Getting there
Italy has imporved connections and safety throughout the last years. For European citizens, apart from flights, it is advisable to enter Italy by car, coach and train. For non-European citizens, competition between different national airlines and low-cost airlines has made for extremely convenient ticket prices.
Citizens of European Union Member States can travel to Italy with only their identity card. Those from countries outside the European Union will need a valid passport. If you have a tourist permit valid for several months, do check that the expiry date on your passport.
The main entrances to Italy:
- the Mont Blanc tunnel which links Chamonix in France to the A5 motorway towards Turin and Milan
- the Grand Saint Bernard tunnel which links Switzerland again to the A5 motorway
- the Brennero Pass, across Austria, which links up to the A22 motorway to Bologna
The Alpine tunnels are often closed in winter and sometimes even in autumn and spring, making it difficult to choose the most appropriate tunnel. That’s why you need to have snow chains for your tyres, especially if you are travelling during the winter season.
Moving around
You can move around whole Italy thanks to the tracks of the railway lines, the motorway network and the hull of boats and ferries. In addition, for longer distances, you can also travel comfortably on one of the many domestic flights connecting all the large and medium cities in Italy. Transport means are generally efficient and quite cheap.
- Special tipp: enjoy the Italian landscape by bike. Italy is ideal to be discovered by bike and you can also enjoy other means of transport without giving up your bicycle.
Your two-wheel friend can travel with you on all trains marked with a bicycle logo. The cheapest way to do this is to purchase a separate ticket for your bicycle which costs between Euro 3 and 4 irrespective of the kilometres you cover. If instead you choose to ride around one of the many small and large islands in Italy on your bicycle, travelling is even easier: all ferries and boats offer free transport for bicycles.
Special for young travellers
There is a special offer for young people under 26: you only need to be registered with one of the countless young people’s and students associations on the European continent. The Young Persons Card, for example, can be used in Italy and in 39 European countries, and it is valid for the entire duration of the calendar year, entitling the holder to discounts and special rates on services marked with the EURO<26 sign.
Transportation systems
Rome, Milan, Naples and, just recently, have metropolitan trains. All other Italian cities have urban and suburban public transport systems. In Naples, you can also travel on the picturesque funicolari, special funicular trains that wend their way up the slopes of the hilly city. While in Venice, the only public transport available is on the vaporetti steamers, true symbols of the lagoon city, which steam ahead along the main canals. Before you board a bus or metropolitan train, make sure you’ve purchased a ticket from a station, tobacconist’s or newsagent’s. Keep in mind: once you’re on a bus, the ticket should be stamped in the special ticket dating machines, otherwise it’s tantamount to not having a ticket altogether and you could get fined on the spot (in some towns the fine can be as steep as Euro 50). There are taxi ranks outside every airport, railway station, main city square, or coach station, but you can also call for a white cab on the phone via an integrated taxi radio system in operation all day in major Italian cities.