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TRAVEL TO AND AROUND ITALY
We recommend that you shop around for flight seats, it is not always the case that the low-cost carriers are the cheapest. Listed below are the airlines which fly direct routes from the UK to Italy: BRITISH AIRWAYS flies to Pisa, Bologna, Rome and Milan - tel: 0845 773 3377 www.ba.com ALITALIA flies to Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Rome and Milan - tel: 0870
544 8259 RYANAIR flies to Pisa, Ancona and Rome - tel: 08701 569569 GO flies to Bologna and Rome - tel: 0870 607 6543 BRITISH MIDLAND flies to Milan - tel: 0870 607 0555 MERIDIANA flies to Florence - tel: 0207 839 2222 Once you have booked your flights, click on www.travelshield.co.uk to find the most competitive rates for your car hire and travel insurance. If you don't want to hire a car, you can take the train; planning the rest of your journey is relatively straight forward when you consult www.trenitalia.com or www.fs-on-line.com. At Pisa, for example, the train station is next to the airport terminal and trains run to Florence every hour almost. The journey time is about 1 hour. When you leave Florence (Santa Maria Novella station) to return to Pisa you can even check your luggage in at the station during daytime hours.
For the best ferry prices, click on www.ferrysavers.com . The road distance from London to Florence is approximately 900 miles and will take you a minimum of 15 hours driving. There are various routes from the UK across Europe to Italy; probably the shortest is through France and Switzerland. However, many of those travelling to Liguria or Tuscany head for the south of France and then east across the border at Ventimiglia, following the coastal route through Genoa. For your individual route planning, consult www.viamichelin.com, www.rac.co.uk or www.theaa.co.uk. The web site www.autostrade.it also gives detailed information on maps, routes, tolls and traffic congestion in Italy.
Current competitive air fares make the train journey less attractive
than it used to be. It is worth considering only if you hate flying or
you combine it with a cut-price rail pass for further travel around Italy.
The quickest route is to take Eurostar to Paris and pick up a connection,
probably to Milan and onward. Consult www.eurostar.com and www.eurostarplus.com.
Passports, Visas and Health requirements UK citizens require a valid standard full UK passport, available from
mainland post offices, for entry to Italy. UK passport holders do not
need a visa for entry to Italy. For up-to-date information, consult the Foreign Office web site www.fco.gov.uk before you travel. It is recommended that every client has adequate personal travel insurance.
Cover is available through Travelshield, as advertised on the ItalyDirect
website. If an alternative insurance company is used, it is advisable
that the cover secured is equal to or better than that offered by Travelshield.
It is also recommended that UK citizens carry a completed E111 obtainable
free of charge from post offices. This document is not a substitute for
medical and travel insurance but it can help visitors get emergency medical
treatment in Italian state hospitals.
www.enit.it (The Italian State Tourist
Board) Some of the above sites do not yet feature a version in English.
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