Practical Information for visiting Trieste

Trieste sits in a corner of Italy and is better connected to its neighbours than to its own country.

The station has direct trains to Venice in about two hours, and connections north through Udine towards Austria.

The airport at Ronchi dei Legionari, about thirty kilometres northwest, has its own railway station and a modest European schedule; Ljubljana, Venice and Treviso are all realistic alternatives.

By road, Udine is about an hour and Venice about two on the A4.

Ljubljana is an hour and a half by road and Zagreb about three; buses run to both, and to the Istrian coast in Slovenia and Croatia.

Ferries operate seasonally down the Istrian coast.

Coverage for mobile networks is good; note that phones frequently pick up Slovenian networks on the plateau.

Trieste is one of the safest cities of its size in Italy, and crime is not a meaningful concern.

Ordinary care around the station and the port after dark is sufficient.

The real hazard is the bora. In a severe episode the wind will knock people over, particularly on the exposed seafront and at street corners near the escarpment; roof tiles, scaffolding and street furniture come down, and vehicles are blown across lanes on the coast road. Take official warnings seriously and stay off the moles and piers.

On the Carso, open shafts and karst sinkholes are a genuine danger away from paths, and mobile coverage is patchy.

Sea conditions in the gulf change fast with the wind, and swimming off the rocks in a bora is dangerous.

Border crossings into Slovenia are open but are checked at times; carry identification.

Emergency services are reached on 112.

No vaccinations or special precautions are needed; standards are those of Italy generally.

The city is steep above the lower town, with long staircases; the flat waterfront strip is easy.

Wind chill during a bora is the most common seasonal problem and catches visitors who dressed for the temperature rather than the wind.

Ticks are common on the Carso, and tick-borne encephalitis is present in this border region — walkers spending real time in the woods should check, and vaccination exists for those at higher exposure.

Summer humidity in the lower city is noticeable but not extreme.

Trieste has two hospitals with emergency departments and is a regional medical and research centre; provision is excellent.

Pharmacies operate a published night and holiday rota, and several are open long hours near the centre.

EHIC and GHIC cards are accepted; travel insurance is worth having, particularly if you cross into Slovenia or Croatia.

The single emergency number across Italy is 112, reaching police, ambulance and fire, generally with English-speaking operators and often with German and Slovene as well.

Other numbers still in use: 113 police, 118 medical, 115 fire.

The Ospedale di Cattinara and the Ospedale Maggiore both have emergency departments; Cattinara is the main trauma centre.

For incidents at sea, the coastguard answers on 1530 or through 112.

Report thefts to the Carabinieri or the Polizia, both with stations in the centre, for the report an insurer will require.

Trieste hosts a number of consulates, a legacy of its imperial past; embassies are in Rome, about six hours by train.

If you are travelling on into Slovenia or Croatia, note that the emergency number is also 112 in both, and that a European health card is accepted in Slovenia and Croatia as it is in Italy.