Mark Miller
Cloud networks as one of the biggest energy consumers in the ICT world. Nevertheless, Cloud technology is particularly handy, when it comes to traveling. In fact, traveling and transportation are key factors in the climate change challenge and that is why I will discuss about it today.
The growing number of people in the world, especially in urban areas, force us to rethink about the way we travel. Soon or later, we won’t be able to use one only type of transportation mean to get to a place. For example, getting out of home, hopping into our car and driving it directly in front of our favorite bar won’t be so easy in the future: traffic, parking, limited traffic zones and pedestrian areas will increasingly make life of car drivers more difficult.
The new way of traveling involves multiple transportation means:
- Car + metro
- Train + bus
- Bike + train
- Car + walking
- Ferry + bus
…
Either we wanted or not, it’s going to happen. It’s definitely less comfortable but fairer and more eco-friendly.
Let’s get prepare for it!
In this sense, technology can help us in the process by making things easier. Here’s a list of some apps and sites that I personally use in my backpacker’s life. They can help you get around in Northern Italy, calmly are instantly plan your trips and chose the best routes.
Maps
- Google maps
Either your going far away or for a short trip just ask Google! Big-G is really good at dealing with thousands of possible routes and finding the best one. Also particularly helpful when you don’t know which is the local transportation app. https://www.google.it/maps/ - Here
Implemented by Nokia, this app offers a great cartography service. It’s actually better than Google when you’re low with Giga and you want to tour around a foreign city: “Here” is very good for offline satellite navigation. https://wego.here.com/
Local transportation
- Moovit-app
By far, my favorite app. Super fast and updated.
https://moovitapp.com/ - ATM-Milan
Imagine to be in a hurry. You don’t have time to go buy a ticket at the tabacchino and the tram is about to leave. Ok, now take your phone out and send a quick message with the word “ATM” to the number 48444. Now jump in the tram, sit down, have a deep breath and relax: your ticket is on your phone. http://www.atm.it/it/AtmNews/AtmInforma/Pagine/bigliettoconSMS.aspx
Railway
- Trenitalia
The app is slow and buggy but it’s definitely faster buying a ticket here than waiting for the queue at the machines in the stations.
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Purchase/Mobile-Ticketing - Trenit
Faster and fairer than Trenitalia. All train connections (also regional-regional) are shown.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.baroncelli.oraritrenitalia
Road
- BlaBlaCar
The most popular carpooling service in Italy. It’s great.
https://www.blablacar.it/ - Flixbus
Long distance coaches. A good alternative to Blabla rides.
https://www.flixbus.it
Car sharing
- Car2go
Smart-cars all over Milan and plenty other Italian cities. A little more than 25 cent per minute but totally practical for nightlife-goers.
https://www.car2go.com/IT/en/milano/ - Enjoy
The Italian car sharing service owned by ENI. Excellent for four-people groups. https://enjoy.eni.com/it
Bike sharing
- BikeMi
36€ per year and you can ride them all in Milan!
https://www.bikemi.com/ - E-motion
Very comfortable bike sharing service in Trento and other towns in Trentino. http://www.provincia.tn.it/bikesharing
Plane
- Skyscanner
Find the cheapest flight connections in a minute.
https://www.skyscanner.it/ - Terravision
Fast and practical for finding airport-city transfers.
http://www.terravision.eu/
