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LIVING IN ITALY

13 essential apps to make your life in Italy easier

From commuting to grocery shopping, mobile apps have made many of our daily tasks simpler. Here are some of the best apps to have on your phone if you live in Italy.

Published: 7 February 2023 11:40 CET
Updated: 26 March 2023 08:57 CEST
Vittorio Emanuele Gallery in Milan, Italy
Some phone apps can make life in Italy much easier. Photo by Ouael Ben SALAH via Unsplash

Though some might not always fulfil their purpose, apps are essentially designed to make daily life easier and for those living in a foreign country any type of help, however big or small, is worth its weight in gold.

READ ALSO: Calendar: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this February

So, in no particular order, here are 13 apps that might prove essential for life in Italy. 

Moovit

Moovit is by far the best urban mobility app available in Italy.

From public transport to taxis and e-bikes, Moovit will give you travel options to get to your destination in the quickest possible time. 

The times where you’d need multiple apps to figure out the quickest way to get from A to B are long gone.

Enjoy

Public transport options aren’t always great in Italy, and you might find yourself looking for a car to hire on more than one occasion. 

If you live in Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna or Florence, you’ll be able to do so via Enjoy.

Once you’ve uploaded your driving licence to the app, you’ll only need to locate the nearest car in your area and book it with a simple click. Parking at the end of your journey will be free of charge. 

Lime

If you’re not a fan of cars (or simply can’t stand traffic during peak hours), you’ll also have the option to hop on a bike and cycle your way through the city.

There are countless bike-sharing services across the country, but Lime is definitely one of the most reliable ones.

Prices vary depending on where you live, but they’re generally very affordable.

Free Now

Regular Uber services are not available in Italy, so you’ll have to turn to local taxis for a ride. 

Free Now will spare you a lot of traipsing around (and a lot of roadside waving) by allowing you to summon a taxi to your exact location and pay for your ride via the app.

Other apps, like appTaxi and itTaxi, are also available and some are more widely used in certain cities than others.

A taxi on an empty road in Rome, Italy

Free Now allows residents to quickly hail a taxi and pay for the ride via the app. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

Il Meteo

While it might not have the most creative of names – it literally means ‘the weather’ – Il Meteo is the best mobile app if you’re looking to keep up to date with weather conditions in your corner of the boot.

Aside from giving you ten-day forecasts, the app gives you updates on pollen levels, road traffic and earthquakes as well as live satellite images.

Satispay

Satispay is one hell of a time-saver when it comes to making small purchases at your local grocery store, especially if you don’t have Apple Pay or Google Pay set up on your phone.

The app is essentially an online wallet which allows you to pay by simply scanning a QR code at the relevant check-out machine. 

Other than that, it allows you to send money to your phone contacts and make a series of in-app payments, including phone top-ups and car tax payments.

The Fork

Booking a spot at a local restaurant can be a bit of a hassle at times, especially if your Italian is still così così. 

That’s where The Fork comes in. A couple of effortless taps on your screen and you’re booked. 

The Fork also gives you access to a number of generous discounts (as much as 50 percent in some cases) on your restaurant bill.

Glovo

If you’re craving a restaurant meal but don’t quite want to leave the comfort of your home, Glovo is one of the best options available in Italy.

Glovo services more than 450 towns and cities across Italy and their deliveries are usually bang on time. 

Aside from delivering food orders, the service will also bring anything from groceries to medicine to flowers right to your doorstep.

Giallo Zafferano

One of the best ways to tap into the bel paese’s unparalleled culinary tradition is by downloading the Giallo Zafferano (Saffron Yellow) app.

Giallo Zafferano stores over 4,000 recipes, many of which are accompanied by video tutorials, nutrition facts and historical notes.

Pizza-making in Naples, Italy

The Giallo Zafferano app allows users to tap into Italy’s world-famous culinary tradition. Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP

The app will also allow you to share tips and photos of your creations with other users.

Subito

Subito is an online marketplace where you can buy or sell anything from cars to real estate to home furniture.

The app has over six million ads, but searching for items is surprisingly easy thanks to the filters and categories provided. 

Also, Subito allows you to post ads for free and chat with potential buyers (or sellers) directly within the app. 

Prezzi Benzina

Though they might not be as high as they were some months ago, fuel prices are still far from the norm and even small savings can make a big difference.

