Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING THERE & AWAY
A plethora of airlines link Italy with the rest of the world, and cut-rate carriers have significantly driven down
the cost of flights from other European countries. Excellent rail and bus connections, especially with northern
Italy, offer efficient overland transport, while car and passenger ferries operate to ports throughout the Medi-
terranean.
Flights, tours and rail tickets can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Entering the Country
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European Union and Swiss citizens can travel to Italy with their national identity card alone. All other na-
tionalities must have a valid passport and may be required to fill out a landing card (at airports).
»
By law you are supposed to have your passport or ID card with you at all times. You'll need one of these
documents for police registration every time you check into a hotel.
»
In theory there are no passport checks at land crossings from neighbouring countries, but random customs
controls do occasionally still take place between Italy and Switzerland.
CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of human-in-
duced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less fuel per kilo-
metre per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit
gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites of-
fer 'carbon calculators' that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey
and, for those who wish to do so, to off set the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contribu-
tions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet off sets the carbon
footprint of all staff and author travel.
Air
Airports & Airlines
Italy's main intercontinental gateways are Rome's
Leonardo da Vinci airport
( 06 65 9 51;
www.adr.it/
fiumicino
)
and Milan's
Malpensa airport
( 02 23 23 23;
www.milanomalpensa1.eu/en
) . Both are served
by non-stop flights from around the world. Venice's
Marco Polo airport
( 041 260 92 60;
www.veniceairport.it
; Viale Galileo Galilei 30/1, Tessera) is also served by a handful of intercontinental
flights.
