Italy has a well developedtransport infrastructure. TheItalian rail network is extensive (16,723 km (10,391 mi)), especially in the north, and it includes ahigh-speed rail network that joins the major cities of Italy fromNaples through northern cities such asMilan andTurin. TheFlorence–Rome high-speed railway was the first high-speed line opened in Europe when more than half of it opened in 1977. Italy has 2,507 people and 12.46 km2 per kilometer of rail track, giving Italy the world's 13th largest rail network.[5] The Italian rail network is operated by state-ownedFerrovie dello Stato, while therail tracks and infrastructure are managed byRete Ferroviaria Italiana.[6]
Italy's paved road network is also widespread, with a total length of about 487,700 km (303,000 mi).[7] It comprises both an extensivemotorwaynetwork (7,016 km (4,360 mi)), mostlytoll roads, and national and local roads. Italy was the first country in the world to buildmotorways, the so-calledautostrade, reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.[1][2] TheAutostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connectingMilan toLake Como andLake Maggiore, and now parts of theA8 andA9 motorways, was devised byPiero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924.[2] TheStrade Statali is the Italian national network ofstate highways. The total length for this network is about 25,000 km (16,000 mi).[8] The routes of some state highways derive from ancientRoman roads, such as theStrada statale 7 Via Appia, which broadly follows the route of theRoman road of the same name.
Italy is the fifth in Europe by number of passengers by air transport, with about 148 million passengers or about 10% of the European total in 2011.[9] In 2012 there were 130 airports in Italy, including the twohubs ofMalpensa International Airport in Milan andLeonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome. Since October 2021, Italy'sflag carrier airline isITA Airways, which took over the brand, the IATA ticketing code, and many assets belonging to the former flag carrierAlitalia, after its bankruptcy.[10] The country also hasregional airlines (such asAir Dolomiti), low-cost carriers, and Charter and leisure carriers (includingNeos,Blue Panorama Airlines andPoste Air Cargo). Major Italian cargo operators areITA Airways Cargo andCargolux Italia.
Because of its long seacoast, Italy also has many harbors for the transportation of both goods and passengers. In 2004 there were 43 major seaports including thePort of Genoa, the country's largest and thethird busiest by cargo tonnage in theMediterranean Sea. Due to the increasing importance of the maritimeSilk Road with its connections to Asia and East Africa, the Italian ports forCentral andEastern Europe have become important in recent years. In addition, the trade in goods is shifting from the European northern ports to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea due to the considerable time savings and environmental protection. In particular, the deep water port ofTrieste in the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea is the target of Italian, Asian and European investments.[11][12] Transport networks in Italy are integrated into theTrans-European Transport Networks.
TheItalian rail network is extensive, especially in the north, and it includes ahigh-speed rail network that joins the major cities of Italy fromNaples through northern cities such asMilan andTurin. Italy has 2,507 people and 12.46 km2 per kilometer of rail track, giving Italy the world's 13th largest rail network.[5] Italy has 11 rail border crossings over the Alpine mountains with its neighbouring countries.
Higher-speed trains are divided into three categories:Frecciarossa (English:red arrow) trains operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) on dedicated high-speed tracks;Frecciargento (English:silver arrow) trains operate at a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) on both high-speed and mainline tracks; andFrecciabianca (English:white arrow) trains operate on high-speed regional lines at a maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).
