Regular Mail
In effect, the College has two mailing addresses, and one should choose between them according to the type of mail service being used. Since the land upon which the College is built belongs to the Vatican, we have a Vatican City State address. As a general rule, all of your letters and packages should be sent to the Vatican address. Generally the best way to ensure your mail reached you is to have it addressed in the following manner:
John Doe Seminarian
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State
Europe
N.B. DO NOT write ROME or ITALY on the envelope when using this address as Vatican City State is its own country. Also, you might often be asked for a street name or postal code. “North American College” acts as the street name and “00120” is the postal, or zip, code. This address acts like a P.O. Box at the Vatican post office. Their service is responsible for taking mail through Italian and Vatican customs authorities and delivers mail to the College six days a week. Generally this service is dependable. A first class air mail letter (€ 0.85) will take approximately ten days to reach North America, and a first class air mail letter from the States will take about the same time to reach the College. Holidays, of course, can substantially increase the delivery time. The Vatican office charges at least € 2.00 (approx. $2.60) on all packages other than those shipped through the postal service as first class mail. Most packages and all letters, magazines, etc. should be sent to the Vatican address.
Vatican and American stamps are sold at the College. US stamps may only be bought with US dollars, and are only useful when a returning visitor or student offers to take mail back to the States.
All express mail services (e.g., Federal Express) should be given the second address. Since the College is not in Vatican City itself but in the city of Rome, it also has a Roman street address:
Pontifical North American College
via del Gianicolo, 14
00165 Roma
Italy
Express couriers clear Italian customs authorities and deliver directly to our front gate, where an attendant receives them. Do not use the Vatican address for express couriers, since they will leave the shipment at Vatican customs and delay your delivery. As a rule you should use the Italian address for documents of no value which are shipped by express courier.
A note: To avoid possible customs charges, use Fed-Ex, DHL, or UPS when shipping packages. Be sure to inquire about this with these companies before shipping.
For information on shipping personal effects this summer, please refer to the Packing and Shipping section.
Telephones and Voicemail
The local telephone number of the College is: 06 68 49 31
To dial directly from the United States or Canada to Rome call: 011 39 06 68 49 31
The fax number of the College is: 011 39 06 68 7557 or 011 39 06 68 67 561
The cable address is: Vatican City State
Each student has a phone in his room, with a direct and unique phone number. The phone lines can accept other types of phones than those issued by the phone company; however, if the phone is from the States it may not function properly with the change in electrical current.
Each student has a voicemail box on the central voicemail system, which is accessible from the phone in his room or any phone in the house. It can also be checked from outside the College by calling the College’s voice mail (06-6849-3555) and then following the instructions on the automated system.
Calling the College
Phone calls to the above main number of the College go through the College’s switchboard operator, who speaks English and can transfer the call to the appropriate room phone. This operator is on duty at the College from 6:00 AM until 10:00 PM Rome time (midnight until 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time). Calls to the main number can come into the College only during this time. (“Rome time” is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. If it is 12 noon in New York City, it is 6 PM in Rome.) However, it is possible to call directly to a student’s room 24 hours a day without going through the College operator by dialing as above and substituting 06.68.49.3XXX for the main number, where XXX represents the room extension, normally the student’s physical room number. Students will receive these extensions with their room assignment after arrival.
Long Distance Calling Cards
It is possible to dial directly from the College, but such calls cost approximately $.60 per minute. A much cheaper way is to buy a pre-paid international calling card purchased from the Student Lounge. The cards come as a 1 month card for €5.00 giving 210 minutes or a 2 month card for €10.00 which is for 420 minutes. Including the charge for the local access call, these cards cost approximately €0.05 per minute. Phone cards will be available upon your arrival.
It is possible to get a U. S. based plan for making telephone calls to North America. These plans are more expensive, however. Be certain the plan allows for international calls to the U.S. With these calling cards, one must call a toll free number in Italy (consult the company for the number) and is immediately connected with an English speaking international operator in North America who will then complete the call. As prices vary considerably from plan to plan, contact the respective phone companies regarding their latest policies and rates. These cards can also be extremely valuable when traveling. For more information, you may contact the following companies or other companies, including your local provider.
AT&T 1 800 222 0300
http://www.consumer.att.com/global/english/
MCI 1 800 444 4444
http://consumer.mci.com/international/english/usb/index.html
Sprint 1 800 877 4646
http://shop.sprint.com/residential/voiceservices/longDistance/plans
Phone Calls via the Internet
Many students now use Internet-based telephone programs such as Skype (see www.skype.com for details). These programs allow a user to use their computer to dial a US-based phone number. The quality is good and the cost is around 2 cents per minute.
Additionally many programs, including Skype, AOL Instant Messenger, and Apple iChat, allow users to engage in computer-to-computer voice and video conferencing. If you want to do this, you should consider microphone and possibly a webcam.
Cell Phones
Many students have asked questions about what to do with their American cell phone when coming over to Italy. If you have recently signed a contract agreement requiring you to keep your current plan for a period of time, there are several options. The first is to find someone at home who is interested in taking over your contract, such as a parent. The second option is to break your current contract. Some students have found that their cellular provider will release them from their contract without penalty if they can prove that their employer is sending them oversees for work. In this case, it may be necessary to send the cellular provider a notarized letter from your diocese saying that you are employed by the diocese and being sent to Italy for several years. Also, many providers do not advertise the fact that they will do this, so you may have to argue with them.
With regards to your phone itself, many American cell phones will not work in Europe, unless they are Tri-Band phones. Additionally, even if they are tri-band, almost all phones are “locked” so they will not function on non-American networks. While it is possible to have your provider unlock your phone, many providers are reluctant to do so and not without a considerable hassle.
In practice, most students who use cell phones in Rome purchase them when they come here. It should be noted, however, that it is not necessary for a student to have a cell phone and many do not own them.
E-mail and Internet Access
All students have access to the Internet and a school provided e-mail account (you may use another personal account if you so choose). The e-mail account is accessible via a web browser or mail program, e.g., Outlook or Thunderbird. For those students with Ethernet equipped computers, you may access e-mail and the internet in your room through the College’s Local Area Network (LAN). For those who do not have computers, you can access them in the computer room or the library. E-mail addresses are assigned after the student’s arrival, and will probably be in the format First Initial + Last Name @ pnac.org. For example, Joe Smith would probably have the address jsmith@pnac.org. Web based e-mail services, such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo, can also be accessed from the College’s computers or via the LAN. All Student rooms are wired for LAN internet, and so Students are advised to purchase a Cat-5 Ethernet cable for their computers. In addition, the Library and Student Lounge are equipped with wireless access points.
Please note that it is not necessary for you to buy or renew your computer’s anti-virus software as the North American College provides it upon your arrival at no cost to you.
Voting
Check the procedures in your state or province, county or region, and city for absentee ballots. The American, Australian, and Canadian Embassies in Rome can be of assistance. You should consider applying for an absentee ballot shortly before leaving. Additional, many jurisdictions have a website which explains the absentee ballot procedures.
