Getting There
By air
Visitors travelling to Italy will find that flights are numerous and fares are competitive. The national airline Alitalia offer flights from a number of British airports to destinations in Italy. Flights start at around £80 economy class one way. There are dozens of other operators offering services to the country, including Lufthansa and British Airways, as well as an increasing number of budget flight operators such as Ryanair and Easyjet.
Flights from London to Rome take approximately two hours and thirty minutes. Rome and Milan handle most the international air traffic, though Naples, Venice, Florence, Genoa, Bologna, Palermo and Cagliari can all been flown to from European cities. Local connections are numerous. Leonardo da Vinci, also known as Fiumicino is west of Rome, handling international traffic. Ciampino (Southeast) is smaller, servicing domestic flights and Europe.
Capodichino is 8km north-east of Naples and serves the whole of southern Italy. Florence has two airports - Galileo Galilei is nearer Pisa, and services international flights from London, Paris, Munich and major Italian cities. Amerigo Vespucci is closer and for domestic flights. Milan’s Malpensa airport handles almost all international flights, but is about 50km northwest of the city, most domestic and some European flights use the much closer Linate airport.
From Rome, Florence, Venice, Trieste, Genoa, Bologna, Turin, Brescia, Milan and most northern towns it’s possible to catch non-stop buses to many European cities.
By road
Italy is fairly easy to reach via road, with connections from all border countries in the north of Europe. Taking the Eurostar to France is the quickest route, and a number of ferry routes are available for those less willing to drive across half of mainland Europe.
A standard EU driving license is the required driving documentation. If a photo licence is not held, an International Driving Permit must be obtained along with suitable photo ID. Insurance is mandatory and Green Card insurance is recommended.
Eurolines operating out of London’s Victoria Coach Station offer routes to a number of Italian destinations.
By rail
Rail travel is incredibly easy to Italy with low fares and comfortable journeys and a great way to enter Italy from within Europe. State and private railways service the country and are generally simple, cheap and efficient.
Taking the Eurostar from London to Paris, there is a brief wait in the French capital then a sleeper carriage from Paris to Rome. Other destinations in Italy are just as easy to reach and can offer stunning sights along with their cheap prices.
By ferry
There are many connections to Italy by sea, with routes from France, Greece, Portugal, Spain and countless other worldwide locations, although from the UK you will need to take the ferry to France then onwards from there.
Ferries connect the country with Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Albania, France, Slovenia, Croatia and Spain.Ferries also service Sicily from Naples, Civitavecchia, Reggio di Calabria, Livorno and Genoa, while Sardinia can be reached from Genoa, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Naples, Tràpani and Palermo.
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