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TRAVEL NEWS

What are the important changes for travel in Italy in 2024?

From new flights and train routes to the opening of an airport on the Amalfi Coast, travellers can expect plenty of changes in Italy in 2024.

Published: 5 December 2023 13:39 CET
Updated: 2 January 2024 10:50 CET
What are the important changes for travel in Italy in 2024?
Italy is set to see some significant changes to travel in 2024. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP.

New flights in 2024

New routes to the Middle East, West Africa, the US and Canada, increased flights to Scandinavia, and new schedules to destinations including Germany, Denmark, Scotland, France and Spain are among the offerings airlines are making in 2024.

READ MORE: The new direct flights to and from Italy in 2024

American Airlines, Norwegian Air, ITA Airways, Wizz Air and Jet 2 are some of the carriers with extra flights next year, which you can check in detail in this separate article.

Slightly more expensive flights

Italy’s government has announced plans to include an ‘airport boarding tax’ in its 2024 budget.

An extra fee of €7.50 or €9 will be applied at the airports in Rome and Venice respectively, while passengers leaving from other Italian airports will pay an additional €6.

The tax will be passed on to the traveller in the cost of the airline ticket. Local municipalities will also have the option of adding their own €3 tax.

New travel system for non-EU tourists

One EU-wide change due to come into effect in 2024 will affect travel in and out of the European Union for non-EU citizens such as Brits, Americans, Australians and Canadians.

The EES (Entry/Exit System) will replace the current system of border guards and passport stamps with an electronic swipe in/swipe out system that will register more details such as immigration status.

The system’s launch has been delayed multiple times, but is currently due to be implemented across the EU by late 2024.

READ MORE: EES and ETIAS – What are the big changes for travel in Europe?

A new passport control system will be launched in the EU in 2024. (Photo by Rome’s Fiumicino Airport Authority (ADR) / AFP).

Amalfi Coast airport to open

The Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi airport, strategically located outside the city of Salerno along the Amalfi Coast, is set to open in summer 2024 following a redevelopment costing half a billion euros.

It’s hoped the investment will pay off with the anticipated arrival of three million visitors over three years, boosting the local economy and taking the pressure off nearby Naples-Capodichino airport, Campania regional president Vincenzo De Luca told journalists.

Italy-France rail line to reopen

A transalpine rail route connecting Italy with France is expected to reopen in summer 2024, after major damage from a landslide in August resulted in its closure.

Heavy summer storms caused 10,000 cubic metres of rock to fall on the crossing, blocking the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, Europe’s oldest railway tunnel. Officials said work to clear the tunnel had proved more difficult than initially expected, delaying its reopening to mid-2024.

READ ALSO: How key France-Italy rail link closure will affect winter travel

New ‘tourist train’ rail routes

Italy’s government is introducing a new rail network 2024 that will take visitors from Italy’s major cities to smaller tourist destinations, as part of an effort to make tourism in the country more sustainable.

The inaugural Treni Turistici Italiani (Italian Tourist Trains) trip is set to take place on December 15th, 2023, when a night train will take passengers from Rome to the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Italian Alps.

The project will include three different types of services, from luxury to slower-paced regional trains. Other routes announced for 2024 include a line linking Rome to the ruins of Metaponto in Basilicata, and a Milan-Livorno-Genova connection.

Meanwhile a weekly train service connecting Rome with the ancient ruins of Pompeii, introduced in 2023, is set to be renewed for 2024 due to popular demand.

READ MORE: Where Italy’s new ‘tourist trains’ can take you in 2024

A passenger waits for a train at Manarola, Cinque Terre. Italy’s rail network is set to expand to include special ‘tourist train’ routes. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)

Italy to trial hydrogen trains

A passenger train service powered by environmentally-friendly hydrogen, whose only by-product is water, is set to launch in Italy in 2024.

Trains on the Brescia-Iseo-Edolo route in Lombardy’s Val Camonica Alpine valley will run on the zero-emissions fuel from next year, according to Ferrovie Nord Milano, Italy’s second-largest railway company.

The scheme, which cost an estimated €392.4 million, involves replacing an entire fleet of diesel trains with 14 new hydrogen trains, eight of which will become operational by 2026.

Night train from Florence and Milan to Barcelona

A new Nightjet sleeper service will run between Brussels-Berlin and Paris-Berlin three times a week from December 2023, becoming a daily service from October 2024.

This provides a key east-west link, and will help with connecting journeys from Paris, London, and Brussels to Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow and Prague.

READ ALSO: The big changes for train travel across Europe in 2024

The plan is that in December 2024, Barcelona will join in with a link to Zurich, on a sleeper train network that will also connect it to other cities including Florence, Milan, Cologne, Basel and Hamburg.

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For members

STRIKES

What to expect from Italy’s nationwide rail strike this weekend

Train passengers in Italy may face disruption on Saturday, July 6th and Sunday, July 7th as staff at railway operators including Trenitalia and Italo plan a 24-hour strike.

Published: 4 July 2024 10:37 CEST
What to expect from Italy's nationwide rail strike this weekend

Passengers travelling across Italy by train may face delays or cancellations this weekend as staff at state-owned railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato, which includes Trenitalia, Trenord and Trenitalia Tper, and private company Italo plan to strike from 9pm on Saturday, July 6th, to 9pm Sunday, July 7th, for a total of 24 hours. 

The walkout was called by three of Italy’s major transport unions in late May to demand better working conditions and an improvement of workplace safety protocols.

The protest is set to affect all types of rail travel, from long-distance services to regional and local ones, with the overall level of disruption expected to vary by city and operator.

While rail companies are legally required to guarantee the operation of a number of minimum services (servizi minimi) during strikes taking place on weekdays, there’s no such requirement for weekend walkouts.

This means that operators are free to decide whether or not to guarantee services for passengers.

Trenitalia

National rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement that their services “may experience cancellations or changes” for the entire length of the strike, though the protest may also “result in service variations both before its start and after its end”. 

Trenitalia said it will operate a number of minimum services during the walkout. These are available here.

Passengers planning to travel with Trenitalia on Saturday or Sunday are advised to check the status of their journey via the Infomobilità section of Trenitalia’s website or mobile app, or by calling toll-free number 800 89 20 21.

Italo

Staff at private long-distance operator Italo are also expected to take part in the protest.

It was still unclear on Thursday exactly how the strike would impact the operator’s services, but delays and/or cancellations could not be ruled out.

Italo said it will guarantee the operation of a number of long-distance services during the walkout. You can find them highlighted in green in this table.

For further information, you can contact Italo’s support centre at 892 020.

Trenord

Trenord, which operates a number of regional trains in the Lombardy region, including connections to and from Milan’s Malpensa Airport, said it didn’t expect the walkout to have “significant repercussions” on their services. 

Trenord also said it will not operate minimum services during the strike.

However, should airport link services be cancelled, replacement buses will run the same routes. 

See Trenord’s website for the latest updates.

Trenitalia Tper

Services from Trenitalia Tper, which operates a number of trains in the Emilia-Romagna region, “may experience changes or cancellations” due to the walkout, according to a statement. 

The operator hasn’t yet provided any information regarding possible guaranteed services.

See their website for the latest updates.

What to do if your train is cancelled

If a pre-booked rail service is cancelled due to strike action in Italy, passengers are normally allowed to travel on other equivalent services or are entitled to a refund.

Passengers travelling with Trenitalia can request a refund either at the station or by completing this web form, whereas Italo generally issues refunds automatically.

Keep up with the latest updates in The Local’s strike news section.

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