Trains

Operated by Italian State Railways (Ferrovie dello Stato, or FS), there are seven types of train in Italy. At the top of the range are the " Pendolino " (CiS) and "Eurostar Italia" (ES), an Intercity service; in first class your ticket includes newspapers and a meal; reservations are included in the ticket price. Eurocity trains connect the major Italian cities with centres such as Paris, Vienna, Hamburg and Barcelona, while Intercity trains link the major Italian centres; reservations are advised on both of these services (and are sometimes compulsory anyway) and a supplement in the region of thirty percent of the ordinary fare is payable. (Make sure you pay your supplement before getting on board; otherwise you'll have to cough up a far bigger surcharge to the conductor.) Diretto, Espresso and Interregionale trains are the common-or-garden long-distance expresses, calling only at larger stations; and lastly there are the Regionale services, which stop at every place with a population higher than zero (and on which smoking is not allowed). For information on trains call 1478.88.088, or visit the useful Web site at www.fs-on-line.com .

Ferrovie dello Stato
The official site for the Italian Railway system: schedules, ticket information, special offers, station maps. This site is often non-functional, but keep trying
Train Tips
Notes by fellow travellers, plus maps of all the train lines in Italy
Bikes on Trains
Instructions and information about how to transport your bicycle on the Italian train system
FS Orari
Schedules for all the shuttle trains between Roman train stations and Leonardo Da Vinci Airport
FS Web
A map of Rome's main train station, and useful information in English
Treni Principali
Major train schedules from Florence
Rail Pass Express
The only official website for Europe by Eurail
European National Railways
Links to every rail system in Europe

Buss

Trains don't go everywhere and sooner or later you'll have to use regional buses ( autobus ). Almost everywhere is connected by some kind of bus service, but in out-of-the-way places schedules can be sketchy and are drastically reduced - sometimes non-existent - at weekends, especially on Sundays, something you need to watch out for on the timetable. Bear in mind also that in rural areas schedules are often designed with the working and/or school day in mind - meaning a frighteningly early start if you want to catch that day's one bus out of town, and occasionally a complete absence of services during school holidays.

There isn't a national bus company, although a few companies do operate services beyond their own immediate area. Bus terminals can be anywhere in larger towns, though often they're sensibly placed next door to the train station; wherever possible we've detailed their whereabouts in the text, but if you're not sure ask for directions to the autostazione . In smaller towns and villages, most buses pull in at the central piazza. Timetables are worth picking up if you can find one, from the local company's office, bus stations or on the bus. Buy tickets immediately before you travel from the bus station ticket office, or on the bus itself; on longer hauls you can try to buy them in advance direct from the bus company, but seat reservations are not normally possible. If you want to get off, ask posso scéndere?; "the next stop" is la próssima fermata .

City buses are always cheap, usually costing a flat fare of between £1000/?0.52 and £2000/?1.03; it's normally a bit cheaper down south. Invariably you need a ticket before you get on the bus and once you've bought your ticket it is only valid for about an hour; within that time, however, you can use it on as many journeys as you like. Tickets are available from a variety of sources, commonly newsagents and tobacconists, but also from any shop displaying the biglietti symbol, including many campsite shops and hotel front desks. Once on board, you must cancel your ticket in the machine at the back of the bus. The whole system is based on trust, though in most cities checks for fare-dodging are regularly made, and hefty spot-fines are levied against offenders.

SITA
Routes and schedules for buses in Tuscany, Latium, Veneto, Campania, Apulia, and Basilicata (in Italian)
Alto Adige Transports
Buses and trains in South Tyrol
Azienda Trasporti Milanesi
City buses and subways in Milan
ATAF
Florence city bus schedules. routes and more
Campania Trasporti
Trains, buses, ferries (traghetti), hydrofoils (aliscafi) and cruise ships (navi) leaving from Naples and the Amalfi Coast

Ferries And Hydrofoils

Italy has a well-developed network of ferries and hydrofoils operated by a number of different private companies. Large car ferries connect the major islands of Sardinia and Sicily with the mainland ports of Genoa, Livorno, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Fiumicino and Naples, while the smaller island groupings - the Tremiti islands, the Bay of Naples islands, the Pontine islands - are usually linked to a number of nearby mainland towns. Fares are reasonable, although on some of the more popular services - to Sardinia, certainly - you should book well in advance in summer, especially if you're taking a vehicle across. Remember, too, that frequencies are drastically reduced outside the summer months, and some services stop altogether. You'll find a broad guide to journey times and frequencies in the "Travel Details" sections throughout the guide; for full up-to-date schedules, and prices, contact the local tourist office.

