Italy - How To dial italian number

I have had good success by loading international phone numbers in my contacts. Then somehow the phone is smarter than me and can tell if you are supposed to include the "zero" or not or whatever. You just select who you want to call from contacts.

Diane, here's the Rick Steves primer on international dialing.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/call-uk-europe

Example from that page:

To call a Florence museum (055-238-8651) from your US mobile phone (whether you're in Florence or the US), dial +, then 39 (Italy's country code), then 055-238-8651 (phone number with its 0).

(Note that the 011 is the old calling style for calling from landlines - still works but has been replaced by a + for cell phones. )

From a US based cell phone (any carrier).

Sample landline numbers (555 5555) in Rome (area code 06), Milan (area code 02), Florence (area code 055), Venice (area code 041)

• 39 06 555 5555
• 39 02 555 5555
• 39 055 555 5555
• 39 041 555 5555

For Italian Mobile phones.
In Italy cell phones have a mobile phone code that starts with 3, regardless of where the subscriber resides. The area code for mobile phone indicates the mobile phone operator, not the area of the country like in the US. These are the codes based on mobile phone provider.

TIM: 330, 331, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 360, 363, 366, 368
ILIAD: 351-3, 351-4, 351-5, 351-6, 351-7, 351-8, 351-9, 352-0
Vodafone Italia: 340, 342, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349
Wind: 320, 323, 327, 328, 329, 380, 383, 388, 389
3 Italia: 390, 391, 392, 393, 397

So for example if you call an Italian mobile phone, for a Vodafone subscriber you might dial:
+ 39 347 555 5555
For a TIM subscriber you might dial:
+ 39 331 555 5555

Calling an Italian mobile phone costs more than calling a landline.

Having said that, all Italians use WhatsApp for messaging because regular text messages cost more money in most Italian plans. Therefore download whatsapp to your phone, and call/text your Italian mobile contact using WhatsApp.

If you call an Italian landline from your cell phone while in Italy or from the US, you will pay exorbitant fees as well. The cheaper way is to us a VoIP service like Skype, which has low rates.
There are also other platforms that have free rates to call international landlines, one I heard is Rebtel, but I've never used it.

Thank all of you!! Had a wonderful trip to Amalfi Coast/Positano area. BTW what I found interesting the Italians all use the WhatsUp app- - and even in the US was able to message my driver to pick up and the folks Air BB that I rented. WhatsUp is so easy and everyone seems to use.l..

Again many thanks
diane