Travel around Italy: Driving, trains and urban transport

Driving in Italy

Driving in Italy (especially in southern cities) is not for the faint-hearted. Italy Heaven's preference is usually for public transport - see below for information on Italy's good train services. But there is no denying that hiring a car gives you access to a different Italy. Away from the main centres of population, bus services can be few and far between, and neither buses nor trains will take you to the smaller or more remote attractions. If you drive, you are free to explore countryside areas, to make a detour to an interesting garden or castle, to pause for a picnic on a scenic hillside or make a pit stop at a local village restaurant. If you are renting a villa or hoping to see more of an area like Tuscany, a car is pretty well essential.

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Trains in Italy

Trains are an efficient and cheap way to get about Italy. You can look up timetables and reserve tickets online at www.trenitalia.com. The rail service, Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), operates several different types of train. You pay per mile, and each type of train has a different price. Return tickets are the same price as two singles. It's worth comparing a few options as slower trains can be much cheaper. Sometimes for a journey that is 20 minutes longer you can halve your fare - but do be sure to have the right ticket for the train you get on. The fastest, most comfortable service is the costly Eurostar. The most convenient way to buy tickets is from the multi-lingual machines you'll find in stations. Remember to validate your ticket before boarding.

For more on types of train and buying tickets see Trains in Italy.

Urban Transport

Most Italian towns have a good network of local transport services, which can include buses, metros, trains, trams, funiculars and lifts. Normally you buy a ticket in advance, at a ticket machine or at local news kiosks and tabacchi, which you validate when boarding a vehicle. Systems vary from town to town, but generally you can buy tickets valid across the whole range of local transport types. A single ticket is usually valid for a certain period of time, while day tickets can be good options for tourists.

Strikes

There have been many rail strikes in Italy over the last few years, and they generally take place at the weekend, from Saturday evening until Sunday evening. Some trains may still run (the law requires a minimum service), but you can't rely on being able to make your journey. When a strike - sciopero - is scheduled, details should be announced on the FS website (see above). If you absolutely must travel on those dates, consult the online list of 'guaranteed services' (or call in at a station for a more up-to-date list). We've booked a seat on an early-morning 'guaranteed' service and not had any problems. (But be warned that when downloading an online list, we found the original FS name for the file was 'let's hope'). Bus services also connect cities, although they can be hard to find, so try to plan in advance.

Urban transport is another sensitive sector. Again, there have been frequent strikes in Italian cities, including a total unannounced walkout in December 2003, when Italy came to a standstill, with thousands of Christmas shoppers and workers left stranded. Generally, though, strikes are announced in advance and agreed with local authorities. Fridays and Mondays are the days most at risk, although sometimes services resume for morning and evening rush hours.

A resource which we find useful is the Italian-language 'strike diary': Sciopero Metro. Just to make things more confusing, however, strikes can be cancelled or moved at the last minute. When possible we will add details of major strikes to our Italy blog.