Italian public transport

From Students@SISSA wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

Buses

You can find all relevant information about local bus lines and schedules here: Local transport

Intercity buses are not a very common way to travel in Italy. People mostly use trains. On the other hand, buses are commonly used to travel to nearby countries (like Slovenia, Croatia or Serbia) from Trieste. There are also regular buses from Trieste to other countries. Visit the website Autostazione Trieste to see schedules of all buses departing from Trieste.

Trains

This is the most common form of intercity transport in Italy. You should visit the website of Trenitalia to see schedules and ticket availability. Note that you will be charged a high fine if you don't have a ticket and a controller will check your ticket on the train. You must stamp the ticket by inserting it into one of the yellow machines on the platforms just before the trip. This is compulsory.

There are two ways to buy a ticket: one is to consult the ticket office (Biglietteria) and another is to use automatic vending machines in the train stations. You are charged a little more (like 50 cents) at the ticket offices but purchase is free of charge from the machines. The vending machines can be a better choice for newcomers as instructions are given also in English and an English speaking ticket vendor is not always guaranteed in Italy. You can also try to buy your tickets online (note that the Trenitalia website is in Italian only). If you buy your train tickets with advance (a few weeks) you might find some reduced prices. Sometimes there are also quick purchase vending machines which offer the closest departure train tickets.

Airports around Trieste

There are four convenient airports for national and international flights.

From closest to farthest:

  • Fruili Venezia Giulia Airport : This airport is less than an hour from Trieste. In order to get there you should take the APT no. 51 bus , it costs 3.25 euro one way and it leaves from Trieste central station. Check the schedules here: Bus no. 51 Schedule .
  • Ljubljana Airport (Slovenia): It takes less than 2 hours to reach but it is tricky to get there. (There is a bus service which is meant to be for drivers working at the Port of Trieste and in this way one can reach Ljubljana airport. Otherwise, there is no direct way to go there except by private car.)
  • Venice-Marco Polo Airport: To get to this airport you should take the train to Venezia Mestre station and then take the ATVO bus to Marco Polo Airport. In total it takes around two and a half hours.
  • Venice-Treviso Airport: To reach this this airport you have to take a train to Treviso. The train journey lasts more or less 2 hours. When you reach Treviso, you should get a bus from the main bus terminal which is just near the Central Train Station of Treviso. In total it takes around two and half hours to get to the airport. There is another way: one can take a bus from Venice Mestre station. Check ATVO for more information. This takes more or less the same amount of time.

IMPORTANT: Another option (but more expensive) to reach one of these airports is by using the Science Bus service that links Trieste and all the nearby airports. Members of the scientific institutions in Trieste have a discount on the price of the tickets. If you are travelling for private reasons you pay for the ticket when getting on the bus. When booking online you should give a voucher number (which you can get from your Area Secretary) and this will entitle you to the discount. If you're on a mission the journey may be paid directly by SISSA. Once again you should contact your Area Secretary to get a voucher number before booking.