chapter seven
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chapter seven |
“Who has been to Italy,” proclaimed the Russian author Nicolai Gogol to his friend Zhukovsky, “can forget all other regions … Europe compared to Italy is like a gloomy day compared to a day of sunshine.” Admiring Italy is one thing. Getting around it may be another matter.
In the eighteenth century, when traveling around Europe on the “Grand Tour” was de rigueur for young noblemen, Italy was where they learned to become “perfect gentlemen.” A trip to Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples was an essential part of a man’s education. The compiler of Britain’s first English dictionary, Dr. Samuel Johnson, wrote, “A man who has not been to Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, for his not having seen what a man is expected to see.”
So much for what to see, but what about how to get there? The good news is that things have improved since the days of the Grand Tour. Brigands no longer haunt the mountain passes, and the advice given to tourists by Murray’s Guide to Southern Italy in 1858 to “… make their bargains with the landlords on their first arrival,” is no longer necessary. However, all of Italy’s transport systems, can be uncertain and the great quality you need—as always in Italy—is a degree of flexibility.
Since Italy is a member of the European Union and the Eurozone, any EU citizen can enter freely. North Americans need a passport, but not a visa.
The main points of entry are Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci (also known as Fiumicino) and Ciampino airports, and Milan’s Malpensa and Linate airports.
Alitalia and ATI are the Italian international and domestic carriers. The best way to book an internal flight is through a recognized travel agency, and a wide range of discounted fares are available on both national and international flights. (It’s important to ask for these discounts; they are rarely offered automatically.) To contact Alitalia or ATI by Internet, go to www.alitalia.it.
By law, non-EU visitors staying more than three days in Italy are required to register with the police. A hotel will do this for you automatically, but if you are staying with friends you need to go to the local Questura, or Commissariato, or Stazione dei Carabinieri. Because, as we have seen, Italy can be extremely bureaucratic, it is worth taking an Italian friend with you to see that everything goes smoothly.
If you are a non-EU citizen and are staying for longer than ninety days, you need to get a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within eight days of arrival. These are issued by the Ufficio Stranieri (foreign department) or Questura of the police, and you need an official letter stamped with the bollo (state stamp).
An important part of anyone’s life in Italy is the bollo, a special type of state postage stamp, affixed to official documents and requests, which attests that the relevant administration fee has been paid. Bolli are sold at tabacchi (tobacco kiosks), as indeed is the special legal paper on which you must write your formal request. This is called carta uso bollo, or carta bollata.
The complexity and time-wasting of much of Italy’s bureaucracy has led to the creation of large numbers of agencies (agenzie) that specialize in getting your documents for you, obtaining the necessary stamps, and standing in the inevitable lines. Many people find the convenience and expertise of this service worth the extra cost.
Where an agenzia may seem a blessing is in getting a residency certificate (certificato di residenza) and a tax code (codice fiscale). If you are settling in Italy for any length of time, the certificato di residenza is essential: you will need it when buying a car or when getting utilities such as gas and the phone connected. The codice fiscale is useful as an ID, and may be demanded for anything such as joining a club or opening a bank account.
To get a certificato di residenza, take your permesso di soggiorno and your ID to the Ufficio Anagrafe and apply to be registered with the local comune. Buy some bolli and take them with you so that the official can affix them to the document.
For the codice fiscale, you take your passport and ID card to the provincial tax office, the Ufficio Imposte Dirette, which will issue the card.
With the number of documents the average Italian has to carry, is it any wonder that Italy pioneered the fashion handbag for men?
Italy’s public transport system is reasonably priced by European standards, but chaotic because it is plagued by strikes. Italy has both a public and a private transport system. The latter operates on a local basis in towns and outlying villages. The train system is mainly state-owned and can be inefficient, unpunctual, and strike-ridden, although the modern trains are extremely comfortable.
The rail system in Italy is extensive and comfortable and there is a system of high speed frecciarossa trains with regular services linking major cities. Train strikes are not uncommon and it is worth checking in advance and also reserving seats when you buy your ticket. Strikes (scopieri) are usually announced reasonably well ahead, and you can contact the national rail operator at www.trenitalia.com. Their home page is in English.
The state railway is called the ferrovia statale. The timetable is available on www.trenitalia.com. Nonresidents can buy an Italy Rail Card, which gives unlimited travel for up to thirty days. There is also an Italy Flexi-card for four, eight, or twelve days up to one month. This is available from ticket offices at railway stations and from travel agencies.
There is a range of different types of train service, all with different prices.
The ETR 450 Pendolino is a first-class high-speed train, equivalent to France’s TGV. These run mainly from the southern region of Puglia, through Rome to Milan, and seats need to be reserved in advance. The Eurostar (Italia), like the Pendolino, needs advance reservation. The espresso and the diretto cover local distances but stop at main stations only. The locale is the slow local train, which stops for long periods at stations—fun to travel on if you have the time.
