Transport - Italy - page 1885

Bus
Buses are the cheapest overland option to Italy, but services are less frequent, less comfortable and signific-
antly slower than the train.
Eurolines ( www.eurolines.com ) is a consortium of coach companies with offices throughout Europe.
Italy-bound buses head to Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice and other Italian cities. It offers a low-season bus
pass valid for 15/30 days that costs €215/320 (reduced €185/250). This pass allows unlimited travel between
51 European cities, including Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. Fares increase to €355/465 (reduced €300/
385) in midsummer.
Car & Motorcycle
FROM CONTINENTAL EUROPE
» Every vehicle travelling across an international border should display a nationality plate of its country of
registration.
» Always carry proof of vehicle ownership and evidence of third-party insurance. If driving an EU-re-
gistered vehicle, your home country insurance is sufficient. Ask your insurer for a European Accident State-
ment (EAS) form, which can simplify matters in the event of an accident.
» A European breakdown assistance policy is a good investment and can ibe obtained through the Automo-
bile Club d'Italia.
» Italy's scenic roads are tailor-made for motorcycle touring, and motorcyclists swarm into the country
every summer. With a motorcycle you rarely have to book ahead for ferries and can enter restricted-traffic
areas in cities. Crash helmets and a motorcycle licence are compulsory.
» The US-based Beach's Motorcycle Adventures ( www.bmca.com ) offers a number of two-week tours
from April to October, with destinations including the Alps, Tuscany and Umbria, Sicily and Sardinia. For
longer-term auto leasing (14 days or more) or campervan and motorhome hire, check IdeaMerge
( www.ideamerge.com ) .
FROM THE UK
You can take your car to Italy via France by ferry or via the Channel Tunnel ( www.eurotunnel.com ) . The
latter runs four crossings (35 minutes) an hour between Folkestone and Calais in the high season.
For breakdown assistance, both the AA ( www.theaa.com ) and the RAC ( www.rac.co.uk ) offer compre-
hensive cover in Europe.
Train
Regular trains on two western lines connect Italy with France (one along the coast and the other from Turin
into the French Alps). Trains from Milan head north into Switzerland and on towards the Benelux countries.
Further east, two main lines head for the main cities in Central and Eastern Europe. Those crossing the