Easy Transportation Guide For Travellers In, Out And Around Italy

Travel fast by plane

The Italian national airline is Alitalia. Several foreign carriers, such as Meridiana, Lufthansa, Wizz Air and Ryanair offer the cheapest deals for various routes to and from Italy. I highly recommend traveling with Ryanair. You can find flights for 10-20 USD from France or Spain to/from Italy as well as within many big touristy cities (e.g., Milan, Rome, Pisa, etc.).Their luggage policy is good, though queuing for boarding usually takes a long time. Ryanair does not operate in all airports of Italy.

Travel efficiently with trains

There is good international train connection between most nearby countries including France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Switzerland. If you only have a short time in Europe and wish to explore as many cities as possible, get an Interrail Pass for unlimited trips with most train companies throughout Europe. Some night trains require booking in advance. Interrail Passes are cheaper for passengers under 26 years old. I recommend booking single journeys 4-6 weeks in advance. Traveling in southern and eastern Europe is usually cheaper this way, but you need to research for good deals.

There are different train types within Italy including high-speed trains (e.g., Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, Eurostar Italia), regional trains (e.g., Regionali, Regionali Veloci) and international trains (e.g., Eurocity, Euronight). High-speed trains are the most expensive in comparison with other types of transportation, but you can save some money on accommodations by taking night trains. Remember to always validate your ticket by stamping it in one of the yellow boxes marked Convalida. If you forget to do this, you will be fined, even though you have already paid.

Travel cheap with buses

To travel on buses between Italy and the surrounding countries, it’s best to go with Eurolines. Great deals can be found on GoEuro or CheckMyBus. Commuting within different cities in Italy is cheaper with bus companies such as Terravision, Flixbus or Megabus than Eurolines. You can get deals as low as 2 USD for a 2-hour ride between Florence and Bologna by booking approximately 1 month in advance.

Travel comfortably by car

Car sharing is common in Italy with sites like Blablacar, Road Sharing or CarpoolWorld. However, if you wish to be an independent traveller, it’s common to rent your own car. Taking a road trip around Italy is common for both Italians and foreigners. Europcar is a good operator to rent cars throughout Europe.

Travel romantically by boat

Approaching Italy can be a wonderful experience by boat. There are regular ferry connections between Italy and Greece, Malta, France and Spain. Transportation via waterways in Venice is something spectacular to experience.