Essential apps for travelling to Italy
Italy runs on trains and long lunches. These apps cover both.
Glütty · 14 October 2026
Trains
Trenitalia
The national rail operator's app for tickets on regional and high-speed trains.
- Best for:
- Most rail journeys, including regional lines.
- Watch out:
- Regional paper tickets need validating; digital ones tied to a train don't.
- Platforms:
- iPhone, Android, web
- Price:
- Free app
Italo
The private high-speed operator between major cities.
- Best for:
- Comparing high-speed fares with Trenitalia.
- Watch out:
- High-speed routes only.
- Platforms:
- iPhone, Android, web
- Price:
- Free app
Eating
TheFork
Restaurant booking across much of Europe, including Italy, often with deals.
- Best for:
- Booking dinner in cities.
- Watch out:
- Many small trattorias aren't on it.
- Platforms:
- iPhone, Android, web
- Price:
- Free
Glütty
Scan, upload or paste a link to any menu. Every dish is translated into your language, explained in plain words, and can be shown as a picture. Members also get a match score for each dish based on their own taste profile, plus dietary flags.
- Best for:
- Regional menus. Italian dish names change by region, and translations like "cacio e pepe" become "cheese and pepper", which tells you nothing. Glütty explains what the dish actually is.
- Watch out:
- Free accounts get three menu scans a month. Match scores, taste memory and unlimited scans need the £8.99/month membership.
- Platforms:
- Web app, works in any phone browser
- Price:
- Free tier; membership £8.99/month
What's different about Italy
Menus are split into antipasti, primi, secondi and contorni, and you're not expected to order all of them. Coperto, a per-person cover charge, is normal and listed on the menu. A translator that explains structure as well as words helps here. Compare options in the best menu translator apps.
