Page 12 - DK Eyewitness: Back Roads Northern and Central Italy (Travel Guide)

10 BACK ROADS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ITALY

Getting There

The increasing availability of low-cost flights has revolutionized
travel to and within Italy. Provincial airports across the country
are now open to international flights from other European cities,
both major and provincial. Arriving at a small airport – where
queues for immigration and baggage are short, and where a
hire car can easily be collected (often at a discounted rate
through the airline company) – generally makes for the best
start to a driving holiday in Italy. Travellers from outside Europe
may find it cheaper to fly via London or another European hub
to take advantage of the many low-cost flights on offer. Above Motorway through Val Isarco, Trentino
Alto Adige

Arriving by Air good alternatives; they also fly from Verona airport is known as Verona-
From the UK and Ireland, the Australia. From South Africa, KLM and Villafranca but also as Valerio Catullo.
scheduled airlines – British Airways, Lufthansa are often the best options. Note that on road signs, an airport
Alitalia and Aer Lingus – fly to airports If you are heading for any of the may be referred to by any of its names,
throughout Northern and Central more southerly areas covered by or a combination – including by the
Italy, including Milan, Turin, Bologna, this guide – for instance Umbria or airport’s international code (for
Verona, Venice and Pisa. London and Le Marche – it’s worth noting that example, MXP for Malpensa or
Dublin offer the greatest choice but Rome’s Fiumicino is a closer inter- VBS for Brescia-Montichiari).
there are also flights from Edinburgh, continental option than Milan’s twin
Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. airports of Linate and Malpensa. Even Arriving by Rail
Low-cost carriers including Jet2, if you’re heading further north, it Countless direct services (including
flybe, Ryanair and easyJet fly from may still make sense to fly into Rome many sleepers) link Italy with the
provincial airports all over the UK if the Italian airline Meridiana can major European cities. Connections
and Ireland to small airports across offer a competitively priced way of from Paris (and, via Eurostar, from
Northern and Central Italy. taking you on to your destination. London) run to Turin, Milan, Venice,
Delta, Alitalia and American Airlines It’s also worth bearing in mind that Bologna, Florence and Pisa.
offer daily flights from New York, Los air companies frequently offer a range Rail services also operate from
Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Atlanta of discounted tour packages and “air German, Swiss and other northern-
to Rome and Milan; one short stopover passes”, which allow you to fly to mul- European cities to Milan, Turin,
greatly extends the network. Many tiple destinations within a designated Venice and Verona, and there are
European carriers fly to Italy (via their area, with varying degrees of flexibility. direct services from Vienna, Spain
capitals) from major US and Canadian and the south of France.
cities – for instance, Lufthansa (via Italian Airports Low-cost airlines have forced
Frankfurt), KLM (via Amsterdam) and Italy’s system of naming its airports the train companies to be a little
British Airways (via London). can be confusing to the uninitiated. more competitive. Special discount
Air New Zealand offers the best Airports are named not only after the fares are often available online. As
deals from New Zealand to Italy but nearest major city, and perhaps the the trains can be extremely busy
Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, British nearest village as well, but usually after during peak periods (Friday and
Airways, Qantas and Emirates are all a famous Italian too. For example, Sunday evenings, the Christmas

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