There is a huge range of discounts and special tickets and it is worth asking at a booking agency what is available. If you buy your ticket on the train, there is a surcharge of 20 percent, and if reserved seats are not occupied as the train leaves, other passengers have the right to occupy them. One important point: you must “validate” your ticket before you travel by punching it into a machine on the platform: if you fail to do so, you will be charged a hefty fine.
Milan, Genoa, Rome, Naples, and Palermo all have subway systems, although the network does not cover the whole city. Transport is cheap and there is usually an overall flat fee for bus or tram. Since the ticket is valid for more than an hour (for example, seventy-five minutes in Milan and Rome, ninety minutes in Genoa), it can be used for more than one journey. Except in Rome, this also applies to transfers between bus and metro.
Tickets can be confusing. Metro stations have no ticket offices, and so tickets must be bought at newsstands along main routes or near the metro stations. Look for a big sign that says T for tabacchi (tobacconist). Tickets can be bought singly or in a book of ten. Day and weekly tickets are also available.
You should get on a bus or tram at the back, through the doors marked Salita (entry). The middle doors are used for getting off, and are marked Uscita (exit). Validate your ticket by pressing it into the yellow or orange machine just inside the door. Don’t automatically expect a seat. Buses and trams are crowded and children do not normally get up if an adult is standing. Watch out for pickpockets in a crowd and be prepared to shout “Permesso!” (Excuse me) or “Scendo!” (I’m getting off!) when you reach your stop.
Coach services between cities are popular and inexpensive. Coach companies also offer guided tours, including several major cities. For example, it is possible to do Venice, Padua, and Florence in one day or, in the South, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, and Sorrento. Round the City tours are a good way of getting to know the lay of the land when you have just arrived; they are a little like the Gray Line tours of American cities.
Travel by taxi is common in Italy, but you can’t usually flag one down in the street. There are taxi stands in piazzas and at stations, but the best way is to phone from a hotel, restaurant, or bar. Fares are shown on the meter, but there is an extra charge if you have luggage, are traveling after 10:00 p.m. on Sundays or public holidays, or are taking a long-distance trip out of town or to an airport. If you want to tip, round up the fare to the nearest euro.
This is not an Italian custom. Be prepared to use your elbows a bit or be carried along with the crowd, particularly in the South. Until the recent introduction of a numbered waiting system, in most public buildings one would have to try to catch the employee’s eye. He or she would decide whom to serve first. Even today, a degree of assertiveness is necessary.
And so we come to cars. Italian traffic is a nightmare. People drive fast, and park in very narrow spaces with little regard for other cars, animals, or pedestrians. Pedestrian crossings are rarely respected, and an Italian saying goes that “Red traffic lights are only a suggestion!” Added to which, the confusion of cars, buses, and mopeds all jostle through narrow city streets. To walk around Rome’s centro storico (historic center), where cars cannot easily get through, is a pleasure, and Venice is traffic-free bliss. Other places where motorists must leave their cars outside the city limits are the hill towns of Umbria and Tuscany, and of course Venice itself. Even though all towns now have traffic-free zones in their historic centers, this increases congestion outside.
Drivers entering Italy from the relative peace of France and Switzerland can be dazed by the intensity and apparent chaos of the traffic. Italy has the second-highest percentage of car ownership in the world after the USA and since most people live in high-rise buildings their parked cars block the roads and pavements. Automobile (with the stress on the third syllable) is the word for car in Italian, but most Italians say macchina (stress on the first syllable; the machine).
Florence and Naples are two of the worst cities for traffic congestion. Fortunately, if you need to get around by other means than on foot, there are alternatives.
Rent a Scooter
That’s what the natives do, and not just the young ones. You don’t need a driver’s license for a motorino, and although the law demands a crash helmet, many spurn it as a degrading curb on their freedom. Scooter drivers often go around the city in packs.
Rent a Bike
Dangerous in the big towns, but cycling is a popular weekend sport. The place to do this is in the flat lands of the lower Po Valley, in quiet provincial towns like Mantua or Ferrara.
Rent a Car
There are car-rental offices at major stations and airports. The regulations stipulate that you must be at least nineteen years old, and there is actually a law that says that unless you have held a license for more than three years you cannot drive a car with more than 93 mph (150 kph) speed capacity.
Driving a Car
Italians may be fast and rule-breaking but they are quite safety conscious. They are often excellent drivers, and the Italian accident rate is by no means the highest in Europe. Italian drivers may be assertive, but they are also careful not to damage their paintwork. They do, however, ignore speed limits unless they spot a speed control or a motor cycle policeman. “Me first” is the rule, and over-courteous foreign drivers can actually cause accidents.
Expressways: 130 kph (81 mph) |
Urban stretches: 90 kph (55 mph) |
Dual highways: 110 kph (68 mph) |
Outside built-up areas: 110 kph (68 mph) |
Built-up areas: 50 kph (30 mph) |
The carabinieri (police) and polizia stradale (traffic police) can give you an on-the-spot fine for speeding, and will also fine you for not having your traffic documents or internationally required equipment such as a fluorescent life jacket or red warning triangle in case of breakdown. The police may ask for your patente (driver’s license), libretto (registration document/logbook), assicurazione (insurance), and carta verde (green card). It is worth obtaining an international driver’s license before you leave home as it will facilitate matters if you get into trouble.