The Italian railway system has a length of 19,394 km (12,051 mi), of which 18,071 km (11,229 mi)standard gauge and 11,322 km (7,035 mi) electrified. The active lines are 16,723 km (10,391 mi).[16] The network is recently growing with the construction of the newhigh-speed rail network.The narrow gauge tracks are:
A major part of the Italian rail network is managed and operated byFerrovie dello Stato Italiane, a state owned company. Other regional agencies, mostly owned by public entities such asregional governments, operate on the Italian network. Therail tracks and infrastructure are managed byRete Ferroviaria Italiana. The Italian railways are subsidised by the government, receiving €8.1 billion in 2009.[17]
Travellers who often make use of the railway during their stay in Italy might use Rail Passes, such as the European Inter-Rail or Italy's national and regional passes. These rail passes allow travellers the freedom to use regional trains during the validity period, but all high-speed and intercity trains require a 10-euro reservation fee. Regional passes, such as "Io viaggio ovunque Lombardia", offer one-day, multiple-day and monthly period of validity. There are also saver passes for adults, who travel as a group, with savings up to 20%. Foreign travellers should purchase these passes in advance, so that the passes could be delivered by post prior to the trip. When using the rail passes, the date of travel needs to be filled in before boarding the trains.[18]
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The Italian high-speed service began in 1938 with an electric-multiple-unitETR 200, designed for 200 km/h (120 mph), between Bologna and Naples. It too reached 160 km/h (99 mph) in commercial service, and achieved a world mean speed record of 203 km/h (126 mph) between Florence and Milan in 1938.
Major works to increase the commercial speed of the trains already started in 1967: theRome-Florence "super-direct" line was built for trains up to 230 km/h (143 mph), and reduced the journey time to less than two hours. The Florence–Rome high-speed railway was the first high-speed line opened in Europe when more than half of it opened in 1977.
In 2009 a new high-speed line linking Milan and Turin, operating at 300 km/h (186 mph), opened to passenger traffic, reducing the journey time from two hours to one hour. In the same year, the Milan-Bologna line was open, reducing the journey time to 55 minutes. Also the Bologna-Florence high-speed line was upgraded to 300 km/h (186 mph) for a journey time of 35 minutes.
Since then, it is possible to travel from Turin to Salerno (ca. 950 km (590 mi)) in less than five hours. More than 100 trains per day are operated.[20]
The main public operator of high-speed trains (alta velocità AV, formerlyEurostar Italia) isTrenitalia, part ofFSI. Trains are divided into three categories (called "Le Frecce"):Frecciarossa ("Red arrow") trains operate at a maximum of 300 km/h (186 mph) on dedicated high-speed tracks;Frecciargento (Silver arrow) trains operate at a maximum of 250 km/h (155 mph) on both high-speed and mainline tracks;Frecciabianca (White arrow) trains operate at a maximum of 200 km/h (124 mph) on mainline tracks only.[21]
Since 2012, a new and Italy's first private train operator,NTV (branded as Italo), run high-speed services in competition withTrenitalia. Even nowadays, Italy is the only country in Europe with a private high-speed train operator.
Construction of the Milan-Venice high-speed line has begun in 2013 and in 2016 theMilan-Treviglio section has been opened to passenger traffic; the Milan-Genoa high-speed line (Terzo Valico dei Giovi) is also under construction.
Today it is possible to travel from Rome to Milan in less than three hours (2h 55') with theFrecciarossa 1000, the new high-speed train. To cover this route, there's a train every 30 minutes.
TheNightjet of theAustrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) serves different big cities in Italy like Rome, Venice, Florence and Milano. The trains can be used for rides inside Italy as well as for journeys abroad.
Nightjet trains offers beds insleeper carriages (Nightjet's most comfortable service category),couchette carriages, and seated carriages. On certain connections, cars can also be transported on the train. Bikes can be transported in a bike transport bag, or on some connections also in special bike racks.
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With the introduction of high-speed trains, intercity trains are limited to few services per day on mainline and regional tracks.
The daytime services (InterCity IC), while not frequent and limited to one or two trains per route, are essential in providing access to cities and towns off the railway's mainline network. The main routes areTrieste toRome (stopping atVenice,Bologna,Prato,Florence andArezzo),Milan to Rome (stopping atGenoa,La Spezia,Pisa andLivorno (stopping atParma,Modena, Bologna, Prato, Florence and Arezzo), Bologna toLecce (stopping atRimini,Ancona,Pescara,Bari andBrindisi) and Rome toReggio di Calabria (stopping atLatina andNaples). In addition, the Intercity trains provide a more economical means of long-distance rail travel within Italy.
