Social ConventionsThe social structure is heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic church and, generally speaking, family ties are stronger than in most other countries in Western Europe. Normal social courtesies should be observed. Dress is casual but smart in most places, and beachwear should be confined to the beach. Conservative clothes are expected when visiting religious buildings and smaller, traditional communities. Formal wear is usually indicated on invitations. Smoking is prohibited in public buildings, transport and cinemas.
International Travel:Getting There by
AirThe national airline is
Alitalia (AZ) (website:
www.alitalia.com).
Departure TaxNone.
Main AirportsRome (FCO) (Fiumicino) (website:
www.adr.it) is 32km (20 miles) southwest of the city (journey time - 30 to 55 minutes).
To/
from the airport: There is a direct rail link to Termini Station in central Rome and a bus service to the city center and to Ciampino airport. Taxis are also available to the city.
Facilities: Outgoing duty-free shop, car hire, ATMs, bank and bureau de change and bar/restaurants.
Rome (CIA) (Ciampino) (website:
www.adr.it) is 15km (9 miles) from the city (journey time - 30 to 40 minutes).
To/
from the airport: Buses are available to the underground station Anagnina and to the city center. Taxis are also available.
Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, car hire, duty-free and souvenir shop and cafe.
Pisa (PSA) (Galileo Galilei) (website:
www.pisa-airport.com) is 1.6km (1 mile) north of Pisa (journey time - 10 minutes).
To/
from the airport: Trains and buses run from Pisa airport to the center of Florence (journey time - 1 hour). Rail services connect with arrivals and departures of all international flights and major domestic services.
Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, car hire, shops and cafe.
Milan (MXP) (Malpensa) (website:
www.sea-aeroportimilano.it) is 45km (29 miles) northwest of the city (journey time - 30 minutes).
To/
from the airport: The
Malapensa Express train connects terminal one with the center of Milan (journey time - 40 minutes). A free shuttle bus connects the airport terminals. Taxis are available.
Facilities: Duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, business center, left luggage.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Ancona (website:
www.autoritaportuale.ancona.it),
Brindisi (website:
www.porto.br.it),
Naples (website:
www.porto.napoli.it) and
Venice (website:
www.port.venice.it).
Main
ferry operators:
Superfast Ferries (website:
www.superfast.com),
SNAV (website:
www.snav.it),
Ustica Lines (website:
www.usticalines.it) and
Navigazione Libera del Golfo (website:
www.navlib.it). The main international routes are from Greece and Croatia. There are also links from Tunisia to Sicily. Cruise ships call at ports such as Genoa.
Getting There by RailTrenitalia runs regular services covering national and international routes (tel: 892 020 from local land lines
or (199) 166 177 from mobiles or land lines; website:
www.trenitalia.com). The
Artesia Service is the fastest railway link between France and Italy.
Rail PassesInterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The
Global Pass allows travel for a 22 day or one month period, or five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The
One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 20 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The
Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people traveling together. The
Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26. The
Eurail One Country Pass allows travel for one month in one of 17 single countries. The
Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (or 15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The
Eurail Regional Pass allows 3 to 10 travel days in a two-month period in one of 25 country combinations. Available from
The Eurail Group (website:
www.euraildirect.com).
Getting There by RoadRoutes to Italy run through Austria, France, Slovenia and Switzerland and most routes use the tunnels under the Alps and Apennines.
Trenitalia runs regular daily services called
auto al seguito (trains carrying cars), especially during the summer holiday season, covering national and international routes. These services operate from special railway stations and are generally bookable at the departure station. Owners must travel on the same train.
The documents required are the log-book, valid driving license with Italian translation, passport, Green Card insurance and national identity plate fixed to the rear of the vehicle. For more information on routes, contact the Italian State Tourist Board (see
Contact Addresses).
Coach: Eurolines (tel: 0870 514 3219 or 0871 781 881, in the UK; website:
www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to Italy.
Passes: Travelers can book a 15- or 30-day pass. Available from
Eurolines (website:
www.eurolines-pass.com).
OverviewThe communes of Livigno and Campione d’Italia are treated as being outside of the EU for the duty-free section. The following goods may be imported into Italy from outside the EU by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:
• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco.
• 2l of wine and 1l of spirits (over 22%) or 2l of fortified or sparkling wine.
• 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette.
• 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (if over 15 years of age).
• 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract.
• Gifts not exceeding €90 (if entering from an EU country), €175 (if entering from a non-EU country).
Abolition of duty-free goods within the EUOn 30 June 1999, the sale of duty-free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the two states that joined on 1 January 2007, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another. Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use
only. Member states may follow the EU’s guide levels of: 10l of spirits; 20l of fortified wine; 90l of wine; 110l of beer; 800 cigarettes; 400 cigarillos; 200 cigars and 1kg of tobacco.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirAlitalia (AZ) (website:
www.alitalia.com) and other airlines run services to all the major cities. There are over 30 airports. For details, contact the airlines direct or ENIT, the Italian State Tourist Board (see
Contact Addresses).
