The easiest way to get to Italy from the UK and Ireland is to fly. The majority of flights go to Milan and Rome, but many other cities and holiday destinations are served by scheduled flights and low-cost carriers alike. From the US and Canada there are direct flights to Milan and Rome, although you could consider flying via London or another European hub and picking up a cheap onward flight from there. There are no direct flights to Italy from South Africa, Australia or New Zealand, but plenty of airlines fly to Milan and Rome via Asian or European cities. Rail connections with the rest of Europe are also good and link well into the comprehensive national network.
Of the scheduled airlines flying the Italian routes, British Airways (BA) and Alitalia regularly serve most of the country including Turin, Milan, Rome, Bologna, Cagliari, Bari, Pisa, Verona, Venice, Naples and Catania. The majority of the routes are from London but they also fly from Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. Aer Lingus has direct flights from Dublin to Milan, Bologna, Rome, Catania, Venice and Naples, as well as Cork and Belfast to Rome. Of the low-cost carriers, easyJet, Thomson, Jet2, flybe and Ryanair fly from London and numerous smaller airports to bases throughout Italy and its islands.
Prices depend on how far in advance you book and the popularity of the destination, although season is also a factor: a ticket to anywhere 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 ticket for under £100 return, even in summer; book anything less than three weeks in advance and this could triple in price. Scheduled airline fares, booked within a month of travel, will cost around £120 out of season, and £250 in summer.
Between them Delta, Alitalia and American Airlines offer daily flights from New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago to Rome and Milan; one short layover greatly extends the network. In addition, many European carriers fly to Italy (via their capitals) from all major US and Canadian cities – for example British Airways (via London), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt), KLM (via Amsterdam), and so on.
The direct scheduled fares don’t vary as much as you might think, and you’ll more often than not be basing your choice around things like flight timings, routes and gateway cities, ticket restrictions, and even the airline’s reputation for comfort and service. The cheapest round-trip fares to Rome or Milan, travelling midweek in low season, start at around US$700 from New York or Boston, rising to around US$1200 during the summer. Add another US$100–200 for flights from LA, Miami and Chicago. Note that these prices do not include taxes.
Air Canada has flights from Toronto to Rome for a low-season fare of Can$400 midweek, increasing to around Can$1000 in high season without taxes.
Return fares to Rome and Milan from the main cities in Australia go for A$1500–1850 in low season, and around A$2000 in high season. You are likely to get most flexibility by travelling with Malaysian, Thai, British Airways or Qantas, which offer a range of discounted Italian tour packages and air passes. There are no direct flights to Italy from New Zealand. Return fares to Rome from New Zealand cost from NZ$2500 depending on the season. Air New Zealand often has the best deals but KLM, British Airways, Qantas, JAL, Emirates, Malaysian and Thai can all be competitive if bought in advance.
Various carriers serve South Africa, usually with a stop in their European or Middle Eastern hub. The best-value carriers are Etihad, Lufthansa and KLM, although BA, Turkish and South African Airways can be competitive if bought far enough in advance. Return fares start at around ZAR6500.
At Rough Guides we are passionately committed to travel. We feel strongly that only through travelling do we truly come to understand the world we live in and the people we share it with – plus tourism has brought a great deal of benefit to developing economies around the world over the last few decades. But the extraordinary growth in tourism has also damaged some places irreparably, and of course climate change is exacerbated by most forms of transport, especially flying. This means that now more than ever it’s important to travel thoughtfully and responsibly, with respect for the cultures you’re visiting – not only to derive the most benefit from your trip but also to preserve the best bits of the planet for everyone to enjoy. At Rough Guides we feel there are four main areas in which you can make a difference:
• Travel with a purpose, not just to tick off experiences. Consider spending longer in a place, and getting to know it and its people.
• Give thought to how often you fly. Try to avoid short hops by air and more harmful night flights.
