ITALY Stagecoach’s megabus.com is expanded in Italy with the opening of a new base in Naples. Twenty additional staff are being employed and three new vehicles introduced as part of further investment in the inter-city coach network.
The company currently provides domestic travel between 13 locations in Italy including Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples, Turin, Bologna, Verona, Padua, Siena, Genoa, Sarzana (La Spezia) and Pisa. In addition, megabus.com also operates an international route between Milan, Turin, Lyon, Paris, Lille and London, providing the only direct coach link available between Milan and London.
From May 15 there will be new overnight express services between Milan, Rome and Naples. One service will operate in each direction every night of the week, with a journey time of seven hours 35 minutes between Milan and Rome. That’s more than two hours faster than existing services.
A new direct daily link between Naples, Genoa, La Spezia (Sarzana) and Siena is also being introduced and there will be an additional service per day between Naples, Rome and Florence. More trips between Naples and Rome will mean there are 10 per day in each direction on that route. Faster journey times on many services are also being introduced.
The average fare paid by customers across Italy remains around €10 (subject to a 50cent booking fee). A fleet of 24 87-seat Van Hool Astromegas offer free WiFi, power sockets, air conditioning and a toilet.
Megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson said: “We’re delighted with the response to our services in Italy. Travellers and communities were crying out for the low-fares, good quality coach travel we deliver and our services have proved very popular.
“We are proud to be investing further in Italy by creating more jobs, opening our first base in the south of the country, and offering new connections to help boost connectivity and the economy. We’ve had a great welcome from people in Italy and we look forward to attracting even more customers on board our coaches in the future.”
