Best apps for traveling in Italy

Italy is easy to travel with a phone, as long as the right apps are on it before you land. This is the short list: what each app is for, and the one thing worth knowing about it. None of these are sponsored.

Trains

Italy's trains are the best way between cities, and there are two companies on the main high-speed line.

Trenitalia: the national rail operator. Its app sells tickets for the Frecciarossa high-speed trains and for regional trains, and keeps them on your phone. Paper regional tickets have to be validated before you board; if you buy a regional ticket in the app, check the ticket screen for a check-in step.
Italo: a private high-speed operator on the main line through Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. Prices move with demand, so compare it with Trenitalia for the same trip.
Trainline: sells both Trenitalia and Italo in one English-language app, which makes comparing easy. It adds a booking fee, so for a ticket you already know you want, the operator's own app can be cheaper.

Book high-speed trains a few days ahead for the best prices. Regional trains have fixed prices, so there is nothing to gain by booking early.

Getting around cities

Google Maps: public transport directions work in the big cities. Download an offline map of the areas you will visit for places with a weak signal, like the lanes of Venice or hill towns.
Citymapper: step-by-step transit directions in Rome and Milan, with exits and live departures.
Moovit: covers public transport in many more Italian cities, including smaller ones that Citymapper does not.

In Venice the lanes are the transport. An offline map helps more than any transit app.

In Rome and Milan you can pay for the metro by tapping a contactless bank card at the gates, so for a short stay you may not need a transit app at all.

Taxis

Ride-hailing in Italy works differently than in the US: you will mostly be booking licensed taxis. itTaxi and appTaxi book licensed taxis in many cities, and FREENOW works in the big ones. Official taxi ranks at stations and airports are always an option too.

Food

TheFork: book restaurant tables in a couple of taps. Many restaurants on it offer a discount when you book through the app.
Too Good To Go: bakeries, cafés and shops sell unsold food at the end of the day for a fraction of the price. Good for breakfast pastries.
Google Translate: point the camera at a menu to translate it. Download Italian for offline use before you go.

Driving and parking

Croda dei Toni in the Dolomites: the part of Italy where a car makes sense.

EasyPark: pay for street parking from your phone in many Italian cities, and extend the time without walking back to the car.

Most historic centres are a ZTL, a limited traffic zone watched by cameras. Driving in without a permit means a fine that can arrive months later, often through your rental company. Park outside and walk in.

Mobile data

If your phone plan is from the EU, roaming in Italy costs the same as at home. From the US and elsewhere, an eSIM app like Airalo or Saily lets you buy a data plan before you land, often for less than your carrier's international pass. Check first that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.

Big sights

The Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, the Uffizi and The Last Supper in Milan sell out in high season, The Last Supper especially far ahead. Book on the official website of each site; resellers charge more for the same entry.

Keeping the trip

Memory Tickets: one photo from each day of the trip becomes a keepsake ticket with a title, a place, a date and one line about why it was worth keeping. Ten days in Italy become ten tickets instead of 800 photos you never open again. Free on iPhone, works offline, and your photos stay on your phone.

The short version

Before you fly: Trenitalia and Italo (or Trainline), Google Maps with offline maps, TheFork, Google Translate with Italian downloaded, EasyPark if you are driving, an eSIM if you are not on an EU plan, and one app to keep the days from blurring together.