Italy at a Glance

Education and Transportation in Italy

Although Italy has a very modern transportation system, Venetian Gondolas are still a very special experience!

Living in Italy, you may indeed experience la dolce vita. If you also want to settle under the Tuscan sun and mingle with the locals, our InterNations article on life in Italy has just the information you need on housing, healthcare, and education for expats and their families.

If you are going to be living in Italy with your children, you may want to consider sending them to international schools. In this way, they’ll have the opportunity to receive an International Baccalaureate and be able to study abroad, possibly improving their quality of life in Italy. School is compulsory until the age of sixteen, and as in most other countries, education is a very important part of kids’ daily life.

The School System

The school system in Italy is divided into three “cycles”. These cycles are then divided into types of schooling: kindergarten (scuola dell’infanzia), first cycle (scuola primaria and scuola secundario di I grado), and second cycle (licei or sistema dell’istruzione e della formazione professionale).

The first cycle is composed of primary school and middle school, which children attend until the age of 15. A foreign language, usually English, is introduced in the first grade (around age 7), and a second one in the fifth grade (age 11).

After completing the first cycle of school, students take an exam to qualify either for licei (the Italian equivalent to high school) or for a school that offers vocational training. The licei caters to different specifications such as the classics, the arts, natural sciences, etc. Upon successful completion the student will have a university entrance diploma.

International Schools

A number of international schools in large cities, especially Rome and Milan, cater to foreign students. However, not only foreigners attend them, as many Italians find it important for their children to excel at a second language as well.

It is best to look out for the following things when searching for an international school that will best suit your children:

What kind of degree(s) does the school offer?
Which languages and other disciplines will my child study there?
What is the ration of foreign children to Italians?
Where is the school located?
How much does it cost?

Getting around

A general stereotype of Italian drivers is that they are rude, chaotic and do not follow traffic rules. To some extent, this is unfortunately true. However, the road network in Italy is highly developed. There are 6,000 kilometers of motorways across Italy, most of which are toll roads.

Petrol prices are relatively high compared to the rest of Europe and vary from region to region. It may be useful to check the current local petrol prices when planning on taking a long trip in order to determine whether it would be more cost-effective to drive or take the train.

Trains and Buses

The national Italian railroad, the Ferrovie dello Stato, can conveniently take you from one city to the other. It offers an efficient alternative to driving and gives you good value for your money.

Another alternative to driving is using the bus, and there are many private bus companies in Italy. One bus company coming highly recommended (and relatively cheap) is the iBus. Unfortunately, this bus and most trains usually do not stop at small towns across Italy.

In order to reach a less popular destination, it is useful to check the local bus listings. There are many bus lines within Italy that connect smaller cities, towns and villages, catering mainly to the working population. This results in hours of high traffic in the early morning and in the evening, so plan your trip accordingly.

Driving

If you prefer to get around by car, but do not have a car or were unable to bring your own vehicle, it may be good to know that renting a car in most Italian cities is not that expensive. It costs anywhere from 60€ to 80€ a day, depending on make and model. Petrol is paid for by the customer.

A European driver’s license is valid within Italy and an international driver’s license can also be used. Driver’s licenses used within Italy are to be renewed every 5 to 10 years.