The night trains (Intercity Notte ICN) have sleeper compartments and washrooms, but no showers on board. Main routes are Rome toBolzano/Bozen (calling at Florence, Bologna,Verona,Rovereto andTrento), Milan toLecce (calling at Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Faenza, Forlì, Cesena, Rimini, Ancona, Pescara, Bari and Brindisi),Turin to Lecce (calling atAlessandria,Voghera,Piacenza, Parma, Bologna, Rimini, Pescara, Termoli, San Severo,Foggia, Barletta, Bisceglie, Molfetta, Bari, Monopoli, Fasano, Ostuni and Brindisi) and Reggio di Calabria to Turin (calling at Naples, Rome,Livorno, La Spezia and Genova). Most portions of these ICN services run during the night; since most services take 10 to 15 hours to complete a one-way journey, their day-time portion provide extra train connections to complement with the Intercity services.
There are a total of 86 intercity trains running within Italy per day.
Trenitalia operates regional services (both fastveloce RGV and stoppingREG) throughout Italy.
Regional train agencies exist: their train schedules are largely connected to and shown on Trenitalia, and tickets for such train services can be purchased through Trenitalia's national network. Other regional agencies have separate ticket systems which are not mutually exchangeable with that of Trenitalia. These "regional" tickets could be purchased at local newsagents or tobacco stores instead.
In addition to these agencies, there's a great deal of other little operators, such asAMT Genova for the Genova-Casella railway.
Italy has 11 rail border crossings over theAlpine mountains with her neighbouring countries: six are designated as mainline tracks and two are metre-gauge tracks. The six mainline border crossings are: two withFrance (one for Nice and Marseille; the other for Lyon and Dijon), two withSwitzerland (one for Brig, Bern and Geneva; the other for Chiasso, Lugano, Lucerne and Zürich), and two with Austria (one for Innsbruck; the other for Villach, Graz and Vienna). The two-metre-gauge track crossings are located at the border town ofTirano (enters Switzerland's Canton Graubünden/Grisons) and Domodossola (enters Switzerland's Locarno).
There is a railway line connecting Italy's northeastern port ofTrieste toSlovenia, but no passenger or freight services operate on this track. Consequently, there is no direct connections between Trieste andLjubljana, the capital of Slovenia, despite the proximity of both cities.
TheVatican City is also linked to Italy with a railway line serving a single railway station, theVatican City railway station. This line is used only for special occasions.[22]San Marino used to have a narrow gauge rail connection with Italy; this was dismantled in 1944.[23]
Italy's top ten railway stations by annual passengers are:
| Rank | Railway Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) | Number of platforms | City | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roma Termini | 150[24] | 32 | Rome | Lazio |
| 2 | Milano Centrale | 145[25] | 24 | Milan | Lombardy |
| 3 | Torino Porta Nuova | 70[26] | 20 | Turin | Piedmont |
| 4 | Firenze Santa Maria Novella | 59[27] | 19 | Florence | Tuscany |
| 5 | Bologna Centrale | 58[28] | 28 | Bologna | Emilia-Romagna |
| 6 | Roma Tiburtina | 51[29] | 20 | Rome | Lazio |
| 7 | Napoli Centrale | 50[30] | 25 | Naples | Campania |
| 8 | Milano Cadorna | 33.1[31] | 10 | Milan | Lombardy |
| 9 | Venezia Mestre | 31[32] | 13 | Venice | Veneto |
| 10 | Venezia Santa Lucia | 30[32] | 16 | Venice | Veneto |
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TheRome Metro is arapid transit system that operates inRome,Italy. It started operation in 1955, making it the oldest in the country. The Metro comprises three lines –A (orange),B (blue) andC (green) – which operate on 60 km (37 mi) of route, serving 73 stations.[33][34] It has a daily ridership of approximately 820,000 passengers, and an annual traffic of approximately 320 million passengers.[35]
Milan Metro is the largest rapid transit system in Italy in terms of length, number of stations and ridership; and the fifth longest in theEuropean Union and the eighth in theEurope.[36] The network consists of five lines (two of which driverless) with a total network length of 111.8 kilometres (69.5 mi), and a total of125 stations, mostly underground. The first line,Line 1, opened in 1964;[37][38]Line 2 opened 5 years later in 1969,[38]Line 3 in 1990,[38]Line 5 (driverless) in 2013,[39] andLine 4 (driverless) in 2022.