Travelling by car in Italy is relatively painless, though cities can be hard work. The roads are good, the motorway, or autostrada network very comprehensive, and the notorious Italian drivers rather less erratic than their reputation suggests - though their regard for the rules of the road is sometimes lax to say the least. The best plan is to avoid driving in cities as much as possible; the congestion, proliferation of complex one-way systems and occasional incidents of naked aggression can make it a nightmare.

Superfast
Ferries between Ancona and Bari and Greece
BestFerry
All the ferries to Greece and Tunisia
Ma.Re.Si
Ferries between Sicily and Malta
SNAV
Ferries between Ancona and Croatia or Greece
Anek Lines
Ferries between Ancona and Trieste and Greece
SiciliaJet
Hydrofoils between Naples and Palermo (four hours, and you can take your car!)
Tourist Ferry Boat
Ferry boats depart between Villa San Giovanni and Messina every twenty minutes all day and night
InforMare
Ferry boats to the Pontine Islands
Procida
Ferry schedules between the mainland, Ischia and Procida
How To Get To Capri
Information on ferries and hydrofoils
Informare
Ferries from everywhere to Sardinia
Corsica, Sardegna and Elba
Schedules, fares for passengers and cars on inter-island ferries
Informar
Passenger ferries on the Ligurian Riviera
Grandi Navi Veloci
Ferry connections from Genoa and Livorno to Sicily, Sardinia and Spain
Informare
A treasure trove of information about ferries, hydrofoils and cruises at all Italian harbors
Traghetti.com
In Italian, but perhaps more useful than Informare if you need ferry and hydrofoil information
BestFerry
Even more ferries to all the major islands
Guide to Med Ferries
Even more schedules between the mainland and the islands
SNAV
Ferries and hydrofoils to Sicily and Ponza
Navigazione Laghi
Boats on Lakes Maggiore, Garda, Como & D'Iseo

Airports & Flying

Airports
A map of Italy's airports
Venice Marco Polo Airport
Connections, arrivals, departures, parking and other tourist information
Malpensa
Please read this before you leave home!
Aeroporti di Milano
Lots of information about Malpensa and Linate
Turin International Airport
Information in English
Genoa International Airport
Loads of information about Cristoforo Colombo Airport
Aerdorica
Ancona Airport
Aeroporti di Roma
Lots of information about Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) and Ciampino
Rome Airport Transportation
How to get to and from the city
Abruzzo International Airport
Information on Pescara and Abruzzo also
Naples International Airport
Schedules and info in English for Capodichino Airport
Airports in Apulia
Information in Italian

Driving & Riding

Parking is very often a headache too. If you get fed up of driving around and settle for a space in a zona di rimozione (tow-away zone), don't expect your car to be there. A handy gadget to have is a small clock-like dial which you set and stick in the windscreen, to indicate when you parked and that you're still within the allowed limit: rental cars generally come equipped with these, and some tourist offices have them too. Parking at night is easier than during the day, but make sure you are not parked in a street that turns into a market in the morning. Increasing numbers of cities operate a colour-coded parking scheme: blue zone parking spaces (delineated by a blue line) usually have a maximum stay of one or two hours; they cost around £1000-1500/0.52-0.78 per hour (pay at meters or to attendants) but are sometimes free between 1 and 3pm and on Sundays. White-zone spaces (white lines) are free and unlimited in some cities, but reserved for residents in other cities; yellow-zone spaces are almost always reserved for residents. Note that walled towns which exclude cars often allow tourists to drive into the city to drop off baggage at a hotel. Car parks, often small enclosed garages, are universally expensive, costing £25,000-35,000/12.91-18.08 a day in big cities; be aware that it's not unknown for hotels to state that they have parking and then direct you to the nearest paying garage.

