These are the websites I use for everything from lodging, transportation, and tours when I’m traveling around Italy, and think you should too. After you read this, check out my 7 Italy Travel FAQs for First Timers.
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Train Tickets
The best way to buy train tickets for most tourists is with Trainline. The website is in English, and it includes train companies that most people would be using. Trainline also operates in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, and more.
Booking Hotels and Hostels
My go-to website for finding accommodations is Booking.com. AirBNB fees have gotten a bit out of hand, and most property owners book their places on both platforms anyway. Booking’s Genius program means the more you book, the more discounts you get. Plus, the sheer volume of properties on Booking.com makes it a one-stop shop for finding places to stay, whether you want a hotel, single room, hostel, or something in between.
If I’m looking specifically for a hostel, I will usually go with Hostelworld. I really like their interface, and trust the hostel reviews, knowing that they are written by fellow hostel-goers.
I use the MooneyGo app (previously called MyCicero) specifically for buying local transport tickets (city buses, trams, and metros). Cities, regions, and provinces use their own local companies. Examples are ATAC in Rome, Trieste ATM in Milan etc. Not all cities have made the leap to electronic tickets yet (I’m looking at you Florence). This reduces the need to buy tickets in person at a Tabaccheria.
Entrance Tickets
You can get entrance tickets to just about anything on Tiqets, which makes buying tickets easy by having a one-stop-shop for buying tickets to places like the Uffizi Gallery, Colosseum, or Pompeii.
Tours and Experiences
There’s some overlap across these three sites, but I’ll usually check all 3 in case I find something in particular.
Some attractions benefit greatly from having a guided tour. In these cases, I’ll often use GetYourGuide. I did this snorkeling boat tour near Catania in Sicily and it was a great time.
Some companies prefer to use TripAdvisor for listing their guided tours or hosted events, like this boat tour from Salerno to Positano or this Tuscany wine tour I did with some friends. It’s also just a great place to see lots of reviews for tours, restaurants, etc.
TripAdvisor-owned Viator is another place to look for tours and experiences.
Ferries
For ferries all around Italy, whether to Croatia, Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, and more, I use Direct Ferries.