Trieste Transportation

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The Opicina tram is not only a means of transport but also one of the most popular sights of the city.

The tramline was inaugurated in 1902 and links the square Piazza Oberdan in Trieste with the village of Opicina on the hill plateau. On the 5,2 km route it gains more than 320 metres in height, therefore the tram is supported by a so called cable tractor on the steepest section.

During the day the tram runs every 20 minutes. Tickets can be purchased from kiosks. A single ticket costs 1,15 Euro and a day ticket sets you back 3,80 Euro (Summer 2012). These tickets are also valid on the local buses of Trieste.

For more info about the tickets, please also read my "Explore Trieste by bus" tip.

Website: http://www.triestetrasporti.it/

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We arrived in Trieste by train from Bergamo with a change of trains in Brescia and Mestre. The total trip took a bit over 5 hours and cost 34,90 Euro, but it must be noted that we booked the Bresica to Venice Mestre part of the trip in advance on the trenitalia website for a 19 Euro mini price.

From Trieste we also went on a day trip by train to Gorizia. A single ticket for the 45 minutes journey was 4,15 Euro.

At the end of our time in Trieste we left the city by train towards Treviso. This trip by direct regional train took 2,5 hours and cost 15 Euro.

Regional trains in Italy are usually quite cheap and the prices are fixed; whereas other train fares can vary a lot. Good deals for longer journeys on IC trains can be obtained online when booked in advance.

Trieste's main train station (Trieste Centrale) is located at the square at Piazza della Liberta, slightly north of the city centre, but still in walking distance to the main sights. The main train lines serve routes to Venice and Udine. Unfortunately there are no direct connections to Slovenia.

Website: http://www.trenitalia.com/

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On our third day in Trieste we took a side trip by boat to Muggia, which is the only Italian town on the Istria peninsula.

The service is run from end of April until mid-September by the Delfino Verde company. This company also offers a couple of other services on the Gulf of Trieste.

Boats to Muggia leave from the left side of the pier Molo Bersaglieri, which can be found just south of the square Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia.

On weekdays there are about 10 departures either way; slightly less on holidays.

As of 2012, prices for a single ticket are 3,70 Euro and for a return ticket 6,90 Euro. Tickets for the approximately 30 Minutes trip can be bought on board.

Website: http://www.delfinoverde.it/

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Apart from the Opicina tram, Trieste's public transportation network consists of more than 50 bus lines. Many of the buses terminate at the square Piazza Oberdan or near the main train station.

Among others I used the following buses: Bus #36 to get to Castle Miramare and bus #20 to get from Muggia back to Trieste.

Tickets can be purchased from kiosks all around the town. A single ticket costs 1,15 Euro and is valid for 60 minutes on weekdays and 240 minutes on holidays. An alternative is a day ticket for 3,80 Euro (Summer 2012). All tickets are also valid on the Opicina tram and have to be stamped on board of the bus or tram.

Website: http://www.triestetrasporti.it/

There is no need to book your ticket in advance.

You can buy it at the ticket machines, at the ticket offices or also online
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD

Enjoy Trieste, in my opinion a hidden gem of Italy!

Trieste has a good bus network. In fact you can go almost everywhere by bus in the city.

You can also do some daytrips from the city by bus. For instance you can go to Grignano to visit the Miramare Castle or to Muggia (see tips)

I should recommend to buy an all-day-ticket at the newsagents, tobacconists or at some cafes. You can use it on every bus running in Trieste or outside. You have to validate it the first time you use it with a machine inside the bus and write your name and surname on it.

If you don't want to go by bus much, you can buy a ticket you can use for 10 rides.

There are single tickets valid for 60 minutes. These are valid for 240 minutes on sundays and festive days.

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If you have a couple of free hours why don't you take a look at Trieste from a different point of view?
Just take the small ferry that links periodically the harbour of Trieste with the castle of Miramare, end enjoy a beautiful view over the city and the coast, including Grignano and the nice castle.
Usually operated April to October, the Trieste - Barcola - Grignano service costs € 1,80 per ride and it takes about 1 hour to go from one point to the other.

During summer there is a boat service from Trieste to Barcola-Grignano , Trieste-Sistiana-Duino, Trieste-Muggia.
You can use it to go to Miramare castle because there's an entrance to the park in Grignano near the boat stop.There's a couple of steps to do then you are in the park.
If you go to visit Miramare by car in the weekend during summer there could be traffic if you return around 7 pm because all people come back from Barcola. So the boat could be a nice idea.
The ticket(2006 prices) costs 3 euros 1 way to go to Grignano, 1,80 euros to go to Barcola and Muggia, 4,85 to go to Sistiana and Duino.
You can take the boat near the pinguino ice cream bar and you can pay the ticket on the boat or it's included in the T-for you card if you already payed for it.