Tuesday
Trenitalia resumes France-Italy high-speed rail link
Italy’s state-owned rail operator Trenitalia will resume its popular high-speed services linking Paris with the northern Italian city of Milan on Tuesday, April 1st, following a 19-month closure forced by a landslide in France’s Maurienne Valley.
Trenitalia will operate two daily trips in each direction, with a total travel time of approximately seven hours.
Milan-bound services will depart from Paris’s Gare de Lyon at 7.30am and 3.18pm, whereas Paris-bound services will depart from Milano Centrale at 6.25am and 3.53pm.
Trains will make the following stops between Paris and Milan: Lyon, Chambéry, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Modane, Oulx and Turin.
You can find further details about the Paris-Milan high-speed line here. Tickets can be purchased on Trenitalia’s website.
April Fool's Day
While April 1st is known as April Fool’s Day in English-speaking countries, the date is known as Pesce d’Aprile (literally, ‘April’s fish’) in Italy.
Though you may think that the expression is in some way related to the act of ‘baiting’ people, it more likely comes from a common prank that involves sticking a drawing of a fish onto the back of an unsuspecting victim and then asking them if they've seen 'April’s fish'.
Scattered local public transport strikes
Commuters in the Italian cities of Messina, Genoa, Savona and Vicenza may face delays or cancellations on Tuesday, April 1st, due to walkouts affecting the services of public transport operators ATM, AMT, TPL and SVT.
In Messina, ATM staff plan to strike from 4pm to midnight, for a total of eight hours.
Public transport staff in the remaining three cities will stage four-hour walkouts with the following start and end times:
- Genoa (AMT) - From 11.45am to 3.45pm
- Savona (TPL) - From 10.15am to 2.15pm
- Vicenza (SVT) - From 5pm to 9pm
For further details about any of the four planned strikes, passengers are advised to check the website or social media channels of the relevant operator.
Wednesday
UK extends ETA visa waiver scheme to EU/EFTA nationals
Citizens of EU and EFTA countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) will need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to travel to the UK from Wednesday, April 2nd.
The ETA is a £10 visa waiver that visa-free travellers need to apply for online in advance of their trip to the UK.
Once granted, it lasts two years, allowing multiple entries during its validity period.
The requirement to hold an ETA has been in place for non-EU, non-EFTA nationals travelling to the UK since January 8th.
READ ALSO: Do British-Italian dual nationals need an ETA to travel to the UK?
Holders of a British or Irish passport are exempt from the requirement, as are UK visa holders and people with residency status in the UK (for instance EU nationals with Settled or Pre-Settled Status).
You can find further details about the UK’s ETA scheme here.
Sunday
Free museum openings
Hundreds of state-run museums and archaeological sites around Italy will open their doors to the public for free on Sunday, April 6th, under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ national scheme.
The initiative applies to world-famous sites, including Rome’s Colosseum, Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia, the Miramare Castle in Trieste and the Pompeii archaeological park in Campania.
Find more information about how the scheme works in our article.
Thousands expected to join pro-Europe rally in Bologna
Thousands of people are expected to join a pro-Europe rally in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, on Sunday, April 6th, in a sign of support for European values and unity amid growing tensions between Brussels and Washington over trade tariffs and the war in Ukraine.
The initiative was launched by Italian journalist Michele Serra in late February.
“I wanted to organise a large demonstration of citizens supporting Europe, its unity and its freedom, with no party flags, only European flags,” Serra said in a letter published by La Repubblica.
He also launched the slogan: “Here we make Europe, or we die.”
The rally comes as an €800-billion plan to rearm Europe continues to divide public opinion in the country and fuel tensions within the ruling coalition.
PM Giorgia Meloni has so far backed the plan, but Deputy PM Matteo Salvini has condemned it as “a wrong decision”, adding that “Italy must defend its interests, not be dragged along.”
Vinitaly wine fair
The 2025 edition of Vinitaly – one of Italy’s most famous wine fairs – will return to the northern city of Verona from Sunday, April 6th to Wednesday, April 9th.
The fair draws winemakers and buyers from around the world every year, offering a unique programme of guest talks, wine tastings and workshops.
While Vinitaly itself is an event reserved for industry professionals, its spin-off, Vinitaly and the City, specifically caters to amateur oenophiles.
Vinitaly and the City will be held in multiple locations across Verona from Friday, April 4th to Sunday, April 6th. You can find the full event programme here.
With reporting from Luca Rufo.
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