Most motorways are toll-roads . Take a ticket as you come on and pay on exit; in automatic booths the amount due is flashed up on a screen in front of you. Major credit cards are accepted; follow the "Viacard" sign. Rates aren't especially high but they can mount up on a long journey: as a general rule, you'll pay around £35,000/8.08 driving a small car from Rome to Florence. Since other roads can be frustratingly slow, tolls are well worth it over long distances. Petrol per litre costs around £2200/1.12 for four-star and £2100/1.08 for unleaded; for unleaded petrol, look for the sign "Senza Piombo".

As regards documentation , if you're bringing your own car you need a valid driving licence plus an international green card of insurance, and an international driving permit if you're a non-EU licence holder. In Australia these are available from state motoring organization offices in major towns and cities; in New Zealand contact your local Automobile Association office. In North America get in touch with the American Automobile Association ( www.aaa.com ), the Canadian Automobile Association ( www.caa.ca ), or your local branch for details of the procedure. It's compulsory to carry your car documents and passport while you're driving, and you may be required to present them if stopped by the police - not an uncommon occurrence.

Rules of the road are straightforward: drive on the right; at junctions, where there's any ambiguity, give precedence to vehicles coming from the right; observe the speed limits - 50kph in built-up areas, 110kph on country roads, 130kph on motorways (for camper vans, these limits are reduced to 50kph, 80kph and 100kph respectively); and don't drink and drive. Roundabouts can be tricky until you get the hang of them as cars entering the larger ones have right of way, unlike smaller ones, on which you give way to the right.

If you break down , dial 116 at the nearest phone and tell the operator where you are, the type of car and your registration number: the nearest office of the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI), Via Marsala 8, 00185 Rome (tel 803.116 for 24hr assistance), the Italian national motoring organization, will be informed and they'll send someone out to fix your car - although it's not a free service and can work out very expensive if you need a tow. For peace of mind, you might prefer to join the ACI outright, and so qualify for their discounted repairs scheme (alternatively it might be easier to arrange cover with a motoring organization in your home country before you leave). Any ACI office in Italy can tell you where to get spare parts for your particular car.

An alternative is to tour by motorbike , though again there are relatively few places to rent one. Mopeds and scooters , on the other hand, are relatively easy to find: everyone in Italy, from kids to grannies, rides one of these, and, although they're not really built for any kind of long-distance travel, for shooting around towns and islands they're ideal. We've detailed outlets in the text; roughly speaking you should expect to pay up to £50,000/25.82 a day for a machine. Crash helmets are compulsory, though in the south at least it's a law that seems to be largely ignored.

Autostrade
Tolls, routing and general information about the Italian state highway system
An Introduction to Driving in Italy
All (maybe more than!) you'll ever need to know to enjoy that unique Italian pleasure

Cycling

Cycling is seen as more of a sport than a way of getting around in much of Italy, but as well as racing clubs on the move you'll see mountain bikes, touring cycles laden with panniers, and people of all ages on shopping bikes, often with a toddler balanced on the cross-bar. Italians in small towns and villages are welcoming to cyclists, and hotels and hostels will take your bike in overnight for safekeeping. Although there's usually a good cycle shop in most small towns, tyres and wheels for touring bikes (700mm x 28 or 30mm) are hard to come by. On the islands, in the mountains, in major resorts and larger cities it's usually possible to rent a bike, but generally facilities for this are few and far between.

Hitchhiking

( autostop ) is moderately possible in Italy, especially in the north, but as elsewhere in Europe, is generally inadvisable. If you're determined, remember that hitching on motorways is illegal, eliciting an on-the-spot fine; stand on a slip-road or at one of the service areas. Bear in mind also that you should never hitch alone - this applies particularly to women in the south. Always ask where the car is headed ( Dov'è diretto? ) before you commit yourself, and if you want to get out say Mi fa scéndere .