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Nothing in Italy starts without a codice fiscale. The code is generated from your surname, first name, date and place of birth and sex, which means it can be calculated rather than assigned, and it appears on everything from a pharmacy receipt to a mobile contract. Get one before you try to do anything else; without it a bank will politely stop the conversation. Banking itself is more paper-bound than in northern Europe, and more expensive: Italian current accounts commonly carry a monthly or annual fee, and stamp duty applies above a certain balance. Cash still matters, though less than the stereotype suggests — card acceptance is now legally required of businesses, and the bancomat is used constantly for small amounts. Two habits worth adopting. Always keep the receipt: by law a shop must issue one and you must take it, a rule aimed at tax evasion rather than at you. And expect a queue system with numbered tickets in banks and post offices; take a number the moment you walk in, before you work out which counter you need, because the machine is the only thing that reserves your place.