Once in Italy, trains, automobiles, and to some extent coaches and buses, can be used to get around.The railway system is good and inexpensive. Owned by the state, it’s called Ferrovie dello Stato (abbreviated FS), but trains are operated under the brand name "Trenitalia". Most trains carry first and second class. First class seats often recline, there are fewer seats per car, and there is more space for luggage. On some Premier Trains, the price of a first class ticket includes a meal. Second class accommodations are less expensive, but not as spacious, as there are more seats per car. Seat reservation is now compulsory on faster trains (i.e. Eurostar, InterCity Plus, and InterCity). On other, slower categories of trains (Regionale, Suburbano) it is not possible to reserve seats. Purchase your train ticket before getting on the train, and stamp it before boarding at one of those small yellow machines on platforms. Traveling without a ticket (or failure to stamp it) can result in a €50 fine (payable on the spot to the conductor by non-residents). There are often long queues at the ticket office of the railway stations. To beat the crowds, you can buy your ticket at one of the ticket dispensing machines that can often be found in station halls or on platforms, or visit a travel agency -- most travel agencies in Italy sell train tickets, at no commission. It is also possible to buy your tickets upto 2 months in advance of yout trip, and if you travel on an Eurostar, InterCity Plus, and InterCity you can buy your e-ticket.
To find information and the facility to buy online rail tickets in Italy, many visitors choose Rail Europe . Rail Europe are long-established specialists on rail travel in Europe, and on their website you can find point-to-point rail tickets for single journeys from one destination to another in Italy, as well as tickets for Premier Trains and Passes. Their website address is: www.raileurope.com. Rail Europe site serves North American residents only. Note, however, that you will pay your ticket at a heavily marked-up price (because you are not buying from the rail company directly) and that their website does NOT list all trains on a given line.
Buses are valuable for reaching destinations not serviced by trains, but a nationwide coach operator, like Britain's National Express, or America's Greyhound, simply does not exist in Italy.
Driving in Italy should best be done if you are willing to see it as an adventure, spend some time looking at maps, tolerate getting lost, and develop a different way of managing traffic. In Italy roads are good. Motorways or freeways are excellent (sometimes built on incredible systems of mountain tunnels and viaducts), but they are not always free.
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vijendra jain
New Cars - New Cars
