This list was created by the team at Italian Fix.
We’re professional travelers and we organize Italian travel for thousands of guests on our tours or consults. There are a ton of apps out there, but these are the tools that are standard workhorses when planning an upcoming trip to Europe and Italy.
1. Flight & Travel Planning
- Skyscanner: We use Skyscanner as a search engine to find the “hopper flights” within Italy and Europe, as they list the smaller airlines that Google flights can miss. Pro tip: Use it to search for flights, but book flights directly with the airlines.
- Google Flights: Search in your browser for “Google Flights” so it lists flights in your currency. How do we quickly look up all the routes that fly into Italy? Pro tip: Use it to search for flights, but book flights directly with the airlines.
- Rome2Rio: Plan travel routes via flights, trains, buses, and ferries. Pro tip: Use it to search, but book directly with the vendor.
- Omio: Similar to the site above, compare trains, buses, and flights within Italy. Pro tip: Use it to search, but book directly with the vendor.
- Google Search: “Map of Airports in Italy” to quickly locate airports throughout Italy. Flying is often better than taking trains for long distances.
2. Train & Transit
- Trenitalia: Italy’s national rail service for booking and checking train schedules. This is the only official state railway that travels throughout Italy.
- Italo: This is a private company using Trenitalia’s train stations. If Italo runs the route you’re traveling, use them. They do not offer trains on all routes, just the major hubs like Turin, Milan, Padua, Rome, Naples, etc.
- Trainline: Compare tickets for Trenitalia, Italo, and other European rail lines. Great for searching routes that come in or out of Italy, for example, traveling on routes that cross boundaries into France or Switzerland. Pro tip: Use it to search, but book directly with the vendor. Trainline will list the vendors they show routes to.
- Moovit: Navigate public transportation in cities like Rome, Milan, and Florence.
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport: Check for train strike updates and service notices that are normal. Pro tip: If you hear of a train strike, amend your travel plans (for example, travel the day earlier) as strikes do halt the trains, and you won’t be able to use them.
3. Accommodation & Reviews
- Booking.com: This is the site where Italian hoteliers list their accommodation. Great for last-minute accommodation with filters, interactive maps, and pricing tools. We typically use Booking.com to search for rooms but book directly through the hotel, as we’re aware that avoiding fees is great for small businesses.
- TripAdvisor: Everyone knows TripAdvisor — but do you know how to use it? Be aware that smaller restaurants, newer restaurants, and more expensive restaurants will be off the first pages of this site. Want more variety of listings? Go deeper into the pages. Also, filter reviews in the language of the country. For example, if you’re reading about a restaurant in Riomaggiore, read the reviews from the Italians. They will give a more balanced view of the actual quality of the meal, whereas a tourist who has been there for one day has no other comparisons. You can turn on translations to read Italian reviews in English.
4. Car Parking
- EasyPark: Pay for street parking across Italy from your phone.
5. Language
- Google Translate: Instantly translate signs, menus, and conversations.
- Duolingo: Learn basic Italian in a fun, gamified format.
- Babbel: Structured lessons for learning useful Italian phrases.
6. Tours, Tickets & Inspiration
- Viator: An overview of day tours. You can book directly with the operator in many cases.
- Tiqets: Book skip-the-line tickets to top attractions and museums. Also, day tours. You can book directly with the operator in many cases.
- Italia.it: Italy’s official tourism website, full of destination guides and event info.
© Italian Fix / Travel Beautifully Media Inc. For Personal Use Only. No Reproductions.
