Getting
around in Italy by plane is an expensive
but viable option, and it is the fastest
means of travelling long distances, such
as to Sicily and Sardinia. Look for special
bargain rates that can defray costs. Train
and bus connections between airports and
city centers are usually smooth.
BUYING A TICKET
Return tickets to Italy are usually cheaper
and are a good defence against immigration
officials who want to be assured that you
are going to leave the country. Get a ticket
with an airline that allows you to make
changes to the ticket without any problems.
If you are working or studying in Italy
for more than one year you may wish to get
a one-way ticket and utilise the cheap tickets
out of London to come home.
Students or travellers under 26 years should
always ask for youth/student fares. If you
are flying from Australia or New Zealand,
ask about stopovers to break the journey.
Buying tickets with a credit card can double
your frequent flyer points and is an insurance
against dodgy travel agents. This way you
have time to check you have a ticket and
can cancel the charge if there is a problem.
If you are arriving late or departing early
check to see if the airport is open all-night
so you can catch some sleep on comfy sofas
before heading off again. Some places can
close down and public transport services
stop for the night.
AIRPORTS
ATI (the domestic service offered by Alitalia)
and other domestic airlines provide daily
links between the Italian airports. The
main airports are in Rome, two in Milan:
Linate and Malpensa , and Naples but there
are also smaller airports in Torino , Venezia,
, Genova, Bologna , Pisa , Palermo, Catania and Cagliari.
TRANSPORT TO/FROM THE AIRPORTS
There are shuttle buses or even trains running
to Italian airports from all main train
or bus terminals. In Genova buses run from
Stazione Principe, in Pisa buses run to
and from Pisa Centrale. If you are travelling
to Florence and landing in Rome, you can
make connections at the airport for a flight
to Florence; you can also take the FS airport
train to Rome's Termini Station, where fast
trains for Florence are frequent during
the day. Smaller, minor gateways are served
by domestic and some international flights.
ROME
Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci Airport Domestic
and international flights: tel 0665953640.The
website:
www.adr.com.
Flights:tel 0665643.Lost Luggage: tel 0665634956.
City: 36 Km Shuttle bus: connects domestic
and international terminals every 10 mins.Train:
to Rome Central Station (Roma Termini) departs
regularly until about 11pm. Journey time:
30-35 mins. Fare: (?8.30). For a cheaper
option take the metro to Ostiense or Tiburtina
and get the airport train from there. Taxi
fare: to city about ?34.
MILAN
Linate Airport Domestic Arrivals: tel 0228106282
.International Arrivals: tel 0228106310.
Domestic Departures:tel 0228106300 . International
Departures: tel 0228106324 02/7485-2200.The
web site www.sea-aeroportimilano.it.
Lost Luggage: tel 0270124451 Milan city:
10 Km De-luxe bus departs every 20 mins
for Milan railway station (city centre).
Fare: ?3 operates: 6am
- 11.30pm. Journey time: ca. 20 mins.
City bus: every 15 mins to Piazza San Babila
(city centre) operates: 5.35am to 00.50am.
Fare: ?1. Travel time: about 25 mins.
Linate-Malpensa shuttle bus: Fare: about?10.
Travel time: ca. 75 mins.
Taxi fare to city ?14.
Malpensa 2000 (MXP) 45 km/28 miles north of
Milan tel: 02/7485-2200.
BOLOGNA
Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi Borgo Panigale,
7 km/4.5 miles from Bologna tel: 051/647-9615.
FIRENZE Aeroporto A. Vespucci,
called Perétola 6 km/4 miles northwest of Florence
tel: 055/30615.
PISA Aeroporto Galileo
Galilei, 80 km/50 miles west of Florence tel:
050/500-707.
NAPOLI
Aeroporto Capodichino 8 km/5 miles north of
Naples tel: 081/789-6111.
PALERMO
Aeroporto Punta Raisi 32 km/20 miles west of
Palermo tel: 091/591-698 or 091/702-0111.
VENEZIA
Aeroporto Marco Polo Tessera, about 10 km/6
miles north of Venice tel: 041/260-9260 .The
website www.veniceairport.it.
CHEAP DEALS
Many of the cheap airlines cut their prices
by reducing services i.e you will not be
served meals or drinks. They also offer
online reservations which cuts out the commissions
normally paid to travel agents.
Ryan Air www.ryanair.com
Ryan Air flies to locations all over Europe
and the United Kingdom from London Stansted.
For flexible travellers these cheap flights
are a big saving. However special deals
are offered only during certain periods,
check their website regularly for details.
Flights can be booked by credit card and
tickets are picked up at the airport. Ryan
Air does not refund cancellations and only
20 kilograms are allowed as weight allowance.
Usually one piece of hand luggage is permitted.
EasyJet
Also operates out of London but has more
limited flights than Ryan Air throughout
Europe. easyJet is a ticketless airline,
so all you need at check-in is your confirmation
number and positive proof of ID (a passport
for International flights).
For Further information visit the easyJet
web site: www.easyJet.com
.
Here
are some tips to surviving air travel:
* Avoid areas with young
children
* Put a request in for seats with more leg
room (these are often reserved if someone
with a disability requests them)
* Suck on lollies or inhale sachets of eucalyptus
(both provided by the airline) if you have
ear trouble with ascent or descent.
* Bring an array of activities to keep you
occupied eg. Books to read, work to do,
letters to write etc
* Request to be moved if you can spy a series
of empty seats or request that the seats
next to you be left empty until needed
* Don’t hesitate to tell other passengers
if they are talking too loud when you are
sleeping, have their chair too far back
or are generally disrupting your comfort.
* Walk around the plane regularly for exercise
once the seatbelt sign is released. If you
hang around the hostess area long enough
you may even score a few perks – drinks,
visits to the cockpit etc.
* Get in early using the bathrooms as these
can deteriorate rapidly on some flights.
* Alcohol does not help with jet lag affects.
* If you’re hungry ask for more food.
There are often spare meals that are only
discarded.
