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LIVING IN ITALY

15 must-have apps to make your life in Italy easier in 2024

From calling a taxi to booking a restaurant table, there are some essential apps that can make many of your daily tasks in Italy far simpler.

Published: 14 February 2024 16:09 CET
Colosseum, cyclist
A cyclist rides past Rome's Colosseum. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Though some may 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.

So, in no particular order, here are 15 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, especially at night, 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. 

Similar services exist in major cities around the country, with ShareNow generally being the second most popular option. 

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 an e-bike and cycle your way through the city.

Lime bikes

Lime electric bicycles in Milan’s Piazza Duomo in March 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

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

Prices vary depending on where you live, but they’re generally very affordable. A 240-minute time pass in Milan currently costs 19.99 euros.

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 quite a bit 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.

Prezzi Benzina

As fuel prices in Italy remain close to 2 euros a litre, 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. 

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. 

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.

MedInAction

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

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.

Satispay

Satispay is a useful time-saver when it comes to making small purchases at your local supermarket, 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. 

Restaurant

A woman has lunch at a restaurant in Piazza Navona, central Rome, in May 2020. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

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 want to leave the comfort of your home, Glovo is one of the more popular options available in Italy.

Glovo is available in 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 most popular ways to tap into Italian culinary tradition is by downloading the Giallo Zafferano app.

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

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. 

Bonus X

Every year Italy offers a number of financial benefits (or ‘bonuses’) which can sometimes lead to hundreds of euros’ worth of savings. 

Claiming these bonuses however is not always easy as applicants are often required to hire a professional to help them figure out the process.

The creators of Bonus X say the app helps cut the red tape by putting a team of lawyers, accountants and labour consultants at your service. Further info on costs and requirements can be found here.

IO

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

IO allows you to message and exchange documents with most Italian public bodies, including your town hall and Italy’s tax office, and gives you the option to pay for a number of public administration services from within the app.

You’ll need SPID credentials or an Italian Electronic Identity Card (CIE) to access the service. 

Drops

Drops is an excellent app for anyone looking to increase their Italian vocabulary, no matter what their current learning stage is. 

From health to school to sports, there are 50 language themes to choose from which are all useful for daily life in Italy. The activities are often multiple choice or spelling exercises, which make it easy (and fun) to learn new words. 

Drops can only be used for 10 minutes a day without paying, but a premium package currently costs 12.39 euros a month.

Member comments

  2. Enjoy and Share Now require an EU driver’s license. Not sure if a UK license still works, but definitely not American.

    At least in Rome, I would never trust an app to make a restaurant reservation. They tend to get overlooked, and you can arrive finding no table in your name. Calling is always best; if you don’t speak Italian, most restaurant staff speak at least enough English to take a reservation.

    1. Hi Max,

      Thanks for the comment!

      According to Enjoy’s website (link here – https://enjoy.eni.com/it/roma/istruzioni/car#:~:text=Il%20servizio%20di%20vehicle%20sharing,patente%20internazionale%20(se%20richiesta).), they currently accept licences issued by EU countries, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Russia, and the USA, whereas Sharenow says they accept EU, EEA, Switzerland and UK licences.

      If you haven’t been able to access their services for any reason, I’d be happy to know what your experience has been. You can contact me at [email protected].

      Thanks again for reading.

      Giampietro

  3. Uber is available, at least in Rome, due to an agreement with the taxi association. You can now use the app to order the more expensive black cars, or regular taxis.

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For members

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

 
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