Schools
If you would like to continue or start your
college education, NSA hosts 5 colleges:
University of Maryland University College,
University of Phoenix, Central Texas
College, Oklahoma University, and Embry
Riddle. Employment opportunities can
be diffi cult to come by for spouses so
continuing your education is a great way
to spend your time in Italy.
Some colleges to consider are listed below:
University of Oklahoma
39-081-568-6672
Two Master degree programs
University of Phoenix
39-081-568-6670
MBA and Master of Arts in Education
Central Texas College
39-081-568-6761
Associates degrees
UMUC
39-081-568-6675
Associates, Bachelors, and Masters
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
www.embryriddle.edu/ec
39-081-568-4364
Certifi cates, Associates, Bachelors, & Masters
There is a new program for active duty,
activated Guard and Reserve Service
Members spouses. The program is called
Military Spouse Career Advancement
Account Program (MyCAA). It offers up
to $3,000 per year, for 2 years, for a total
of $6,000 which does not need to be paid
back. Spouses can enroll in the program
through Military OneSource by visiting
aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/.
After spouses have completed an on-
line profi le, they should call the Military
OneSource Career and Education
Consultants (1-800-342-9647) for
additional guidance. MSCAAP Consultants
are available to speak with spouses
between 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. EST,
Monday through Friday. (NOTE: Naples
is not listed as a separate site on the web.
Applicants should check “All” and then
check “Other” in the appropriate place.)
You can pre-register your child in the
Child Development Center, the Elementary
and the High Schools before leaving
the States. The following site naples.
eu.dodea.edu/registration.htm will take
you to the Naples school system home
page. Click on the Pre-Registration link
and follow the instructions. To add your
child to the CDC waiting list check out the
following site www.mwr.navy.mil. Once
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household goods shipment. Each
apartment does have its own storage unit
but they are not that big. Try to judge
what you really need and what you can
leave in permanent storage back in the
states.
Pets
Naples now allows dogs in government
quarters. You can have 2 pets (2 cats/
2 dogs) but they must be less than 70
pounds each. There are also certain dog
breed restrictions. The following breeds
are not permitted in base housing: Pit
Bulls (American Stafford Bull Terrier
or English Stafford Bull Terrier),
Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and
wolf hybrids. This does included any
mixes of those breeds.
Just because you and your family
get a seat on the AMC fl ight does not
guaranteed a spot for your pets. You
have to call in advance and reserve a
spot. If you cannot get a spot, then you
must send them on a commercial fl ight
which can be very expensive. Plus, most
commercial airlines have black-out
days during the summer and they will
not fl y pets. Each airline has their own
requirements to ship so make sure you
ask your respective airline their rules
and regulations.
Before your dog can come to Italy
you must have a bi-lingual health
certificate from the USDA, the rabies
shots cannot be more than 1 year old
and no less than 30 days old, and the
dog must be micro-chipped. Getting
all of this can take a long time so make
sure you start early.
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Communication
You are issued a U.S. phone number
which people in the States can dial as
they would any stateside number.
If your computer is dual voltage, you can
plug it into both 220v and 110v; the latter
requires a plug adapter for 220v sockets.
You will likely have to fl ip a switch (from
110v to 220v) on your computer before
you turn it on. Do NOT forget to check
this before powering up; otherwise, you
can instantly fry your computer.
Appending your standard FPO AE address
with “ITALY” or “NAPLES” can route
inbound U.S. mail through the Italian
Postal system and delay its otherwise
timely delivery to you. To ensure the
fastest and most direct delivery, please
encourage your stateside friends and
family to only use the standard address
you provide them without adding “ITALY”
or “NAPLES.”
Health Care
In the states dependants are not entitled
to use Navy dental but overseas families
can receive dental care.
I was pregnant with my fi rst child when
we arrived in Italy. The pre-natal care
I received was great; however, if I had
been high-risk I would have had to go
out in town to an Italian doctor.
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Travel and Entertainment
Whenever you are out and about, make
sure you have small change (coins under
1 Euro) for the restrooms. You must pay
before you can use the facilities.
Italians have a lot of festivals and they
start later in the evening than you may be
accustomed. Fireworks are usually the
center piece to every celebration so don’t
be alarmed if you hear them at all hours
of the night. The festivals are a great way
to experience the Italian culture so make
sure you take part.
It is always a good idea to purchase a
couple of pocket size English – Italian
dictionaries. I always keep one in my
purse and one in my car. They have been
more helpful than you can imagine.
Speaking Italian
It is a good idea to learn basic Italian
as soon as you can. Most community
colleges in the states will offer courses.
They really do help you build the basics
before you arrive. NKO offers on-line
language classes and the Fleet and
Family Service Center also offers Basic
Italian courses free of charge. It is a
good ways to begin. The University of
Maryland University College also offers
a Certifi cate, Associates, and Bachelors
degrees in Italian Studies.
Translation websites can be helpful;
several we have used are: dict.leo.org,
www.freetranslation.com and www.
babelfi sh.com.
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In General
Take it one day at a time. Your fi rst
month will be a learning curve, but every
day gets easier!
Establish a network of friends. It helps
with the transition, as well as once you’ve
gotten settled. Your sponsor and your
Family Readiness Coordinator are great
places to start.
If you have suggestions or tips for living in Italy that you would like to share,
we would be happy to include them in our next edition.
Please email: Karen Vezina
Family Readiness Coordinator – SOCEUR
Arrivederci!
The SOCEUR spouses have a monthly
social from September to May. We meet
at a restaurant, or at someone’s home.
This is a great way to meet other spouses
in the command. Details are put out via
our weekly SpouseNet News.
Have fun! Italy is a great place to live,
with wonderful opportunities to travel
and experience other cultures.
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