Italy is a member of the Schengen Agreement. For EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) citizens, an officially approved ID card (or a passport) is sufficient for entry. In no case will they need a visa for a stay of any length. Others will generally need a passport for entry.
There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. But be careful: Not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty, and not all Schengen members are part of the European Union.
Airports in Europe are thus divided into "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" sections, which effectively act like "domestic" and "international" sections elsewhere. If you are flying from outside Europe into one Schengen country and continuing to another, you will clear Immigration and Customs at the first country and then continue to your destination with no further checks. Travel between a Schengen member and a non-Schengen country will result in the normal border checks. Note that regardless of whether you travelling within the Schengen area or not, some airlines will still insist on seeing your ID card or passport.
Keep in mind that the counter begins once you enter any country in the Schengen Area and is not reset by leaving a specific Schengen country for another Schengen country, or vice-versa.
As of October 2010 only the nationals of the following non-EU/EFTA countries do not need a visa for entry into the Schengen Area: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia*/**, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, additionally persons holding British National (Overseas), Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR passports. These visa-free visitors may not stay more than three months in half a year and may not work while in the EU.
Citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina (with a biometric passport) are scheduled to become visa-exempt in mid-December 2010.
Note that
* while British subjects with the right of abode in the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories citizens connected to Gibraltar are considered "United Kingdom nationals for European Union purposes" and therefore eligible for unlimited access to the Schengen Area,
* British Overseas Territories citizens without the right of abode in the United Kingdom and British subjects without the right of abode in the United Kingdom as well as British Overseas citizens and British protected persons in general do require visas.
However, all British Overseas Territories citizens except those solely connected to the Cyprus Sovereign Base Areas are eligible for British citizenship and thereafter unlimited access to the Schengen Area.
Further note that
(*) Macedonian, Montenegrin and Serbian nationals need a biometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel and
(**) Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Serbs residing in Kosovo) still do need a visa.
By plane
Italy has a national airline, Alitalia [2], as well as several smaller carriers, such as Meridiana [3] or Air One [4]. In January 2009 Air One and Alitalia merged, although for the time being at least they keep their separate identities. As a result of this merger, Germany's Lufthansa started an Italian subsidiary [5] that tries to become a main rival for Alitalia with a hub in Milan.
Italy is one of the main battle grounds for European low cost airlines several routes to/from and within Italy are offered. The larger airports are, of course, served by the major European airlines.
Intercontinental airlines mainly arrive in Milan and Rome. Although a major tourist destination, Rome is relatively poorly serviced by long-distance flights compared to London, Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid or even Milan.
Most of mid-range international flights arrive to the following Italian cities:
* Milan - with 2 airports: Malpensa (MXP) and Linate (LIN); in addition, Bergamo (BGY - Orio al Serio) is sometimes referred to as "Milan Bergamo"
* Rome - with two airports: Fiumicino (FCO - Leonardo Da Vinci) and Ciampino (CIA) for budget airlines
* Bologna (BLQ – Guglielmo Marconi)
* Naples (NAP - Capodichino)
* Pisa (PSA - Galileo Galilei)
* Venice (VCE – Marco Polo)
* Turin (TRN – Sandro Pertini)
* Catania (CTA - Vincenzo Bellini)
* Bari (BRI - Karol Wojtyla or Palese)
* Genoa (GOA - Cristoforo Colombo)
By train
* From France via Nice, Lyon, and Paris
* From Croatia via Zagreb
* From Austria via Vienna, Innsbruck and Villach
* From Geneva, Zurich and other Swiss cities
* From Germany via Munich or Stuttgart
* From Czech Republic via Prague
* From Hungary via Budapest
* From Serbia via Belgrade
* From Slovenia via Ljubljana
* From Spain via Barcelona
By car
Italy borders on France, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. All borders are open (without passport/customs checks), but cars can be stopped behind the border for random checks. Switzerland is now part of the Schengen zone, and ended systematic identity checks for travellers on land borders from December 2008.
By bus
With Eurolines [6]. There are regular buses between Ljubljana, Slovenian coastal towns and Istria (Croatia) and Trieste (Italy). These services are cheap and from Trieste onward connections with the rest of Italy are plentiful. There are also a bus that goes from Malmö, Sweden via Denmark, Germany and Switzerland and then goes through the country and then back to Sweden.
By boat
See also Ferries in the Mediterranean
There are several ferries departing from Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia. Most of them arrive at Venice, Ancona, Bari and Brindisi.
Some regular ferry services connect the island of Corsica in France to Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples and North of Sardinia. Barcelona is connected to Civitavecchia and to Genoa.
Some regular ferry services connect Sicily and Naples to some North African harbours.
There is a hydrofoil service running from Pozzallo on the south-eastern coast of Sicily to Malta.
There is a year-round service between Trieste and Albania and summer services between Trieste and Piran (Slovenia) and Porec and Rovinj in Croatian Istria. The service between Trieste and Rovinj takes less than 2 hours which is quicker than the bus service.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Italy
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