TheNaples Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city ofNaples,Campania,Italy and some parts of the adjacentcomuni of itsmetropolitan area throughLine 11. The system comprises three underground rapid transit lines (Line 1,Line 6 andLine 11). It is the third largest underground network in Italy, behind Milan and Rome. TheArt Stations of the Naples Metro consist of 12 stations along Line 1 and Line 6 of the Naples Metro with art installations. In total, there are more than 250 works of art.[40] On 30 November 2012, theToledo station was elected byThe Daily Telegraph as the most beautiful subway station in Europe and the world,[41][42][43][44] a recognition echoed byCNN’s rankings;[45] while the Materdei station resulted at 13th place.[46]
Seven Italian cities havemetro systems:
| City | Name | Lines | Length | Stations | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brescia | Brescia Metro | 1 | 13.7 km (8.5 mi) | 17 | 2013 |
| Catania | Catania Metro | 1 | 8.8 km (5.5 mi) | 10 | 1999 |
| Genoa | Genoa Metro | 1 | 7.1 km (4.4 mi) | 8 | 1990 |
| Milan | Milan Metro | 5 | 112 km (70 mi) | 119 | 1964 |
| Naples | Naples Metro | 3 | 36.4 km (22.6 mi) | 31 | 1993 |
| Rome | Rome Metro | 3 | 60 km (37 mi) | 75 | 1955 |
| Turin | Turin Metro | 1 | 15.1 km (9.4 mi) | 23 | 2006 |
15 cities havecommuter rail systems; cities without wikilink are those listed just above for their metro rail system.
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Airport shuttle buses are highly developed and convenient for rail travellers. Most airports in Italy are not connected to the railway network, except forRome Fiumicino Airport,Milan Malpensa Airport andTurin Caselle Airport. InBologna, there is the monorailMarconi Express, connectingBologna Airport to the mainrailway station.Linate Airport in Milan has been connected toline 4 of theMilan Metro since 2022.
2 cities havetram-train system,Rome andSassari. TheRome–Giardinetti railway connectsLaziali (a regional train station some 800 metres (2,625 ft) fromTermini's main concourse) with Giardinetti to the east just past theGrande Raccordo Anulare, Rome's orbital motorway.[47] It is run byATAC, the company responsible for public transportation in the city, which also operates theRome Metro.[48] The present railway is the only part of the old and longerRome–Fiuggi–Alatri–Frosinone railway to be in service. The latest shortening of the line occurred in 2008 with the closing of the Giardinetti–Pantano section, which has now become part of theMetro Line C.[49] The line had been due to be dismantled in 2016 to be replaced with a bus lane along Via Casilina,[50] but in March 2015 it was announced that the line would instead be retained and modernised.[51]
Metrosassari,[52][53] also calledSassari tramway,Sassari tram-train orSassari metro-tramway (Italian:Metrotranvia di Sassari orMetropolitana leggera di Sassari) is the commercial name of atram-train[54][55][56] line inSassari,Sardinia, Italy, operated by the regional public transport companyARST (Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti). Despite having been built in the early 2000s, in the urban section the line was built with single track andnarrow gauge, to connect with the same950 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄8 in) gauge used in the secondary railway lines in Sardinia. The 2.45 km (1.52 mi) tramway part of the line (Stazione -Emiciclo Garibaldi) opened in October 2006, linking the railway station with the city centre via the hospital district.[57] On 27 September 2009 the line was extended into the peripheral district of Santa Maria di Pisa, running on the electrified portion[58] of theSassari–Sorso railway.[59] The main part of the network is in 2013 in advanced development phase. It is under construction is the extension of the line from Santa Maria di Pisa to Li Punti and Baldinca, and the electrification of the railway toSorso, 10 km from Sassari. It is also planned to convert and electrify the 28 km Sassari-Alghero railway to allow the trams to reach the village ofOlmedo,Fertilia Airport and the town ofAlghero.
