Unless you opt for a one-base holiday, you will probably find yourself travelling around Italy a fair bit. When planning on how to get around Italy, it is worth considering personal and public transport options. Both rail and bus services are good value and efficient. Regular ferries service the islands, and local buses link more remote areas. Internal flights can be worthwhile and even work out cheaper than the train for some of the longer journeys. Naturally, you’ll have most flexibility with your own transport. 

A key part of planning your Italian vacation is deciding how you are going to get to Italy and, even more importantly, how you are going to get around.
 Trains can be one of the most affordable options. Renting a car will help you see Italy from an entirely different perspective  you might even welcome getting lost on some stunning country roads.
Italy has an enormous coastline, which means that traveling by boat is another option.

TRAINS IN ITALY Travel by Train in Italy
Getting around Italy by train is a great option. The Italian train system is pretty efficient and one of the least expensive in Europe. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane runs trains under the brand name Trenitalia, operating a large network across the country. Sleeper trains connect the major Italian cities with Paris, Vienna, Hamburg and Barcelona.
Validating your ticket
All stations have yellow validating machines in which passengers must stamp their ticket. Passengers must validate their ticket before starting their journey.
Regionale trains
Regionale trains are the most economical, but can be very slow. No reservation is necessary, and there’s no need to buy in advance for these.

Le Frecce
Country’s swish high-speed train network offering daily connections between the main cities. Book tickets in advance for the best fares. Seat reservations are required for all these services. 

treniItalia official website
Trenitalia is the most prevalent train company in Italy.
This is Italy’s national company. They have the most routes, and in our experience, typically the best prices.
Consider downloading the Trenitalia app.
This will allow you to purchase train tickets on your phone, and the conductor will then be able to easily scan your ticket from there–no validation required.
 https://www.trenitalia.com/

Tips for Driving in Italy
Your normal car insurance company may not cover car rental in Italy. Be sure to double-check before renting a car–and make sure that they cover Italy specifically, not just Europe.
You may not know if you get a ticket while driving.
Tickets are often given out by mail based on violations caught on camera, so you may come home to an unexpected bill!
It’s forbidden to drive into most historic centers.
If you accidentally violate that rule because you’re lost, you may come home to one of the tickets mentioned above.
You need an International Driving Permit to rent a car in Italy.
The rental company may or may not ask you for it, but the last thing you want is to be pulled over by a police officer and not have one.
Rent the tiniest car that you can fit your belongings into.
Italian roads, parking spaces, and vehicles are all much smaller than their North American counterparts–your life will be much easier in Italy if you’re driving a small car.
Know how to drive a manual.
Most car rental companies keep a few automatics on hand for international visitors, but manual cars are standard in Italy (and all over Europe).

Italy by Boat
Italy has more than 4,000 miles of coastline, some major lakes and islands, as well as an entire city — Venice — on the water, so boat travel may just be a part of your Italian vacation. Italians are well known for their seafaring ways; after all, Christopher Columbus was a native of Genoa, in northern Italy.
If you are traveling to Italy’s two largest islands — Sardinia and Sicily — you can reach them by overnight ferry or a several-hour hydrofoil from the mainland. This is a popular alternative to flying. On the Amalfi Coast, there are numerous ferries and hydrofoils running from mainland towns and cities (Naples, Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento) to the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida.
Boat tours are available throughout Italy, from Venice's famous canals to the less known La Spezia area in the northwest.
 Arriving by boat offers a different experience from driving, and some Italian vacation destinations are accessible only by water, such as island caves in the Ligurian Sea. Depending on your schedule, you can find Italian boat tours that last less than a day or more than a week.

Ferries sail to Italy from virtually all surrounding countries with connections offered from Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece in the Adriatic and Ionian Sea while from the other side of the country you can travel from Spain, Tunisia, Malta and Morocco.
If you’re looking to travel on to an Italian island then again you certainly won’t be short of choice with Direct Ferries aggregating numerous ferry companies, routes and departure times on offer

Selected websites for Getting around in Italy - italian Transportation Tips to planning your tailor made travel to Italy - Discover the best way of getting around Italy and plan your trip with these selected travel guides:

https://www.roughguides.com/italy/getting-around/

Important Travel Tips for Italy We have an intense love of traveling in Italy–and as a result, many trips later, we have a huge collection of travel tips for Italy to share!
https://www.ourescapeclause.com/travel-tips-for-italy/

Selected websites for Getting around in Italy by boat - Cruises excursions in Italy
With approximately 4,660 miles of coastline, a yacht charter Italy is bound to surprise you around each corner- lose yourself in the artistic, fishing village of Portofino, trace the Amalfi Coast, before continuing to the glamorous island of Capri and picturesque Postitano. Cruise to the shopping and jet-set hangouts of Sardinia and timeless Sicily.
Selected multi-company online tickets for all sea lines in the Mediterranean: on our site you can book ferries and hydrofoils online for the islands and for the main coastal destinations.

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/boat-tours-italy-37611.html

https://www.italiarail.com/boat-and-ferry-connections 

Enjoy the finest private boat excursions from the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento & Capri
http://www.exclusivecruisescapri.com/

Italy Yacht Charter - Charter a yacht in Portofino, Liguria, Naples, Capri the Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands
https://www.boatbookings.com/yachting_content/italy.php

https://www.directferries.com/italy.htm

GNV Traghetti Sicilia, Sardegna, Marocco,Tunisia, Spagna e ...

Prenota online con GNV il tuo viaggio in traghetto per la Sicilia, la Sardegna, il Marocco, la Tunisia, la Francia, la Spagna o l'Albania
https://www.gnv.it/ 

Traghetti Italia
Traghetti Italia is the multi-company ticket office for all sea lines in the Mediterranean: on our site you can book ferries and hydrofoils online for the islands and for the main coastal destinations.
https://www.traghettitalia.it/

MOBY è la Compagnia di navigazione leader in Italia per il trasporto di auto e passeggeri...
MOBY is the leading shipping company in Italy for the transport of cars and passengers ...
https://www.moby.it/

Traghetti e navi Tirrenia: offerte e prenotazioni sul sito ufficiale
Prenota online il tuo viaggio in traghetto o nave con Tirrenia, anche in poltrona o cabina. Parti in auto, moto, camper e roulotte.
Approfitta delle offerte.
Tirrenia ferries and ships: offers and reservations on the official website
Book online your ferry or ship trip with Tirrenia, even in an armchair or cabin. Leave by car, motorbike, camper and caravan. Take advantage of the offers.
https://www.tirrenia.it/