Italy – a few words about communication

To sum up our recent trip to Italy, it is safe to say: as soon as you step out of the station, the tourist gets a little shock, because it turns out that as a pedestrian you are not privileged at all! :-)

By car in Italy

That’s just the way to move around Italy anymore! As Paweł stated while driving around downtown Naples: “everyone takes care of their front end and drives on”. And there’s a lot of truth in that – as a pedestrian, don’t make the assumption that in the lanes it’s everyone who will let you pass, because you’ll quickly find out that not necessarily. Horizontal signs on the streets are there to be, not to show how to drive. Everyone drives as they please, shoves in (although traffic lights are generally obeyed), and you can hardly find a car that doesn’t have a scratched bumper from parking.

Since we were planning a trip to Pompeii, we booked a car while still in Poland. (It turns out that it works out cheaper to drive to the airport and pick up the car from there than from the city center.) We received a lovely Italian 500! Remember, however, that driving a car is quite a challenge, mainly because of the driving style…. and this one the further south, the more “wild” ;) The road markings themselves (especially in cities) are also poor, so it’s worth having a GPS.

Having already enjoyed the benefits of GPS, it is worth choosing free roads. Highways are generally expensive. For what it’s worth, the alternative roads are usually not in poor condition, and they certainly offer beautiful views. An example of this is our route from Rome to Pompeii via Naples. In one section you drive along a beautiful road over the sea itself cutting through the rocks.

However, it’s worth using the highway itself to get around Naples here, well, unless you want an extra 60 minutes of fun in downtown Naples ;) That’s also how we packed in the first time. Paweł had fun, however, the whole team hardly went down with a heart attack, how they ride! Just to go around Naples (from/to Pompeii) you will pay about 2 Euros (one-two gates), and you will gain up to an hour of travel time!

Communication in Rome

As we have already written, we prefer to get around Rome on foot. Cheaper, healthier and more to see. However, if you no longer have the strength, you can always buy a single ticket and drive those few stops.

Everything generally depends on where your accommodation is located. Ours was not in the very center, but we hardly used the benefit of public transportation and even walked to the Colosseum or the Vatican, which is about an hour’s walk away.

Remember that some entrance fees to the monuments also offer free public transportation. Or if you prefer to use the subway or other means of transportation (streetcar, buses), you should also consider buying a multi-day ticket, it will come out much cheaper.

We also recommend:

• Mamma Mia! – italian cuisine.
• Some practical advice from our stay in Rome.