Roads in Italy are an important mode of transport in Italy. The classification of the roads ofItaly is regulated by the Italiantraffic code, both from a technical and administrative point of view. The street nomenclature largely reflects the administrative classification. Italy's paved road network is well developed.
Italy is one of the countries with the most vehicles per capita, with 690 per 1000 people in 2010.[60][61] Italy has a total of 487,700 km (303,000 mi) of paved roads, of which 7,016 km (4,360 mi) aremotorways with a general speed limit of 130 km/h (81 mph), which since 2009 was provisioned for extension up to 150 km/h (93 mph).[62] The speed limit in towns is usually 50 km/h (31 mph) and less commonly 30 km/h (19 mph).
The plannedStrait of Messina Bridge was approved in August 2025 and will connectCalabria withSicily when it opens in 2032 and will become thelongest suspension bridge in the world.[63]
Italy was the first country in the world to buildmotorways, the so-calledautostrade, reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.[1][2] TheAutostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connectingMilan toLake Como andLake Maggiore, and now parts of theAutostrada A8 and theAutostrada A9, was devised byPiero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924.[2]
Other motorways (orautostrade) built beforeWorld War II inItaly wereNaples-Pompeii,Florence-Pisa,Padua-Venice,Milan-Turin, Milan-Bergamo-Brescia andRome-Ostia. The total length of theItalian motorway system is about 7,016 km (4,360 mi), as of 30 July 2022.[64] To these data are added 13 motorwayspur routes, which extend for 355 km (221 mi).[65] The density is 22.4 km (13.9 mi) of motorway for every 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) of Italian territory.[66]
Italy was the first country in the world to buildmotorways, the so-calledautostrade, reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.[1][2] TheAutostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connectingMilan toLake Como andLake Maggiore, and now parts of theAutostrada A8 and theAutostrada A9, was devised byPiero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924.[2]
Other motorways (orautostrade) built beforeWorld War II inItaly wereNaples-Pompeii,Florence-Pisa,Padua-Venice,Milan-Turin, Milan-Bergamo-Brescia andRome-Ostia. The total length of theItalian motorway system is about 7,016 km (4,360 mi), as of 30 July 2022.[67] To these data are added 13 motorwayspur routes, which extend for 355 km (221 mi).[65] The density is 22.4 km (13.9 mi) of motorway for every 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) of Italian territory.[66]
In particular, 1,870.2 km (1,162.1 mi) of the Italian motorway network have three lanes per carriageway, 129 km (80 mi) km have four lanes per carriageway, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) have five lanes per carriageway, while the remaining part is two lanes per carriageway.[68] The density is 22.4 km (13.9 mi) of motorway for every 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) of Italian territory.[69]
Italian motorways (orautostrade) are mostly managed by concessionaire companies. From 1 October 2012 the granting body is theMinistry of Infrastructure and Transport and no longerAnas[70] and the majority (5,773.4 km (3,587.4 mi) in 2009[71]) are subject totoll payments. On Italian motorways, thetoll applies to almost all motorways not managed byAnas. The collection of motorway tolls, from a tariff point of view, is managed mainly in two ways: either through the "closed motorway system" (km travelled) or through the "open motorway system" (flat-rate toll).[72]
Italy's motorways (orautostrade) have a standard speed limit of 130 km/h (80 mph) for cars. Limits for other vehicles (or when visibility is poor due to weather) are lower. Legal provisions allow operators to set the limit to 150 km/h (95 mph) on their concessions on a voluntary basis if there are three lanes in each direction and a workingSICVE, or Safety Tutor, which is a speed-camera system that measures the average speed over a given distance.
In Italy, adual carriageway is often calledsuperstrada (meaningexpressway), but this name is unofficial. Italiantraffic code (Codice della strada) divides extra-urban dual carriageways into two different classifications:[73]
These are the roads present within inhabited centers. Urban roads are of three types:[73]
TheStrade Statali (Italian:[ˈstraːdestaˈtaːli];sg.Strada Statale[ˈstraːdastaˈtaːle]), abbreviated "SS", is theItalian national network ofstate highways. The total length for this network is about 25,000 km (16,000 mi).[8] The Italian state highway network are maintained byANAS. From 1928 until 1946 state highways were maintained by Azienda Autonoma Statale della Strada (AASS). The routes of some state highways derive from ancientRoman roads, such as theStrada statale 7 Via Appia, which broadly follows the route of theRoman road of the same name.
