Navigating Italy: from car rentals to trams and buying train tickets at the cheapest prices

16.12.2024 - 17:09 / lonelyplanet.com

Dec 16, 2024 • 14 min read

Italy has more must-see sights than you could squeeze into a lifetime. From the exceptionally well-preserved Roman ruins of the capital to the blissful Mediterranean landscapes of Sicily and Sardinia, roaming around the boot-shaped peninsula is a journey of discovery that never fails to astonish.

With so much to see and do, it’s only natural to think that Italy must have set up an optimally functioning public transportation system to make roaming around easy for the millions of visitors that travel to the country each year. Think again. While major hotspots are well-connected, getting off the beaten track can be tricky without your own vehicle and some thoughtful planning.

With this article, we’ll guide you through all there is to know about Italian wandering, from navigating the twisting roads of the rural countryside to booking a high-speed train ticket at the cheapest price. Whether you have your heart set on touring Tuscany, time-traveling in Rome or eating your way around Emilia-Romagna, here's what you need to know about touring Italy independently.

Ranging from snow-capped Alpine peaks surpassing 4000m (13,123ft) in altitude to wild Mediterranean archipelagos, the country's diverse geography means leaning on more than one mode of transportation to get around. Expect to use trains, buses, ships and ferries to get where you're going.

Italy boasts an extensive rail network spanning the length of the country, meaning most major cities – including Rome, Florence, Naples, Bologna and Palermo – are connected by regular train service. Best of all, you can sit back and soak in the gorgeous scenery along the way.

The vast majority of trains are run by Trenitalia, Italy's national train operator, while a handful of high-velocity services are handled by privately-owned Italo. Routes are well-integrated Europe-wide by the Interrail and Eurail pass system. Trains in Italy broadly fall into three main categories:

Regionale: the slowest and cheapest trains, generally stopping at all or most stations en route

InterCity (IC): faster services operating between major cities (their international counterparts are called EuroCity)

Alta Velocità (AV): modern, high-velocity Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca (operated by Trenitalia) and Italo trains, with speeds of up to 300km/h (186mph) and good connections between major cities.

Tickets can be reserved on the Trenitalia and Italo websites (which are now available in English as well as Italian), at railway station counters and self-service ticketing machines, as well as through travel agents.

Note that when buying a paper ticket for regional and Intercity trains directly at the station – either at the ticket office or ticketing machines – it