- 🛌 If I need a place near Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, I’d book again in Fiumicino and walk down to the pier to watch the fishing boats come in. Comfort Suites Oil Center
- 👉 🚘 Rent a car
- 👉 🌍 Buy travel insurance in less than 5 minutes
- 📌 Book your fun in Italy
This article is sponsored by Current.com.au, a modern shopping guide based in Australia.
Italy is one of the best and most popular tourist destinations in the world. But it can be a little difficult to navigate without the right phone apps at your disposal.
Whether you want to catch a high-speed train between cities, find a decent family-run trattoria, translate a menu or plan a scenic road trip, these invaluable resources can make everyday travel that much simpler.
There are thousands of apps out there, each designed to enhance your experience while visiting Il Bel Paese. But here are ten we think you should download.
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1. Best Travel Apps: A Good eSIM
For any traveler, the first thing we’d recommend is to download an eSIM. This is much more convenient than using a physical SIM and will ensure you stay connected from the moment you arrive.
Most of the apps on this list rely on mobile data, and while you can often get free Wi-Fi in many hotels, cafés, libraries, and other public spaces, it’s not something you should depend on throughout your holiday.
Setting up the best travel eSIM for Italy before you leave your home country ensures you’ll have mobile data as soon as you land. Therefore, you’ll be able to use maps, translation apps and transport services from the moment you leave the airport.
2. Google Maps, One of the Best Travel Apps for Italy, or Anywhere
Google Maps is probably already on your phone. But if it isn’t, you should definitely make sure it is. You’ll likely open it more than any other during your trip.
It’s excellent to use when walking through Italy’s historic centers, planning driving routes and checking public transport. Usefully, this app also includes opening hours, reviews and photos for restaurants, museums and attractions.
That said, before heading out each morning, download offline maps for the areas you’ll be visiting. Doing this is important because if your signal drops while exploring the countryside or wandering through narrow medieval streets, you’ll still be able to find your way to where you need to go.
📌 Stay UNSTOPPABLE Tip: Because I live in the country, I don’t use public transportation at home. I didn’t know Google Maps has a very detailed public transportation mode that will tell you when the next bus will arrive…and more! It was my young Belgian friend who showed it to me last time I visited her!
3. Trenitalia, Italy's Official Train Network, has a Great Travel App
If you’re planning to travel between Italy’s major cities, such as Rome to Florence, Milan to Venice or Naples to Bologna, then it’s a good idea to download the official Trenitalia app before you leave.
Trenitalia is Italy’s official train network. Its app allows you to search timetables, buy tickets, receive platform updates and keep all your bookings together in one place. You can also scan digital tickets directly from your phone, which saves you from printing anything.
4. Another Train App: Italo, Italy’s Other Major High-Speed Train
Italy’s other major high-speed train operator is Italo. Like with Trenitalia, the app allows you to compare departure times, reserve seats and manage your bookings. If you’re traveling between larger cities, it’s worth checking both Italo and Trenitalia before purchasing tickets, because prices and departure times can vary between them.
If you have both apps installed on your phone, it will give you much more flexibility when planning your itinerary.
5. FlixBus and Itabus
While trains are often the fastest way to travel around Italy, there are times you might need to take a bus. They are often cheaper and reach more destinations than rail services do.
FlixBus and Itabus operate frequent services between the country’s most popular cities, as well as hundreds of rural towns and localities. Their apps allow you to search routes, compare fares and store mobile tickets wherever you want to go.
I’ve never taken a FlixBus in Italy, but I enjoyed my rides from Paris to Luxembourg and from Lisbon to Porto.
6. Google Translate
English is widely spoken in all cities and many tourist areas. However, it’s still useful to have Google Translate downloaded on your phone.
The great thing about this app is that its camera feature lets you instantly translate things like menus, museum displays and street signs. It also has voice translation, which can help you with conversations.