State highways can be technically defined as main extra-urban roads (type B road) or as secondary extra-urban roads (type C road). State highways that cross towns with a population of at least 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the relevantcomuni. The state highway that cross towns or villages with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of thecomune, subject to authorization fromANAS.[74]
The Italian state highway network has approximately 25,000 km (16,000 mi) of roads identified with the acronym SS.[8] The body that manages these roads, with full state participation, isANAS (National Autonomous Roads Company), founded in 1946, on the ashes of the old AASS (Autonomous State Roads Company) which in turn was established in 1928. Due to urbanization processes, it has abandoned some sections of state highways, following their acquisition by the interestedcomuni, who now take care of their maintenance.
AStrada Regionale (Italian for "regional road";pl. "strade regionali"), abbreviated SR, is a type ofItalianroad maintained by theregions they traverse. A regional road is less important than astate highway, but more important than aprovincial road. The concept of regional road was introduced for the first time in Italy, limited to the autonomous region ofAosta Valley (where no provincial body exists), with regional law no. 1 of 10 October 1950.[75]
The first roads (excluding Aosta Valley) classified as SR (acronym forstrada regionale; "regional road") were created following legislative decree no. 112 of 1998, in 2001. In particular, articles 99 and 101 provided for the transfer of ownership and responsibilities relating tostate highways not included in the national road network from the State to the regions, which then regulated the matter autonomously. For organizational reasons, many regions have entrusted the former state highways to theprovinces, while maintaining the acronym SR.
In addition to these regional roads created following the downgrading of the state network, there are regional roads immediately classified as such (for example SR 6 inApulia although subsequently downgraded to provincial) or former provincial regional roads such as SR 89, ex SP 62, inVeneto.
The regional roads can be technically classified asstrade extraurbane principali (type B road; "main extra-urban roads") or asstrade extraurbane secondarie (type C road; "secondary extra-urban roads"). If they cross inhabited centers with a population greater than 9,999 inhabitants, they are roads under municipal jurisdiction and therefore urban (type D and E). If they pass through centers or inhabited areas with a population of less than 9,999 inhabitants, they are urban (type D and E), but the responsibility remains with the manager.
In addition to the roads identified by the acronym SR, there are roads managed by the region but identified by the acronym SP (for example, many SPs in theprovince of Belluno are managed by the Veneto Strade company with a 30% stake in the region of the same name).
AStrada Provinciale (Italian for "provincial road";pl. "strade provinciali"), abbreviated SP, is an Italian road that is maintained byprovinces ormetropolitan cities. InVeneto from 2002,state highways downgraded as provincial roads are maintained by the regional companyVeneto Strade. A provincial road is less important than aregional road, but more important thanmunicipal roads.
Before the entry into force of the new Italiantraffic code (legislative decree n° 285 of 30 April 1992) the provincial classification of a road had to take place by decree of theMinister of Public Works; over the years, this has made the same procedures too centralized and therefore slower and more difficult, until the new Italian traffic code assigned the competence on classification to theregions[76] (Veneto, however, has further devolved the competences of classification and declassification to the provinces themselves).[77]
AStrada Comunale (Italian for "municipal road";pl. "strade comunali"), abbreviated SC, is an Italian road that is maintained bycomune, hence the name. They can be roads owned bycomune (inside population centers) or roads managed by thecomune (outside population centers). The category of strade comunali includes extra-urban roads considered to be of municipal importance, all urban roads as well as the urban sections ofstate,regional orprovincial roads, which pass through centers with 10,000 or more inhabitants. The urban sections of state, regional or provincial roads that pass through towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants are not municipal.[78]
Strade comunali within inhabited centers can be classified from a construction-technical point of view either as urban roads (type D and E) or as local roads (type F). Extra-urban municipal roads (outside inhabited centers) can be technically classified asstrade extraurbane principali (type B; "main extra-urban roads"),strade extraurbane secondarie (type C; "secondary extra-urban roads"),strade urbane di scorrimento (type D; "urban traffic roads") orstrada locale (type F; local roads).[73]
These classifications are not provided for by the Italiantraffic code.
