In your home country, Uber is probably easy. You take out your phone, type in your destination, and click “Find a ride”. Seconds later, you’ll see where your car is and how long it will take to get to you. In Italy, it’s…a bit more difficult. Here’s what you need to know about Uber in Italy.
Pro Tip: It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Create a browser folder and bookmark this post. Also, check out our guide to Rome for more planning resources, our top Rome tours for a memorable trip, and the best things to do in Rome.
Is Uber in Italy?
Yes, you can Uber in Italy but it’s not the same. It’s available in Rome and Milan. However, only Uber Black is available, meaning higher prices and nicer vehicles. If you don’t mind the slight price increase, then Uber is perfectly safe to use in Italy.
Not ready to book a tour? Find out if Rome tours are worth it.
Why the Big Deal?
In Italy, you need a license or permit to do pretty much anything. Want to hand out flyers on the street in front of your pizza place? Well, you’ll need a permit. Want to explain the Colosseum to friends? Well, you’ll need a guide license. Feel free to drink red wine or eat organic pasta without a permit, but the people producing those items will need to get one.
To drive customers around Rome or any other Italian city, you’ll need to be a registered NCC driver with an NCC medallion. It takes about six months to get and involves taking an exam and a few hundred euros to get the driver’s license. Once you have the license, you’ll need to purchase an NCC medallion. This can cost from €20,000 in a place like Calabria to €90,000 in a place like Rome. Next, you’ll have to buy a nice car and then you’re set.
The high cost to enter this market is the very reason Uber cannot be operated by random drivers. In Italy, it’s all about two things. The first is safety and the second is control over the market.
Uber or Taxi?
If you’re deciding between an Uber or a taxi in Rome, taxi drivers will most likely tell you Uber is illegal and you could face a fine. This is not true. Taxi drivers in Italy have a reputation for ripping off tourists, but not all are bad.
Many are simply jealous of new entrants into their market. Uber is different in Italy but very legal. It’s basically a way for nicer vehicles with well-dressed drivers to gain access to customers who don’t want to plan ahead.
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Do I Need Uber To Get Around?
In some cities, like Milan, it would be helpful. In other cities, like Florence, you don’t need it at all. The lack of need for Uber in Florence is the reason why you can’t get drivers in the area. No need means no demand, no demand means no money, and no money means no drivers. Here are some useful resources for getting around different Italian cities:
- Getting Around Rome
- Getting Around Florence
- Using Venice’s Floating Mass Transit System
- Getting To and Around the Amalfi Coast
Travel Tips
In addition to helping you navigate the best sites in Italy on our guided tours, we’re also here to help you get from place to place. Contact our travel experts and they will give you recommendations on where to go and how best to get there.
Information on Top European Cities
If you are researching, Uber in Italy you’re probably planning a trip. Definitely check out our guides to the best cities in Italy. Each guide features dozens of articles about what to do, where to eat, how to get around, and basically how to make your trip rock!
Other Transportation Apps
Free Now is by far the best taxi app in Rome. It’s the same concept as Uber but with a taxi driver. It will probably cost less, but the interface is not as easy to use and it requires downloading a new app and signing up for the service.
Feel free to pull out your smartphone and call a ride in Rome, Florence, Venice, or pretty much any other Italian destination. It may cost a little more, but most taxis will find a way to rip you off anyway, so in the end, we recommend you just take an Uber. Safe travels!
More Info on Uber in Different European Cities and Countries
Here is Where to Stay in the Most Popular Destinations
Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast and Capri
Hello,
Thank you for your post- I am traveling to Italy in August with 2yr old in tow. Do you know if Uber cars have the option of car seats upon request?
Any information is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Vivian
I am confused by the following sentence in your last paragraph; “Feel free to pull out your smartphone and call a ride in Rome, Florence, Venice or pretty much any other Italian destination.” Could you be more specific? “Call a ride” means what? Call Uber, call a taxi, or call Mytaxi? You state in your opening that Uber is only available in Milan and Rome, therefore it is not available in Florence or Venice. So you can’t “call a ride” from Uber in any other city except Milan and Rome. Am I reading too much into this?
Hi Chris! While Uber is only available in Rome and Milan, we recommend using MyTaxi in any other city. Hope this helps!
Hi guys! I am planning my trip to Venice and then I need to get to Cortina d’Ampezzo BL. What is the best and cheapest way?
Hi Dilia! You can either take FlixBus or the Cortina Express. FlixBus is probably the cheaper option. While you’re in Venice, you should check out some of our Venice tours. We’d love to show you around!
Whats the best way to get from Rome-Fiucimino airport to Amalfi coast? For Almalfi, we wanted to go to Capri so again, what’s the cheapest route? Thanks
Ciao Lou! To get from Fiumicino to Sorrento, you will need to take the rain to Termini station in Rome, then a train from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale, then take a ferry from Napoli to Capri!
hi I am traveling to Florence march 5-9 and I wanted to do a day trip to Cinque Terre. Any suggestions also if its worth visiting this early in march?
