Traveling to and in…✈️🚅🚘
Italy is a beautiful country with a wonderful transportation system. Below you will find basic tips of ways you can enjoy Italy .
There is a good chance of flight prices increasing closer to the date, it is strongly recommend that you book your flight as sooner than later. Additionally, reasonably priced accommodations will go fast, the sooner you secure your accommodation the better.
I would suggest booking directly from the company and not from a third party site ( ie. Expedia, Booking, Dreams..). If there are any changes that need to be made, if your flight is delayed or if you arrive a day late or early, you will have to go through the 3rd party to make changes. Not all the time, but often they will decline you from making changes and tell you that you will have to have to make a whole new reservation.
Prices will increase the closer to the summer you book.
Be smart. Save money. Book early!
Italy is 6+ hours ahead of US EST. Taking the time difference into account will go a long way and help make your overall experience more enjoyable. There is a good chance you will experience jet lag, it is recommended that you arrive to Europe a few days in advance of any events planned. This will give your body more time to adjust.
I would also recommended you sleeping as much as you can on your flight to Europe. Watch movies on your return flight. On your flight going you should rest. Think of the local time of where you are going and reflect your activities to what the locals would be doing. While inflight, have your dinner and then sleep. You will arrive to Europe rested.
Jetlag symptoms
Daytime fatigue.
Not being able to focus or function at your usual level.
Sleep problems.
Stomach problems such as constipation or diarrhea.
A general feeling of not being well.
Mood changes…
There’s a good chance you will have a tough time sleeping, please invest in a sleep aid. Melatonin, Benadryl and Ashwaganda are popular and are sold in most US pharmacies. If you are not familiar with or never have used a sleeping aid, please contact a healthcare professional to find out what is best for you.
Contact your doctor or try over the counter sleeping pills.
You don’t want to wake up groggy, so I would suggest just taking half of what’s suggested.
The most popular way to get around Italy is by train. Trenitalia and Italo are the national carriers and they are both comfortable and convenient. Booking directly from them allows you to easily change your tickets if need be and also allows you to pick your seats!
Regional train tickets have to be validated. Regional train tickets must be validated before departure. You can validate your regional train tickets from midnight on the day of your trip, up until your departure time.
Something to keep in mind is that although traveling via train is convenient, the process can be exhausting:
Going to and from the train station ( with all of your bags).
Checking in and out of hotels.
Navigating through crowds on hot days.
The mental exhaustion that comes with.
In the warmer months, temperature and crowds can be overwhelming.
In the cooler months, temperature and crowds can be overwhelming.
I usually book my train no more than a day in advance. Tickets can be purchased in person, via a computer kiosk or ticket agent. They can also be purchased online.
Train tickets will include:
DEPARTURE (PARTENZA), ARRIVAL ( ARRIVO) TRAIN NUMBER (TRENO ____). DATE ( Data), TIME (Ora) , TRAIN CAR (CARROZZA), SEAT NUMBER and letter (POSTI)
*Regional trains do not have assigned seats but must be validated!
*Trains have ticket validators on board that will check your ticket, so have it ready! City buses/trams will have random checkers, many public transportation companies have apps that will allow you to purchase your tickets online.
Basic train ticket to Rome from Florence. This ticket does not have to be validated because it has an exact time and date for when this is valid, but it shows where you would validate it.
Main Train stations in Italy:
Rome: Roma Termini
Florence: Firenze S.M. Novella
Pisa: Pisa Centrale
Milan: Milano Centrale
Naples: Napoli Centrale
Venice: Venezia S. Lucia
Driving in Italy is a fun way to see the country. If you plan to rent a car, manual transmission( stick shift) is the default setting for car rentals. If you do not know how to or do not want to drive a manual transmission car, please make sure you select a car that has an automatic transmission.
Automatic transmission cars are more expensive and are limited.
Do you know how to call the police in Italy? Do you know how to spot a pharmacy? If not, read my blog post on Italy Essentials.*All the locations listed are a personal selection of Sam Rich, of Aperilife.
After seven years of living in Florence, these are the places and advice that she would give to her friends and family visit.