In Italy, some roads of national importance are calledstrada di grande comunicazione (abbreviated to SGC; "major communication roads"), an expression coined by theTouring Club Italiano and used in its maps and publications since the 1920s.[79]
Law no. 126 of 12 February 1958, as amended by law no. 167 of 9 April 1971, classified state roads either as major trunk roads or as ordinary state roads.[80]
For law n. 531 of 12 August 1982 (GU no. 223 of 14/08/1982), the main roads were classified as motorways, Alpine tunnels, motorway junctions, and roads that connect the main road network with the neighboring states, roads that constitute the major routes of national traffic (including Sicily and Sardinia), roads that constitute the main inter-regional connections and roads connecting to the first category ports and the most important airports.[81]
The acronym SGC is not used to identify other types of roads (as is the case with the acronyms A, SS, SR, SP) but is used in address documents.
Asuperstrada ("super road") is a fast road, often with separate carriageways in each direction, reserved for the circulation of motor vehicles and without at-grade intersections and urban crossings. The colloquial classification ofsuperstrada refers to all roads classifiedtechnically as main extra-urban roads and, in general, to secondary two-lane extra-urban roads.
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Some Italian roads, if they are part of theInternational E-road network, are also identified by another alphanumeric abbreviation. This acronym is made up of the letter "E" and one or two digits. The symbol used is a rectangle with a green background with the acronym in white. This classification, which evaluates the importance (being neither a technical nor an administrative classification) of the road in theEuropean Union, complements the usual Italian ones. European road acronyms are mostly absent or reported inorganically on signs in Italy. The European classification is foreseen by the Italian traffic code which defines it as additional.[82]
In Italy the onlytoll roads are theautostrade (Italian formotorways). Major exceptions are the beltways around some larger cities (tangenziali) which are not part of a thoroughfare motorway, and the section of the A3 motorway betweenSalerno andReggio di Calabria which is operated by the government-ownedANAS. Both aretoll free.
On Italian motorways, the toll applies to almost all motorways not managed byAnas. The collection of motorway tolls, from a tariff point of view, is managed mainly in two ways: either through the "closed motorway system" (km travelled) or through the "open motorway system" (flat-rate toll).[72]
Italy has 2,400 km (1,491 mi) of navigable waterways for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value.[83]
In the northern regions ofLombardy andVeneto, commuter ferry boats operate onLake Garda andLake Como to connect towns and villages at both sides of the lakes. The waterways in Venice, including the Grand Canal, serve as the vital transportation network for local residents and tourists.
Frequent shuttle ferries (vaporetta) connect different points on the main island of Venice and other outlying islands of the lagoon. In addition, there are direct shuttle boats between Venice and theVenice Marco Polo Airport.
Italy has been the final destination of theSilk Road for many centuries. In particular, the construction of theSuez Canal intensified sea trade withEast Africa andAsia from the 19th century. Since the end of the Cold War and increasing European integration, the trade relations, which were often interrupted in the 20th century, have intensified again. Because of its long seacoast, Italy also has many harbors for the transportation of both goods and passengers. In 2004 there were 43 major seaports including thePort of Genoa, the country's largest and thethird busiest by cargo tonnage in theMediterranean Sea.