Ciao Leslie! Thanks for reading our blog. While we don’t offer tours there, you can take the train from Florence to La Spezia. It should be nice in March, but maybe just a bit cold.
Hi there, we are getting in at 10:30 PM to Florence… it doesnt look like any trains travel to La Spezia/Riomaggiore past 11:00PM… Could we uber from the airport to cinque terre? or would it be cheaper to just book a hotel for a night in Florence and leave by train next day?
Hey Ally! Definitely just stay the night in Florence. Uber doesn’t exist in Florence, and it would be quite pricy to take a taxi. We recommend staying the night in Florence and hopping on a train the next morning.
Hi, what’s the fastest way to get from Fiumicino to Perugia? I was thinking renting a car at Fiumicino, but heard that you may have to wait for hours to receive the car even with a confirmed reservation. Is that true?
Ciao Robert! Great question. We recommend taking the train to Perugia. Take the Leonardo Express train from Fiumicino to Termini, Rome’s main train station. From there, you should easily be able to book a train to Perugia.
Hi, love your tips and videos!
We are traveling to Rome late September and staying near the Vatican at Grant Hotel Olympic. We were thinking to take a bus from the Fiumicino Airport to a drop off 5 minutes from our hotel. Would you recommend this? Also we will be going from that hotel to our cruise port a few days later. Would a train be a good option for that or what do you recommend? Thank you!
Thanks so much for reading and watching our videos, Angel! The Leonardo Express train is non-stop from the airport to Termini station in the city center of Rome. Also, the train to Civitavecchia for the cruise leaves from Termini and takes about an hour. We can also set up private transportation for you if you prefer. Just contact us!
Hi, I need to get from Magliano in Toscana, Grosseto, to Terme di Saturnia. Would the “Mytaxi” app be the best way to find a ride? Also, would the cost be pre-determined? Thanks so much for any information you could give.
Ciao Marina! Grazie mille for reading our blog and enjoying our content. To answer your question, many small villages like Magliano, especially if you’re staying in a hotel or B&B, will offer shuttle services to places like Saturnia. While extremely beautiful, Saturnia is very remote. Many visitors usually rent a car to get there because of its lack of proximity to public transportation. We recommend checking with your accommodation to see what they offer, as MyTaxi will likely not work in the remote countryside.
Hi, thanks for the information. How do you ensure a taxi doesn’t rip you off? Does MyTaxi give you pricing in advance that you can hold the driver to? Thank you.
Ciao, Dan! Thanks for reading our blog. MyTaxi will give you pricing in advance. We recommend using this service as much as possible to avoid getting ripped off.
Does anyone have a rough idea as to what Uber Black would run for a 4-5 km trip in the Rome Termini area for 3-4 people?
Ciao Kelly! Thanks for reading. In the Uber app, you can actually see exactly how much your trip will cost. Just plug in your origin and destination, then select “Uber Black.” It will display a price estimate for you.
We have planned a trip in Aug/Sept in Tuscany. After several days in Florence we need to get to Lucca to meet friends. Is there some kind of private transport available for a more leisurely (hopefully with a picturesque lunch along the way!)….or should we just take the train?
Ciao Mikey! Thanks for reading our article. You can book a private transfer with us that will bring you directly there, or we have a private tour from Florence that sees the Leaning Tower of Pisa, visits the Da Vinci Museum, and more! Since it is a private tour, you can customize it to drop you off in Lucca! If you choose to use the train, you can get on Firenze S.M.N. in Florence and will have to transfer at Pisa Central Station to get to Lucca. Please call our Travel Experts for more information.
Hi Sean,
I’m hoping to come to Florence in February 2020 and stay long-term, while I work remotely for a US company, headquartered in Denmark. We are US citizens. I’ve scoured the Internet and can’t seem to find out what visa/permits/residency permit/etc that I would need. Since we will be staying over 90 days, I assume that we would need visas – but which one? All info that I’ve found pertains to working for an Italian company as an American – my situation would be working for the same US company, but doing it remotely in Florence. Any guidance would be appreciated! Thanks Jerry
Ciao Jerry! Sounds like a great plan. We recommend reaching out to the Danish consulate to see what your options are.
Hi guys,
I was wondering, does anyone know if mytaxi works from Firenze airport to Altopascio? How much it will be??? I will need it for the way there and back in November. Thanks
Cia Zuzana, thanks for reading our blog! We recommend taking a taxi from the airport, as there will be plenty lined up outside. It should only take about a half hour. Fares change all the time, but we would guess this trip will cost about 80 euros.
Hi! Which app is really to download for mytaxi for Italy,cause it shows alot. And UBER app is same app can be used for Italy also? Cause we are traveling this December 3rd week with my family. Appreciate some tips and concerns. Thank you
Ciao Carol! The app is called MyTaxi, so download that one. The Uber app is the same app you use in the states. Have a wonderful time in Italy!