It is a good idea to download the Italian language pack before you leave your home country. This will let you access many of the app’s features even when you’re offline.
7. TheFork
Italy, of course, is famous for its food, and you’ll have no shortage of options for where to eat. To help you decide, you might find it useful to refer to TheFork, as this makes it easier to find great restaurants nearby.
On this app, you can browse reviews, reserve tables and discover restaurants recommended by other diners. This can be especially useful in cities where the best restaurants often fill up well before dinner. Or in less touristy areas where you might not be aware of the full scale of your options or the typical food in Italy of that region.
8. GetYourGuide or Tiqets
Many of Italy’s biggest attractions sell out days or even weeks in advance. So, it is worth having apps like GetYourGuide and Tiqets on your phone. They let you reserve tickets before you arrive, often with skip-the-line entry and mobile tickets that can be scanned from your phone.
They’re particularly useful for places such as the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Uffizi Gallery and Doge’s Palace. Often, queues can become very long during peak travel periods.
9. XE Currency and Digital Wallets
Italy uses the euro as its currency, and it’s easy to lose track of spending when prices are displayed in it.
That’s why it is handy to download the XE Currency app. It lets you quickly convert prices into other currencies, such as Australian, NZ, or US dollars, or British pounds, making it easier to understand how much you’re actually paying.
At the same time, digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet are widely accepted throughout Italy. Many travelers use them when paying at cafés, supermarkets, public transport and many retail stores. (That said, you should carry cash, too).
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10. Car Rental Apps
If your plans include visiting places such as Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, the Dolomites, or smaller villages, then hiring a car provides excellent accessibility to them.
Major companies including Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Enterprise and Budget all have mobile apps. They’ve all invested a lot of time, money, and effort into making booking, collecting and managing your rental vehicle straightforward.
One thing to remember if you do hire a car is that many historic city centers have restricted traffic zones known as ZTLs. Hence, if you’re only visiting Rome, Florence or Venice, it often makes more sense to collect your rental car after you’ve finished sightseeing in the city and are ready to explore the surrounding countryside.
✈️ 🌍 Buy Travel Insurance in less than 5 minutes 🌍 ✈️
Before you take off, protect your adventure with trusted travel insurance providers. Whether it’s a flight delay, lost luggage or medical emergency, the right plan keeps you covered—and stress-free.
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Traveling soon? Don’t forget to pack these essential items
Here are 4 often-forgotten items you don’t want to leave home without:
- I would have been lost in Europe without this power bank: Anker Nano Power Bank, 10K, 45W, 8.1 oz. Just imagine your phone running out of battery while you’re exploring London.
- And speaking of power, you def don’t want to forget a plug adapter – this is the one I use – I love it because it has 3 USB-C ports!
- You can’t beat this Sea to Summit premium neck pillow in terms of minimum weight and packed size. Who doesn’t want to get some shuteye on those long flights?
- I’m hooked on longer rain jackets that look as good on Paris boulevards as protect you on the trail.
📌 Bonus: Here’s the carry-on I swear by! My travel-tough Samsonite bags have lasted decades.
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- Looking for accommodations?
- Find your dream hotel!
- Plan your fun
- Rent a car
- Get the best travel insurance
Hi, I’m Stacey
UNSTOPPABLE Stacey Travel is a travel blog focused on immersive travel that highlights food, wine and the spirituality of place. You can count on me for accurate reports and insightful analysis as your trusted travel writer since 2008.
As the author of several spiritual and walking guides, I occasionally write about life as a Camino de Santiago pilgrim. See my Amazon author page here. You may review my credentials as a professional travel writer on LinkedIn.
I hope you enjoy what I post here. You are encouraged to leave comments! Read more…
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As is common in the travel industry, UNSTOPPABLE Stacey was provided with accommodations, meals, and other compensation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the author believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.
In addition, this blog, UNSTOPPABLE Stacey Travel, contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Stacey earns a commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help reduce the costs of keeping this travel blog active.
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