Public Transport In Italy

Angeline

Angeline

Community Member
Jul 11, 2013
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It seems that the public transport system is Italy is widely spread and easy to use. There are the long distance trains; metros in larger cities; and buses in all cities and towns. I have however experienced some fun on the trains during the summer holidays a few years ago. Trains were overbooked, and some were so behind schedule that I missed important connections. :D
 
Overall, the public transportation system is OK but, yeah, nothing is perfect so sometimes it can get pretty crowded and you can be late and miss.. oh, I don't know... an important exam at the university! It's happened to me last year, train didn't show up in time.

There are trams too, in Milan and I think other cities as well.

I like it that, most of the time, the public transportation is clean, it comes on time and the connections between various points of the city are well planned.
 
Local train services do not require you to reserve a seat as the distance travelled is usually small so they can become crowded during peak times.

On Intercity trains you have the option to reserve a seat but is not obligatory. Unfortunately intercity trains usually end up being behind schedule on long distance services as the high speed trains have priority.

On high speed trains it is obligatory to reserve a seat and they are never usually overbooked and are almost always on time.
 
Generally, I've found the public transport system to be OK, if a little crowded in tourist hotspots. In Sorrento and the amalfi coast for instance, there is a train system along with a coastal bus but they do get full. If the boat taxis don't run then expect to wait in vain for a bus as they fill up at either end and drive past all stops in between.
 
Interesting. I've never heard of boat taxis before, I'm guessing they cost a lot since it's so important to get from point A to point B over there :D Good business!

In Milan you can get from one part of the city to another by bus, tram but also by train. They have more than 2 train stations.

Oh, and if you're taking the train, there are more trains to choose from. There are the regional trains, which are the cheapest but they travel slower as they stop in more train stations on their way. There are the "freccias", which are faster, a bit more expensive but more comfortable, there are the intercity trains that Chillout mentioned.

There's an alternative to trains too, taking buses that travel between cities. The ticket price is about the same and you might even get to your destination faster, depends on where you want to go.
 
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