Gasoline (Benzina)
Two types are available, leaded (piombo) and unleaded (verde—green). Except on expressways, service stations tend to keep to shop hours (see Chapter 5, Daily Life) and to close on Sundays. To plug the gap, self-service pumps are available in larger towns. Most gas stations are not automated, but tipping the attendant is not expected. Diesel pumps are marked gasolio.
Breakdown
In this case, you need the autosoccorso (breakdown service) and autoservizio (repairs garage). Telephone the ACI (Automobile Club d’Italia) for help. The emergency number for police, doctor, or ambulance is 113.
Parking
It has been estimated that an Italian motorist spends seven years of his or her life in a car, two of them looking for a parking space. In cities it is best to park wherever you can and proceed on foot or by public transport. A tow-away zone is marked by pictures and the legend Zona Rimozione or Rimozione forzata. Reclaiming your car is expensive.
Be careful if you park in a street: if it is scheduled for cleaning that night, and your car is causing an obstruction, it will be towed away. Avoid parking where there are no other cars: other people may know something you don’t. Streets are cleaned once a week, and every street affected has a sign giving the dates and times.
Finally, a parked car is an invitation to thieves. Never leave anything visible inside your car.
Pericolo |
Danger |
Alt/Avanti |
Stop/Go |
Entrata/Uscita |
Entry/Exit |
Rallentare |
Slow down |
Senso unico |
One way |
Deviazione |
Deviation |
Lavori in corso |
Roadworks |
Limite di velocità |
Speed limit |
Divieto di sorpasso |
No passing |
Divieto di sosta |
No parking |
Parcheggio |
Parking |
Expressways
There are over 3,700 miles (6,000 km) of expressways in Italy, most of them toll roads. A green sign with a white A marks the autostrada, followed by the number. You take a ticket as you enter and pay as you leave. If you want to pay by card, a Viacard or Telepass is available from toll booths and expressway services.
Autoclubs
The Italian automobile club is called Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI). It offers a breakdown service that can be accessed by dialing 116.
Road Rules
Driving is on the right, and you give way to traffic from the right at traffic circles and crossroads. You are required by law to have a warning triangle in the trunk of your car and to carry your road documents (license and car registration) at all times. It is also necessary to have a basic first-aid package and spare warning lights.
Traffic crossings are often ignored, but the police will fine you on the spot if a child between the ages of four and twelve is not wearing a seat belt. Children under four must be in a child safety seat, or an on-the-spot fine will be issued. Drivers commonly plead innocence in an attempt to reduce the amount; if you can’t pay immediately, you have a sixty-day grace period.
Buying a Car
To buy a car you need your codice fiscale, and to be registered as a local resident. To complete the transactions, you accompany the seller to the local ACI (Automobile Club d’Italia). The transfer of ownership is known as a trapasso. Your primary car operating costs are insurance and road tax. An MOT (called revisione) is necessary for cars over three years old, and every two years afterward. They receive a bollino blu to show they are clean.
Driving Your Own Car in Italy
Within the EU, foreigners can drive their own car for up to twelve months. British-registered cars with GB plates can only be driven for up to six months. It may be cheaper and less time-consuming to buy a car locally. Importing your own vehicle is both expensive and complicated.
Licenses
If you have an EU driving license you can use it in Italy for an unlimited period. If you decide to live in Italy, you can still use your EU license but you must get it stamped at your local motor registry or ACI office to show you are resident. If you have a larger vehicle than Class B, then you need to reapply for an Italian license.
If you are a non-EU citizen you can drive for up to a year on your driver’s license (although you should have a translation into Italian). However, to avoid taking an Italian driving test, you must apply for the Italian license before the year is up or before you get a residence permit.
Many international drivers buy an international driver’s license every year rather than go through the process of getting an Italian driver’s license, which can be lengthy and time-consuming. Driver’s licenses are obtained through the comune or municipio (town hall). Armed with an Italian translation of your driver’s license, you fill in a special form on carta uso bollo with the appropriate number of bolli. This needs to be stamped at the pretura (magistrate’s court) and taken to the comune with three passport-size photos. One of your photos should be authenticated by the comune.
You also need a certificato medico (medical certificate). This starts with a medical report form and a blank medical certificate. The medical report is signed by your family doctor; and the certificate, plus bollo, plus photo, is taken to the unità sanitaria locale (USL) for an eye test and a signature on the certificate.
All this finally goes to the local motorizazzione civile with your driver’s license, a photocopy of it, and a postal order and another bollo. In all, you will need to obtain five documents to acquire an Italian driver’s license. Thankfully, today everything can be done through the ACI.
Some of the glories of Italy are its islands and lakes. There are some 4,650 miles (7,500 km) of coastline and the ferry services are good. Two of the most popular excursions are from Naples to Capri and Ischia. Naples to Sicily by hydrofoil (aliscafo) is five and a half hours.
