Getting around Italy

Trains

The rail network is run by RFI; trains are operated by Trenitalia (FS group) and, on high-speed lines, also by Italo. High-speed rail links Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples and Salerno in a few hours, with branches to Venice, Verona, Brescia, Bari and Reggio Calabria; tickets are personal, with an assigned seat and dynamic prices, lower if bought in advance. Intercity trains cover the traditional lines and the coasts. Regional trains, funded by the regions, are the backbone of commuting: frequent around the big cities, slow and sparse in inland areas and much of the South; tickets have a fixed price by distance. In some regions local railways also operate (Trenord in Lombardy, Trentino Trasporti, Ferrovie del Sud Est in Apulia).

Buses and local transport

Where trains do not reach there are extra-urban buses, run by regional or provincial companies with timetables built around students and commuters (few services at weekends and in August). Long-distance coach lines connect cities at low prices. Urban transport (buses, trams, metros in Milan, Rome, Naples, Turin, Genoa, Brescia, Catania) is run by municipal companies with monthly and annual passes; in the big cities fares are integrated between urban services and suburban rail. Taxis have municipal tariffs and are taken at ranks or called; ride-hailing apps are restricted by law. Ferries are essential for Sicily, Sardinia and the smaller islands.

Driving: licence, car, ZTL

Licences issued by EU/EFTA countries are valid without limit; they can be converted or re-issued on request. Holders of a non-EU licence may drive for one year from acquiring residence, then must convert it, which is only possible if a reciprocity agreement exists with the issuing country (the Ministry of Transport publishes the list); otherwise the driving test must be retaken. Non-EU tourists need an international driving permit together with their national one. Owning a car means paying the bollo (annual regional tax), compulsory third-party insurance and periodic roadworthiness inspections. Almost all historic centres are limited-traffic zones (ZTL) monitored by cameras: entering without a permit brings a fine for every passage, and ZTL hours and rules differ in each city. Traffic and parking in big cities are difficult; many residents use a car only to leave town.

Airports

The main airports are Rome Fiumicino (FCO), the busiest, and Milan Malpensa (MXP), the two intercontinental hubs; then Milan Linate (LIN, domestic and European flights, close to the centre), Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY, low cost), Venice (VCE), Naples (NAP), Bologna (BLQ), Catania (CTA), Palermo (PMO), Rome Ciampino (CIA), Bari, Pisa, Turin and Cagliari. ENAC publishes traffic data by airport every year. Almost all are linked to the city centre by train or shuttle. Low-cost carriers account for most domestic and European traffic.

Cycling, micromobility, accessibility

Cycling is an everyday mode in the flat cities (Bologna, Ferrara, Padua, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Milan) and is growing with cycle lanes and bike sharing; elsewhere infrastructure is scarce and traffic aggressive. Shared e-scooters operate in the big cities under municipal rules. For travellers with disabilities or reduced mobility, RFI offers the Sale Blu assistance service in over three hundred stations, to be booked in advance; new stations and trains are accessible, many minor stations are not. The older metro lines (Rome line A, Milan lines 1 and 2) have lifts only at some stops.

Using regional trains

1. Buy the ticket

   Online or in the app (Trenitalia, regional operators), at ticket machines in the station, at affiliated tobacconists and newsstands. A regional ticket has no assigned seat and is valid for the route shown.

2. Choose day and time

   A paper or digital ticket must be used on the day shown; many digital tickets require selecting the train time and activate automatically.

3. Validate before boarding

   Paper tickets are stamped at the green machines in the station before boarding; digital tickets are activated in the app or are already tied to a train. Travelling with an unvalidated ticket incurs a penalty.

4. Check platform and stops

   Regional trains can change platform at the last minute: check the boards. Not all trains stop at all stations.

5. Keep the ticket until you leave

   Checks may take place on board or at the gates of large stations.