Getting Around by WaterMain ports: Cagliari (website:
www.porto.cagliari.it),
Civitavecchia (website:
www.port-of-rome.org),
Genoa (website:
www.porto.genova.it),
Livorno (website:
www.portauthority.li.it) and
Naples (website:
www.porto.napoli.it).
Ferries: A number of car and passenger ferries operate throughout the year linking Italian ports. Regular boat and hydrofoil services run to the islands of Capri, Sardinia, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. There are also some links along the coast. Operators include
Tirrenia (te: (081) 017 1998; website:
www.tirrenia.it), and
SNAV (tel: (081) 428 5555 - Naples call center; website:
www.snav.it). Ferries also operate on the main lakes of Garda, Maggiore, Como and Iseo.
Getting Around by RailTrenitalia (FS) (tel: 892 021 in Italy; (066) 847 5475 from outside Italy; website:
www.trenitalia.com or www.ferroviedellostato.it) runs a nationwide network at very reasonable fares, calculated on the distance traveled, and there are a number of excellent reductions. Main routes include Turin-Milan-Venice; Milan-Bologna-Bari; Rome-Genoa-Turin; and Rome-Naples-Palermo. Visitors from the UK can book tickets with
Italia Rail (tel: 0870 084 1414, in the UK; website:
www.italiarail.co.uk).
Rail PassesInterRail One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Italy. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on some ferry routes. Available from
Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064 in the UK; website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Getting Around by RoadThere are more than 479,688km (298,064 miles) of roads in Italy, including over 6,000km (3,700 miles) of motorway (
autostrada). More motorways are under construction and due for completion by 2012. Tolls are charged at varying distances and scales. Road signs are international. More information on the Italian motorway network is available from
Autostrade per l’Italia (tel: (06) 4363 2121; website:
www.autostrade.it). Traffic drives on the right.
Coach: Good coach services run between towns and cities and there are also extensive local buses.
SITA is a major inter-city operator (tel: (055) 294 955; website:
www.sitabus.it).
Car hire: Self-drive hire is available in most cities, airports and resorts. Many international and Italian firms operate this service. Generally, small local firms offer cheaper rates, but cars can only be booked locally.
Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in urban areas, 90kph (55mph) on ordinary roads, 110kph (68mph) on dual carriageways and 130kph (80mph) on motorways. Dipped headlights are compulsory outside built-up areas during the day. All vehicles must carry a red warning triangle. Seat belts are compulsory.
Note: Fines for driving offences are on-the-spot and particularly heavy.
Emergency breakdown service: In case of breakdown, dial 803 116. The operator will inform the nearest
Automobile Club of Italy (ACI) office (website:
www.aci.it).
Documentation: A UK driving license and EU pink format licenses are valid in Italy but old-style green licenses (without photos) must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit. Visitors must carry their log-book, which must be in their name as owner, or have the owner’s written permission to drive the vehicle. A driving license or a motorcycle driving license is required for motorcycles over 49cc.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesTravelers should be aware that tickets for public transport need to be endorsed in a ticket machine before the journey. Machines are located in entrances to platforms in railway and metro stations and on-board buses and trams. Failure to do so could lead to an on-the-spot fine of up to €60.
All the big towns and cities (Genoa, Milan, Naples, Rome, Turin and Venice) have good public transport networks. The Rome system is run by the City Transport Authority (
ATAC) and
MetRo. The Milanese system is run by the
Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM).
Underground: In Rome there are two underground lines - Metropolitana A from Battistini via Termini station to Via Anagnina and also connecting with the Ottaviano-San Pietro link; and Metropolitana B, which runs between from Laurentina, via Termini Station, and onwards to Rebibbia. Both day and monthly passes are available. Milan also has a three-line underground system, with tickets useable on both underground and bus.
Bus: Services operate in all main cities and towns. In Rome, the network is extensive and complements the underground and tram systems. In larger cities, fares are generally pre-purchased from machines or tobacconists (
tabacchi). Bus tickets can be bought in packets of five and are fed into a stamping machine on boarding.
Tram: There is an extensive network consisting of eight routes in Rome; Milan, Messina and Turin also have tram services.
Taxi: Available in all towns and cities. Government-regulated taxis are either white or yellow. Visitors should avoid un-metered taxis. They are generally expensive, with extra charges for night service, luggage and taxis called by telephone.
Water taxis in Venice are extremely expensive; a much cheaper public ferry service is available. Taxis can only be hailed at official ranks or booked by telephone.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Rome to other major cities/towns in Italy.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| Florence | 1.00 | 2.55 | 2.30 |
| Milan | 1.10 | 5.30 | 4.05 |
| Naples | 0.55 | 2.15 | 1.27 |
| Cagliari | 0.55 | - | - |
| Turin | 1.15 | 6.35 | 6.35 |
Next Page »
