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Italy has an efficient, robust and affordable transportation system for getting around. Trains, buses, boats and planes all work together in a fairly reliable network of travel. Trains and gran turismo buses are commonly used for long distance travel, while there are many bus services that link small towns and villages to big cities throughout the entire peninsula. Some examples are Marozzi and Curreri. If you are willing to travel overnight you can find buses that are much more affordable than trains.
If you’re feeling adventurous and are seeking the thrill of a road trip down the Amalfi coast, don’t forget to take into account that high gas (Benzina) prices and freeway tolls can make driving around a bit expensive. If cost is not an issue for you you can fly anywhere within Italy in under two hours. Flying from the mainland to Sardinia or Sicily is definitely the best way to go.There are also several secondary airlines such as Volotea or Vueling that fly within Italy for 59 to 89 Euros each way but they require you to travel light (about 18lb of total luggage).
Two main high speed rail arteries run from from Milan to the south connecting all major cities, one along the Adriatic side and the other along the Tyrrhenian side. While there are different types of trains, only the main cities are connected by fast trains such as Freccia Rossa, Freccia Argento and Freccia Bianca traveling at speeds of 180 miles an hour. Trains such as Intercity, Diretto or Regionale, connect smaller cities or towns and will stop many times in between. Schedules can be found on www.trenitalia.com however the website frequently has errors and inconsistencies, and often there are issues for users outside of Italy. We strongly recommend you book your train tickets via a local source (or via VoomaGo) to make sure you receive accurate information and good pricing, but most of all, avoid all sorts of headaches.
*Note – some of the times listed on the Italy transportation map may vary based on the type of train you’re on (Eurostar vs Intercity) and the time of year you are traveling.
