In Italy the sale of certain products are controlled by the government and this includes tobacco, lottery tickets and other items such as stamps. This is why the tabaccheria is still a focal point of many local communities across Italy. All of them will stock a range of cigarettes, cigars (even if only Italian brands) and loose tobacco for cigarettes as well as pipes. Some of the larger shops will also sell accessories and if you are looking for a tobacco related gift then a larger shop will give you plenty of options. The prices of tobacco products are set by the government so there is no need to shop around.
The national lottery and the scratch cards that are on sale in the tabaccheria can help fill the void of your local countries lottery system in case you fancy trying your luck. If you are a little old-fashioned and want to send a postcard then you can buys stamps at the tabaccheria, many will also sell a small selection of postcards and there will often be a postbox very close by. If you happen to be in Rome and visit the Vatican then you can use the Vatican Post which is an extra special way of sending something special to someone. I have done this several times and it always feels nice sending something from such a small country. There is a dedicated sales can in St Peter’s square to do this. You can also do the same in San Marino but the only time I went there was on a Saturday and the post office was closed.
The tabaccheria may also offer additional services if you need them such as parcel collection and drop-off, including Amazon and you can also pay bills here. Most shops will open in the morning and then close before opening again in the evening. Outside these hours many tabaccherias will have a vending machine where you can purchase limited products but to use these you need to prove your age with an Italian ID card so you won’t be able to get cigarettes from these machines.
Vaping products are not as popular in Italy as other countries especially the newer fruit flavoured ones. However, they are becoming more popular and most tabaccherias will offer a limited selection.