You can use Prezzi Benzina (Fuel Prices) to quickly locate the cheapest petrol station in your area and get the best available deal. 

READ ALSO: Where to find the cheapest fuel in Italy

All you have to do is select the type of fuel your vehicle runs on and enter your location. The app will do the rest. 

IO

Italian bureaucracy is notoriously tricky to navigate, but setting up the IO app on your phone will make things easier for you. 

IO allows you to message and exchange documents with any Italian public body, and gives you the option to pay for a number of public administration services from within the app.

Remember: you’ll need SPID (Public Digital Identity System) credentials or an Italian Electronic Identity Card (CIE) to access the service. 

MedInAction

MedInAction allows you to book an appointment with a qualified English-speaking doctor within 24 hours.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to make a doctor’s appointment in Italy 

However, the service isn’t cheap – prices for house calls start at 120 euros, whereas online consultations with a GP are available for 50 euros – and only the biggest Italian cities are covered.

Also, the app is only available on iOS devices.

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ROME

Why Rome has been ranked among the least ‘smart’ cities in the world

A new global report ranks Italy's capital among the least 'smart' cities worldwide. What exactly does this mean?

Published: 9 April 2024 16:38 CEST
Why Rome has been ranked among the least 'smart' cities in the world

There are many things that make the Eternal City an enduring draw for millions of tourists every year, as well as for new residents – but modern innovations are not generally known to be among them.

So the results of a new study ranking Rome as among the least ‘smart’ cities in the world may not come as too much of a surprise to anyone familiar with it.

In fact, you might think this was appropriate enough for a city where people live amidst 3,000 years of history.

Still, Rome’s particularly low ranking at 133rd place out of 142 cities worldwide – placing between Sao Paolo and Lima – might also seem a little harsh.

The result was in stark contrast to other major European cities: Zurich in Switzerland took the number 1 spot, while Oslo, Geneva, Copenhagen, London and Helsinki all featured in the top ten.

READ ALSO: Milan and Rome ranked ‘worst’ cities for foreigners to move to – again

Madrid was ranked 35th, while Paris came in 49th place. Athens however scored less well, in 120th place, and the Bulgarian capital Sofia came 113th.

Italian cities rank poorly overall, as Milan – seen as Italy’s technological and business hub – came in at a lacklustre 91st, and the university city of Bologna came 78th.

What is this ranking?

The 2024 Smart Cities Index (SCI) is produced by the Smart Cities Observatory – part of the IMD’s Global Competitiveness Center – in partnership with the World Organization for Smart and Sustainable Cities (WeGO). 

Researchers combined real-world data and survey responses from residents of 142 cities around the world to show how technology allows cities to improve the quality of life of their population.

However, as the study’s authors point out, it is not just (or strictly) about the cities’ technological aspects.

The survey’s “balanced focus’” was also on “humane dimensions” of smart cities.

They include the overall quality of life, infrastructure, environment, health and safety, public transport, services available to the population, as well as governance.

READ ALSO: Why Milan is a much better city to live in than Rome

The ‘winners’ — cities that ranked the highest — are all “located in areas where social and economic environments are relatively predictable, even against the overall climate of global uncertainties,” the report states.

“They are also cities in which visible initiatives have been taken to facilitate the lives of citizens (e.g., by developing public transport networks or ‘eco compatible’ transport solutions), and to improve the overall ‘quality of life’.”

In that case, this survey seems similar to the many other ‘quality of life’ rankings in which Rome (and Milan) also fares badly every year.

The ranking ranges from ‘AAA’ for ‘smartest’ cities to ‘D’ — the lowest. Rome had a ‘CCC’ rating while Milan was awarded a ‘B’.

Interestingly, included in the survey are not only the best aspects of each city, but also the areas that its residents have designated as ‘priorities’ — that is, the ones that need improvement.

In Rome, the major concerns for residents were recycling, which was a priority for 64 percent according to the study, and public transport, for 62 percent.

Priorities highlighted also included road congestion and air pollution, which were factors bringing down the overall score for Milan, too.

Health services, school education and green spaces were not seen as issues for most Rome residents, meanwhile.

What do you think? Is this criticism justified and, if you live in Rome, do you find the positives outweigh the negatives? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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