Road Travel
There is an extensive and well maintained
road network. Tolls are charged on the autostradas (motorways).
As in the rest of continental Europe,
vehicles travel on the right and overtake on the left. The wearing of seatbelts
is compulsory for front- and back-seat passengers as well as for the driver.
The use of portable telephones is prohibited if they require intervention
by hand to function.
Speed limits are fixed at 50km (31miles)
per hour in urban areas, 90km (56miles) per hour on secondary and local
roads, 110km (68miles) per hour on main roads outside urban areas and 130km
(80miles) per hour on motorways.
Air Travel
ATI (the domestic service offered
by Alitalia) and other domestic airlines provide daily links between the
Italian airports. The main airports are in Rome (FCO), two in Milan: Linate
(LIN) and Malpensa (MXP), and Naples (NAP) but there are also smaller airports
in Torino (TRN), Venezia (VCE), Genova (GOA), Bologna (BLG), Pisa (PSA),
Palermo (PMO), Catania (CTA), Cagliari (CAG).
Bus Travel
Good coach services run between
cities and towns and there are also good local bus services. The main operators
are SITA, Autostradale and Lazzi.
Train Travel
The Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) is
the state railway and there are also a few private railway companies. The
rail network is adequately developed and widespread, especially between
major urban centers and tourist areas. The fastest trains operate on the
networks between the major cities while the regional trains are fairly
slow. It is also fairly cheap and efficient.
Petrol
Petrol is called benzina, unleaded
petrol is benzina senza piombo and diesel is gasolio. Almost all the service
stations in the country are equipped with pumps for lead-free petrol (95
octane) and diesel fuel.
Driving Licenses
Italy recognizes driving licenses
and other traffic documents that are valid in other countries. Citizens
from none countries require a green card or equivalent international insurance
certificate.
Ferries
Regular boat services run to the
islands of Capri, Elba, Sardegna, Sicilia and the Aeolian Islands.
Bicycles
Many towns have bicycle-hire shops
and although it is a popular mode of transport within certain regions,
long-distance cycling around Italy is only for the very fit as seventy-five
percent of the country is hilly |
