A very practical and great way to maintain communication with the homeland is through email. Many hotels have computers available to guests; but if this is not the case at your particular hotel, pensione (bed and breakfast), or villa, internet cafés are nearly as abundant in Italy as pizzerias. By uttering a simple "Vorrei usare l'internet"-"I would like to use the internet," all'Italiano-you will be able to check email, Facebook, your stock portfolio, and whatever else you need. This is an excellent option, costing only a handful of euros for every hour.

If speaking via telephone is your fancy, a cellphone is your best bet. But, for any one of several reasons-mostly technological-it is very likely that your American cell phone will not work in Italy; and even if it does, each use will be super expensive. You may have considered the possibility of buying an Italian SIM card and putting it into your phone. No go: American cellular service providers set up their cellphones so that only their own SIM chips work in them.

A great idea is to rent an Italian cellphone before you leave the United States. The advantages of this rental option are:

• The total costs for the cellphone rental, prepaid minutes, and text messages are very modest.
• All inbound calls are free, so you can receive as many calls as you would like without using any of your minutes!

To rent a cell phone:

• Chose the type of phone and number of minutes you wish to purchase.
• The phone will arrive at your doorstep in X days, with an Italian charger included.
• Arrive in Italy and begin using your pre-charged cell phone immediately!

Buying a cellphone:

But, if you travel to Italy and the rest of Europe frequently, buying a cellphone might be your best bet. Unlike in America, most Italians don't use mobile phone contracts, preferring instead to adopt the "pay as you go" system. So buying an Italian mobile phone is easy: just choose which phone you want and how many initial minutes you wish to purchase (you may purchase additional minutes while in Italy).

If in fact you already own a European cellphone, all you have to do is buy an Italian Sim card and insert it into your phone.

Buying a phone card:

Another excellent alternative, especially if you are in need of doing the contacting yourself, is buying a phone card. This option offers less frequent, but immediate contact, and lets you sidestep the tremendously steep hotel phone prices.

Bear in mind, however, that a vacation is about relaxation and putting your usual worries aside. Consider being connected a luxury, but be sure not to let it take over your vacation!