Frequently Asked Question #20:
Q: What public transport is available in Italy?
A: The national train operator is Trenitalia. Trenitalia operates long distance, medium distance and regional passenger trains: a full timetable in English is available on their website at http://www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html. Their various services are as follows:
- Eurostar Italia (ES), which provides the fastest connection between the main Italian cities
- Intercity (IC) and Eurocity (EC), which together cover the entire railway network in Italy
- Regional trains, which are local and stop at nearly every station
The Eurostar and Intercity trains are particularly good. For example, Asti to Florence by car takes 3 hours - but by train the journey takes only 2 hours.
Many smaller towns and villages aren't reachable by rail: to get to these you may need to take a bus (in Italian an autobus). Some bus services only operate at the beginning and end of the work/school day - so weekends and school holidays can be a problem.
Comprehensive bus services in South Piedmont are run by GELOSOBUS and ARFEA - see their timetables at http://www.gelosobus.it/orario.html and http://www.arfea.com. A large number of towns and villages are covered.
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