I am trying to make a resevation for the Secret Itenararies Tour at the Doge Palace in Venice. The phone number listed in the Foder's guide book is 041-522-4951. I am calling from the US, so I am adding 011-39 to the begining of the number, but the call won't go through.

What am I doing wrong? Have I got the wrong country code?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

You're doing everything correctly. Maybe fodors got the phone number wrong? Won't be the first time. Maybe you're calling at the wrong times. They probably only work 2 hours a week and you're missing them when you call.

carnie

Sometimes you have to drop the "0" from the 041...if this doesn't work, you will not be calling a wrong #, it just won't go through....Also, it depends on your long distance company, give them a call and ask why it won't go through...it won't cost anything for the info....good luck!

You only drop the "0" when you're making the call from inside Italy.

carnie

This is the info I pulled from one of Ira's posts.

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For the Secret Itineraries tour the number for reservations more than one day ahead is 011 39 041-520-9070.
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Also, be sure that you call early in the morning from the US since Italy is six hours ahead.

carniecosmo: thanks for the tip...I never know when and when not to use that "0"

Our hotel made the reservation for us. You might try to email your hotel and save the phone call.

Statia, thanks for the number from Ira's post. It worked like a charm and I now have my reservation.

I guess the number must have recently changed, because the one listed in Fodor's (and several other guide books) is no longer working.

Glad it worked for you, newesttraveler. Have a great time on your trip!

Actually Carniecosmo didn't give a correct info. I live in Italy so I know what I am saying: here in Italy when I want to call another number IN ITALY i dial the 0. Therefore if I want to call from here to Venice I dial 041 and the phone number. If I want to call my friend who lives at 10 miles from here I dial 06 (Rome area code) and then the number. When I am in the US (and I have been to the US recently) and I want to call Italy, I dial 00139-the area code WITHOUT the 0 and then the phone number.

Actually carnecosmo is right.. I call from the US Pescara and Piacenza quite often..
for Pescara I use 011-39-085....
.and Piacenza is 011-39-053.....

I am sorry to contraddict you girls but this is what I do and it is also written in many sites that I am going to show you:

Per chiamare dagli Stati Uniti il prefisso 01.139, seguito dal numero del distretto senza lo zero e dal numero desiderato. (translation: to call from the US dial the code 01139, followed by the area code WITHOUT THE ZERO, and then the phone number)
I got it from this site: http://www.baiana.com/informa/usa.htm

The same info is to be found here:

Per chiamare l?Italia dagli Stati Uniti è sufficiente comporre la sequenza 011+39+Prefisso della città italiana senza lo zero+numero dell?abbonato. (same translation). Taken from this site:
http://www.inauto.com/invacanza/se/i...001005458.html
And sorry to be repetitive but also here there is the explanation of what I have said:

Dopo aver ascoltato quanto credito vi rimane procedete alla digitazione del numero rispettando questa "sintassi": 011+39+prefisso senza lo zero+numero abbonato. ES: per chiamare il numero 051/1234567 dagli Stati Uniti dovrete digitare 011-39-51-1234567.
Taken from this site:
http://www.jekoz.net/info6.htm

I think both parties are right. If you dial the one, you are dialing direct without an operator. If you dial the 0 first, you are calling upon an operator to make the transaction for you.

newesttraveler, enjoy the tour!

Hi Batufollina, I have no idea about your quotes but among the European countries I know, Italy is the only one you must not drop 0 before the city code when you call from outside the country. Thus I always do 00(I live in Europe) + (e.g.for Venice) 041.... At first I found this so strange because to any other country you have to drop the 0. Italy seems to be an exception.
That's what I have been doing and it works. And now your post confused me...

Kite, for what it's worth; it confuses me as well. My friends and family call from the U.S., and they do not drop the zero.