• Consider alternatives to flying, travelling instead by bus, train, boat and even by bike or on foot where possible.
• Make your trips “climate neutral” via a reputable carbon offset scheme. All Rough Guide flights are offset, and every year we donate money to a variety of charities devoted to combating the effects of climate change.
Travelling by train to Italy from the UK can be an enjoyable and environmentally friendly way of getting to the country, and you can stop off in other parts of Europe on the way. Trains pass through Paris and head down through France towards Milan. A standard-class return fare from London to Paris using Eurostar (2hr 15min) starts at £70; travelling by high-speed TGV from Paris to Milan (7hr 25min) costs from £95. Fares from Paris to both Rome (15hr) and Venice (13hr) start at £100 return per person in a six-berth couchette.
Sleeper trains from France (see Artesia), head to Turin and Milan (7hr) or to Venice via Milan, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza and Padua (13hr) or to Rome via Piacenza, Parma, Bologna and Florence (15hr). Accommodation is in four- and six-berth couchettes, and one-, two- and three-berth cabins – the more you pay, the fewer people you share with; women can opt to share with other women if they are travelling alone. All services have a restaurant car and a steward who looks after each carriage. Prices start around £100.
If you really want to push the boat out, the Orient Express still runs from London to Venice, offering around 30 hours of pampered luxury starting from £1690, including all meals.
Advance booking is essential (and can often save you quite a lot of money); there are also discounts for children and rail-pass holders. Take into account also 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 (for daytime services) or the Gare de Bercy (for sleeper trains). 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.
For details on all international rail tickets and passes, ask in person at major train stations, or at the Rail Europe Travel Centre at 1 Regent Street in London. You can also book online through the agents. www.seat61.com is useful for timetabling information.
InterRail and Eurail passes offer unlimited rail travel throughout Italy and other European countries, but must be bought before leaving home. See Rail passes for details of Italy-only passes.
InterRail passes (www.interrail.net) are only available to those who have been resident in Europe for six months or more and are not valid in the country of residence. They come in first- and second-class over-26 and (cheaper) under-26 versions. The passes are available to a combination of countries for 5 days within a ten-day period (£230 second class, £147 under-26), 10 days within a 22-day period (£331 second class, £220 under-26), 22 consecutive days (£432 second class, £285 under-26) or one month (£552 second class, £368 under-26).
InterRail passes do not include travel between Britain and the Continent, although passholders are eligible for discounts on rail travel in Britain and Northern Ireland and cross-Channel ferries, as well as free travel on the Bríndisi–Patras ferry between Italy and Greece and the Villa San Giovanni–Messina crossing to Sicily.
A Eurail Pass (www.eurail.com) is for non-European residents and comes in a variety of forms: Italy only, Italy with France, Greece or Spain, Italy with bordering countries or with 20 other European countries. The pass, which must be purchased before arrival in Europe, allows unlimited free first-class train travel in combinations from 10 days to 3 months. A one-month over-26 pass costs €822 (under-26 €535). There are numerous small-group, youth and saver versions, and passes can be purchased online or from the agents listed under “Rail contacts”.
It’s difficult to see why anyone would want to travel to Italy by bus, unless they had a phobia of flying. National Express Eurolines do, however, have occasional bargain offers, and regular, flexible tickets cost £115 to Milan or £135 to Rome, if booked a little in advance. The Milan service departs four times a week and takes around 20 hours; Rome adds a gruelling 10 hours to the trip.
Busabout Explorer is a popular option with backpackers. There are various Italian tours available as well as Europe-wide hop-on hop-off services for around £300 per person.
As well as the travel agents offering flight-and-accommodation package deals, an increasing number of operators organize specialist holidays to Italy. These set up walking tours, art and archeology holidays, Italian food and wine jaunts, short breaks to coincide with opera festivals or even football matches. Finally, if you want to rent a car in Italy, it’s well worth checking with tour operators (and flight agents) before you leave, as some fly-drive deals work out very cheaply.
