How to get to Italy

There are regular direct flights to Italy from the UK and the US, while airlines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa fly via Asian or European cities. Price-comparison sites such as http://skyscanner.net and http://edreams.com are invaluable for bargain-hunting, though it can sometimes be cheaper to make bookings direct through an operator’s website. Rail connections with the rest of Europe are also good and link well into the comprehensive national network.

Flights from the UK and Ireland

Of the scheduled airlines flying to Italy, British Airways (http://ba.com) has direct flights year-round to Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Palermo, Turin, Bologna, Bergamo, Naples, Pisa, Venice, Brindisi, Florence and Verona. There are summer-only flights to Cagliari, Genoa, Catania and Olbia. Alitalia has direct flights year-round to all the above, plus Trieste, Alghero, Lamezia Terme, Perugia and Pescara. The majority of the routes are from London, and flights from UK provincial airports have been severely cut back following the pandemic, but it is always worth checking to see if there are flights from your local airport. Of the low-cost carriers, easyJet (http://easyjet.com), TUI (http://tui.co.uk), Jet2 (http://jet2.com), flybe (http://flybe.com), Norwegian Air (http://norwegian.com) and Ryanair (http://ryanair.com) fly from London, Dublin and numerous smaller airports to bases throughout Italy and its islands. From Ireland, Aer Lingus has direct flights from Dublin to Milan Malpensa and Linate, Naples, Pisa, Rome Fiumicino, Venice and Verona.

Prices depend on how far in advance you book, the popularity of the destination, and the season: unless you book well in advance, flying between June and September will cost more than in the depths of winter (excluding Christmas and New Year). Note also that it is generally more expensive to fly at weekends. Book far enough in advance with one of the low-cost airlines and you can pick up a return ticket on the cheap, even in summer.

Flights from the US and Canada

Between them, Delta (http://delta.com), Alitalia (http://alitalia.com) and American Airlines (http://aa.com) offer daily flights from New York, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago to Rome and Milan; one short layover greatly extends the network. Air Canada (http://aircanada.com) has nonstop flights Montreal to Rome. In addition, many European carriers fly to Italy (via their capitals) from all major US and Canadian cities – for example British Airways (http://ba.com) via London, Lufthansa (http://lufthansa.com) via Frankfurt and KLM (http://klm.com) via Amsterdam.

Flights from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

There are no nonstop flights to Italy from Australia or New Zealand. From either country you are likely to get most flexibility by traveling with Malaysia Airlines (http://malaysiaairlines.com), Emirates (http://emirates.com), British Airways (http://ba.com.fly) or Qantas (http://qantas.com.au).

Various carriers serve South Africa, usually with a stop in their European or Middle Eastern hub.

Trains

Traveling by train to Italy from the UK can be an enjoyable and environmentally friendly way of getting to the country, thought it almost inevitably costs considerably more than flying, and you can stop off in other parts of Europe on the way. Most trains pass through Paris and head down through France towards Milan.

Following the pandemic, the future of the Franco-Italian Thello sleeper (http://thello.com) is uncertain. If you really want to push the boat out, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (http://belmond.com) runs from London to Venice.

Advance booking on trains is essential (and can often save you a lot of money); there are also discounts for children and rail-pass holders. When booking trains, bear in mind that if you travel via Paris on Eurostar you will have to change stations, so you should give yourself a good hour (more like 1hr 30min if you have to queue for metro tickets) to travel on the metro from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de Lyon. Allow more time for the return journey across Paris, as there is a minimum thirty-minute check-in for Eurostar departures. Note that there are no left-luggage lockers at the Gare de Bercy.

The Man in Seat 61 website (http://seat61.com) offers exhaustive information on traveling by train, with details of routes, times and fares.

Rail passes

Interrail (http://interrail.eu) and Eurail (http://eurail.com) Passes offer unlimited rail travel throughout Italy and other European countries; you can buy them before leaving home for a specific set of dates, but they’re also available at many European mainline stations at the international ticket desks. Italy-only passes are also available . If you use a EuroCity (domestic) or Le Frecce high-speed trains, a supplement applies.

Interrail

Interrail Passes are only available to European citizens and official residents. Young people aged 12–27 and senior travelers (60-plus) are entitled to a discounted rate. There are also various promotions throughout the year – check the website for details. Pass holders can use all of the trains run by the national railways in Europe. For high-speed and night trains you will need to reserve your seat or bed in advance, and a fee may apply.

Eurail

A Eurail Pass (http://eurail.com/en) is for non-European residents and comes in a variety of formulas and gives the option of choosing first- or second-class train travel on all trains run by the national railways in Europe. The most popular option allows 10 days travel within two months, but there are also options to travel on 5, 7, 15, 22, or daily within a month. There is no need to choose a start date in advance, and digital tickets are delivered straight to your phone (although paper passes are also available). There are various promotions throughout the year when you can purchase passes at a discounted rate – check the website for details. You will still need reservations for high-speed and night trains; and an extra fee may also apply.

Buses

It’s difficult to see why anyone would want to travel to Italy by bus, and at the time of writing all bus routes from the UK to Italy had been suspended. The main operators were Eurolines and FlixBus.