When you are planning a trip around Italy there are so many ways to make your way around the country. While trains and cars might be better for shorter trips, if you need to go from one end of the country to the other then you may want to consider travel in Italy by plane.
Taking a flight is especially ideal if you are headed to the islands, or from Northern Italy to Southern Italy. It can save you a lot of time and money just deciding to take a flight. For instance, if you are located in Milan, getting to Sicily will take you just about an hour or less and you won’t have to spend much.
Travel in Italy by Plane – what to know
The best deal on air travel in Italy usually comes from budget airlines, and that low cost does come with some conditions. For one, you won’t be able to bring a suitcase, instead, your ticket will only include a small carry-on bag. You can pay extra for a suitcase, but it can get annoying to fit into the requirements, so you don’t really take advantage of the budget tickets.
The most common budget airlines are RyanAir and EasyJet but you can always use SkyScanner to confirm the best deals.
Another thing to know is that while nearly every city has an airport or too, it is possible they might be quite out of the city. You will need to look into transportation to and from the city. If you are on a budget, look for a local bus, otherwise, there is usually an express train, and always taxis.
Is it worth it?
This depends entirely on where you are going and the length of your trip. If you have a week-long trip and you wanted to fit Naples and Venice in, then yes you will need to go by plane. If you have time and want to explore places along the way, a train might be the best option for you.
You will lose a little time by taking a plane, mainly when the airport is far out of the city. For domestic flights, you only need to show up about maybe an hour, hour, and half before your flight takes off. Then your actual flight time, consider 30-45 minutes of getting off and out of the flight, then the actual transport from the airport to the city.
If you take a train, you may travel slower, but you will end up right in the center.
This is why if you are just hopping two cities, say Venice to Florence, or Milan to Rome, the train might be the better option. But if you need to get from Milan to Naples, or further to Bari, the flight might be a better plan!
A few rules for local airports
Even though they may be smaller than an international airport if you are an international traveler you may want to show up just a tad early. Two hours may be a little much but an hour and a half absolutely is right. You will probably need to have your passport checked anyway so give yourself a little time to relax.
Short flights, especially budget ones, don’t even offer a sip of water, so make sure you have some before hand to not get dehydrated on the plane! These flights also probably will not have chargers so make sure your phone has enough juice for when you arrive.
They really aren’t joking about the baggage restrictions so triple check the size before you get to the airport!
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