Aer Lingus www.aerlingus.com.
Air Canada www.aircanada.com.
Air New Zealand www.airnz.co.nz.
Alitalia www.alitalia.com.
American Airlines www.aa.com.
bmibaby www.bmibaby.com.
British Airways www.ba.com.
Delta www.delta.com.
easyJet www.easyjet.com.
Etihad Airways www.etihadairways.com.
flybe www.flybe.com.
JAL (Japan Air Lines) www.jal.com.
Jet2 www.jet2.com.
KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) www.klm.com.
Lufthansa www.lufthansa.com.
Malaysia Airlines www.malaysia-airlines.com.
Qantas Airways www.qantas.com.
Ryanair www.ryanair.com.
Thai Airways www.thaiair.com.
Thomson http://flights.thomson.co.uk.
North South Travel UK 01245/608 291, www.northsouthtravel.co.uk. Friendly, competitive travel agency, offering discounted fares worldwide. Profits are used to support projects in the developing world, especially the promotion of sustainable tourism.
STA Travel UK 0871/2300 040, US 1-800/781-4040, Australia 134 782, New Zealand 0800/474 400, South Africa 0861/781 781; www.statravel.co.uk. Worldwide specialists in independent travel; also student IDs, travel insurance, car rental, rail passes, and more. Good discounts for students and under-26s.
Trailfinders UK 0845/058 5858, Ireland 01/677 7888, Australia 1300/780 212; www.trailfinders.com. One of the best-informed and most efficient agents for independent travellers.
Travel CUTS Canada 1-866/246-9762, US 1-800/592-2887; www.travelcuts.com. Canadian youth and student travel firm.
USIT Ireland 01/602 1906, Northern Ireland 028/9032 7111; www.usit.ie. Ireland’s main student and youth travel specialists.
Abercromie and Kent UK 0845/618 2203, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk. Luxury cultural holidays.
Adventure Travel Company NZ 04/494 7180, www.adventuretravel.co.nz. Hotels and car rental, plus walking and cycling tours in the Italian Lakes.
Alternative Travel Group UK 01865/315 678, www.atg-oxford.co.uk. Walking and cycling holidays.
Backroads US 1-800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555, www.backroads.com. Cooking, cycling and hiking holidays, including trips suitable for families.
Central Holidays US 1-800/539-7098, www.centralholidays.com. Wide range of independent and escorted tours plus city breaks.
CIT US & Canada 1-800/387-0711, www.cittours.ca. Well-organized coach and rail tours, plus advice for independent travellers on hotels and car rental.
Long Travel UK 01694/722193, www.long-travel.co.uk. Well-established family company specializing in southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia.
Martin Randall Travel UK 020/8742 3355, www.martinrandall.com. Cultural tours focusing on art, architecture, music, archeology, gastronomy and history.
Mountain Travel–Sobek US 1-888/831-7526, www.mtsobek.com. Hiking and special-interest tours around Italy.
Walkabout Gourmet Adventures Australia 02/9871 5526, www.walkaboutgourmet.com. Classy food, wine and walking tours throughout the country.
Artesia www.artesia.eu.
Eurail www.eurail.com.
European Rail UK 020/7619 1083, www.europeanrail.com.
Europrail International Canada 1-888/667-9734, www.europrail.net.
Eurostar UK 0843/218 6186, www.eurostar.com.
International Rail 0871/231 0790, www.international-rail.com.
InterRail www.interrailnet.com.
Rail Europe UK 0844/848 4070, www.raileurope.co.uk; US 1-800/622-8600, Canada 1-800/361-7245, www.raileurope.com.
Rail Plus Australia 1300/555 003, www.railplus.com.au.
The Man in Seat 61 www.seat61.com.
Busabout UK 0845/026 7514, www.busabout.com.
Eurolines UK 0871/781 8181, www.eurolines.com.