Car Hire in Italy - Getting to Italy

Rome and Milan handle most the international air traffic, though it’s possible to fly to Naples too and Venice, Florence, Genoa, Bologna, Palermo and Cagliari can all been flown to from European cities. Local connections are numerous. Leonardo da Vinci, also known as Fiumicino is west of Rome, handling international traffic. Ciampino (Southeast) is smaller, servicing domestic flights and Europe.

Capodichino is 8km north-east of Naples and serves the whole of southern Italy. Florence has two airports - Galileo Galilei is nearer Pisa, and services international flights from London, Paris, Munich and major Italian cities. Amerigo Vespucci is closer and for domestic flights. Milan’s Malpensa airport handles almost all international flights, but is about 50km northwest of the city, most domestic and some European flights use the much closer Linate airport.

From Rome, Florence, Venice, Trieste, Genoa, Bologna, Turin, Brescia, Milan and most northern towns it’s possible to catch non-stop buses to many European cities.

Rail is a very popular way of reaching Italy, the network is extensive, fast, reliable and relatively cheap. Coming from Europe you invariable enjoy spectacular scenery through the Alps from Austria, along Lake Maggiore from Switzerland, via Monaco from France and skirting the Julian Alps when arriving in Trieste from Slovenia. There is also a service from Istria (Croatia), along the Dalmatian coast.

The roads follow similar routes and are equally beautiful. Border crossings to Austria, Switzerland and France are a formality, Slovenia and Croatia are a little less friendly. The roads are excellent, border crossings are numerous, manned 24/7, but alpine routes are tricky.

Car ferries connect the country with Greece (Brindisi/Venice), Turkey(Venice), Tunisia and Malta (Naples), Albania and Croatia (Venice) and Spain (Genoa).