How to: Navigate Transportation in Italy

Navigating transportation in a foreign country is no easy feat. Here's your low-to-no-stress guide on how to get from Point A to B in Italy.

Italy has some of the most widely available and easy transportation systems to navigate... if you know where to look. Trains, buses, taxis, tips: all covered here.

Trains: Omio & Trenitalia

Best for: Major cities, day-trips

Use: Omio or Trenitalia app to book trains in advance. Personally, I always prefered using Omio when planning out my travels, as Omio will show you options for trains, buses, and airfare between destinations. Omio will also group together your travel trails, so if your journey requires a train and a bus, you can buy them all together at once.

Using the Trenitalia app can be more helpful, though, when booking a ticket that you might want to adjust later on. Typically, tickets purchased on Omio are pretty set-in-stone, so if you aren't 100% sure on your travel times, look into booking your tickets on Trenitalia instead.

In-Person Tip: When navigating the train stations in Italy, I would advise you to always arrive 15-30 minutes before your scheduled departure. At some larger train stations (such as Milano Centrale), trains may arrive as early as 20 minutes before boarding. Popular trips can fill fast, so arriving early will insure ideal seating. This applies especially if you're traveling during the peak-season.

If you're traveling on a regional line, then you'll likely be riding on free-for-all trains. What do I mean by free-for-all? Well, these trains do not assign you seats, and therefore do not secure you seating by purchasing a ticket. In Italy, there is an ongoing issue of people boarding regional trains without purchasing tickets, causing certain trains to overfill, and thereby leaving passengers without seating. Therefore, especially if you're traveling during the peak-season, I'd bear in mind that just because you bought a ticket does not mean that you bought a seat.

Example Departure Board

Buses: FlixBus & Rome2Rio

Best for: Budget travel or connections where trains don't go

Use: Rome2Rio to navigate regional travel and compare bus/train options. Rome2Rio is most useful is more rural areas, as trains do not run through many of the smaller towns. I'd especially recommend using this website when navigating local public transportation schedules.

You can also search on Rome2Rio or Omio and then book directly through FlixBus for the best deals. FlixBus is also useful if you plan on traveling overnight or need transfers from outlying airports to city centers.

Taxis: AppTaxi & FreeNow

Best for: Short distances where Uber doesn't exist

Use: AppTaxi, which is Italy's answer for Ubering. It works in cities like Florence, Rome, and Milan. Just download and use like any other taxi app service.

Keep in mind that smaller cities do not often offer Uber or Bolt services. Additionally, Uber tends to always be more expensive. This is where AppTaxi may come in hand. FreeNow is another option, but I found this service to be more useful in places like Spain.

If you so choose, you can also hop in a taxi at many airports (such as the Florence airport) rather than booking it on the app. Hailing a taxi is not a thing in the rest of the city, but taxis will line up in airport arrivals for those needing transport into Florence's city center. Many of these taxi services will provide better rates for cash payment.

An Italian Train Ride

Local Services: Buses & Trams

Best for: Rural routes (think San Gimignano, Montepulciano, Lake Como)

• Public buses/trams often accept tap-to-pay on board—especially in high-traffic touristy areas.

• Use Apple Maps for bus schedules/routes in many towns. It may not always be 100% real-time, but in Italian time they'll eventually arrive.

Using Rome2Rio to navigate bus schedules is also a life-hack. Worst-case-scenario, anywhere you see an "l'autobus" stop, there'll likely be a printed paper schedule on the post.

Many cities also have tram systems. For instance, in Florence, there's a tram that runs throughout the outskirts of the city. AppleMaps always worked accurately for the tram, and I always paid with tap-to-pay.

Train interior

Flights: Tips by City

Florence (FLR)

• Cheapest to and from: the T2 tram which connects the airport to Florence SMN train station (~20 minutes, tap-to-pay, runs often).

• Taxis from the city center are around €25 (~20 minutes, convenience of luggage transport).

• Arrive extra early on study abroad departure days—the lines will get chaotic and you do not want to miss your flight due to limited staffing.

  
  

Pisa (PSA)

• Use the PisaMover (a quick tram, ~5 minutes) to connect from Pisa Centrale train station to PSA. Buy tickets in person, no need to plan ahead. You can also walk (~20 minutes).

• The airport does not open until 4 a.m. if you're planning for an early flight.

• On high-traffic days, security will not open for passengers until 2.5 hours prior to their departure.

Milan (MXP and BGY)

• MXP: The Malpensa Express train connects directly to Milan Centrale or Cadorna in ~50 minutes (tickets can be purchased on Omio or at the airport machines)

• BGY: Shuttle buses will reach Milan Centrale in ~1 hour (tickets can be purchased on Omio).

Rome (FCO and CIA)

• FCO: Take the Leonardo Express train to and from Roma Termini in 32 minutes. Trains run every 15-30 minutes (tickets can be purchased on Omio).

• CIA: Often used by budget airlines. First hop on a regional trainline from Roma Termini and then transfer onto an airport shuttle bus (~45 minutes). View the routes and purchase your tickets on Omio.

Best Budget Airports

• Milan Bergamo (BGY)

• Rome Ciampino (CIA)

• Pisa International (PSA)

  • Best for Florence study abroad

• Bologna (BLQ)

  • Alternate option for Florence study abroad

• Venice Treviso (TSF)

  • Cheaper than flying into Venice Marco Polo

• Bari Airport (BRI)

  • Growing number of low-cost options for Southern Italy

Summary

• Trains: city-to-city travel — use Omio or Trenitalia

• Buses: rural travel — find on Rome2Rio, book through FlixBus

• Taxis: short distances — AppTaxi or FreeNow, better rates than Uber

• Public transport: usually offers tap-to-pay, Apple Maps is your friend

• Cheap flights: Try Pisa (PSA), Milan Bergamo (BGY), and Rome Ciampino (CIA)

Inside Florence SMN train station