Due to the increasing importance of the maritime Silk Road with its connections to Asia and East Africa, the Italian ports forCentral andEastern Europe have become important in recent years. In addition, the trade in goods is shifting from the European northern ports to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea due to the considerable time savings and environmental protection. In particular, the deep water port ofTrieste in the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea is the target of Italian, Asian and European investments.[11][12]
| List of ports in Italy |
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Since October 2021, Italy'sflag carrier airline isITA Airways, which took over the brand, the IATA ticketing code, and many assets belonging to the former flag carrierAlitalia, after its bankruptcy.[10] ITA Airways serves 44 destinations (as of October 2021[update]) and also operates the former Alitalia regional subsidiary,Alitalia CityLiner.[85]
The country also hasregional airlines (such asAir Dolomiti), low-cost carriers, and Charter and leisure carriers (includingNeos,Blue Panorama Airlines andPoste Air Cargo). Major Italian cargo operators areITA Airways Cargo andCargolux Italia. In 2012 there were 130 airports in Italy, including the twohubs ofMalpensa International Airport in Milan andLeonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome.
Italy is the fifth in Europe by number of passengers by air transport, with about 148 million passengers or about 10% of the European total in 2011.[86] Most of passengers in Italy are on international flights (57%). A big share of domestic flights connect the major islands (Sardinia andSicily) to the mainland.[86] Domestic flights between major Italian cities asRome andMilan still play a relevant role but are declining since the opening of theItalian high-speed rail network in recent years.
Italy has a total as of 130 airports in 2012, of which 99 have paved runways:[83]
Airports - with unpaved runways in 2012:[83]
This is a list of the top ten busiest airports in Italy in 2017.[87]
| Airport | Movements | Passengers | Freight (tons) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| domestics | internationals | total | |||
| Rome Fiumicino | 297,491 | 11,462,218 | 29,378,923 | 40,971,881 | 185,898.6 |
| Milan Malpensa | 178,953 | 3,164,224 | 18,873,017 | 22,169,167 | 589,719 |
| Bergamo Orio al Serio | 86,113 | 3,270,761 | 9,060,022 | 12,336,137 | 125,948 |
| Venice Marco Polo | 92,263 | 1,358,618 | 8,988,759 | 10,371,380 | 60,852.8 |
| Milan Linate | 117,730 | 4,927,688 | 4,575,377 | 9,548,363 | 13,815 |
| Catania Fontanarossa | 68,170 | 6,184,360 | 2,925,385 | 9,120,913 | 6,691.3 |
| Naples Capodichino | 75,013 | 2,976,752 | 5,575,471 | 8,577,507 | 11,068.5 |
| Bologna Guglielmo Marconi | 71,878 | 1,935,193 | 6,246,461 | 8,198,156 | 56,132.1 |
| Rome Ciampino | 54,236 | 218,880 | 5,636,570 | 5,885,812 | 17,042.4 |
| Palermo Punta Raisi | 46,627 | 4,399,601 | 1,353,444 | 5,775,274 | 324 |
| Other | 463,843 | 22,018,266 | 20,254,008 | 42,430,814 | 77,727.3 |
| Total | 1,552,317 | 61,916,561 | 112,867,437 | 175,415,404 | 1,145,219 |
Local buses are usually divided into urban (urbano) and suburban (interurbano orextraurbano) lines.
Many Italian cities havetrolleybus networks, which were particularly promulgated by the government ofFascist Italy.[88][89] Though many trolleybus networks were decommissioned in the late 20th century, major Italian cities that continue to operate trolleybus networks, or have built new ones, includeAncona,Avellino,Bologna,Cagliari,Chieti,Genoa,La Spezia,Lecce,Milan,Modena,Naples,Parma,Rimini,Rome, andSanremo.
Italy does not have a nationwide coach operator.[90] Many coach companies operate regionally, and particularly offer intercity connections and airport shuttle services.[91] The largest nationwide coach operators include Baltour, Marinobus, Buscenter.it,.italo, andFlixBus.[92]
13 cities havetram system:
Il sito del Daily Telegraph di Londra dedica un reportage fotografico alle stazioni della metro più affascinanti d'Europa. Tra le ventidue segnalate, la palma della più bella è assegnata alla fermata Toledo di Napoli, inaugurata lo scorso 12 aprile.[The website ofThe Daily Telegraph in London features a photographic report on the most captivating metro stations in Europe. Among the twenty-two highlighted, the title of the most beautiful is awarded to the Toledo station in Naples, inaugurated on April 12.]
Media related toTransport in Italy at Wikimedia Commons
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