Essential apps for expats in Italy include Trenitalia for train tickets, Free Now for ride-sharing, Il Meteo for weather, Doctolib for healthcare appointments, N26/Revolut for banking, Duolingo for language learning, Idealista/Immobiliare for housing, and Just Eat/Glovo for food delivery. RaiPlay offers Italian TV content. Most government and news apps are Italian-only, but international services like Netflix and Airbnb work well. Find more resources on our expat community directory.
Public Transport Apps
Trenitalia
Official train app for Italy. Buy tickets, check train status, and store e-tickets for travel across the country.
URBI
Combines all electric scooter services (Lime, DOTT, Helbiz) plus bike and car sharing options for sustainable urban transport.
Free Now
Italy's preferred ride-sharing app (Uber only operates expensive UberBlack/UberLuxe). Get pricing before booking, works across Europe.
Triposo
Covers 100+ Italian locations with local maps, restaurant/shopping recommendations, and road trip suggestions for Rome, Florence, Milan, and more.
Weather Apps
Il Meteo
Popular Italian weather app offering 5-day forecasts per town/city with hourly estimates for wind, rain, sea conditions, and fog.
3B Meteo
User-friendly weather forecasts with live temperature, sun, rain, wind predictions plus photo-reports for real-time weather visualizations.
Healthcare Apps
Doctolib
Book appointments, renew prescriptions, and find specialists. Available in Italian only - good for practicing medical vocabulary.
Italian News Apps
Corriere della Sera
Most popular news app with national/international news, local newspaper stories, videos, and magazines (subscription required).
La Repubblica
National newspaper app with live/breaking news, opinion pieces, daily morning brief (Selezione), podcasts, and 9 regional editions.
Banking & Finance Apps
N26
Mobile bank offering current accounts, mobile payments, and spending insights to help budget for cost of living in Italy.
Revolut
Easy money management for saving, investing, transferring money, and earning rewards. Link Italian and international bank accounts.
Money Transfer Services
For international transfers operating in 175+ countries across 50 currencies with exchange rates cheaper than traditional banks.
Language Learning Apps
Duolingo
Most popular language-learning app with game-like lessons, challenges, and exercises for reading, listening, and speaking Italian.
Babbel
Professional language courses designed by experts. Learn Italian at your own pace with accessible, structured lessons.
iTranslate
100+ languages including Italian. Instant text/voice translations, camera translation for signs, and keyboard extension for messages.
Housing Apps
Idealista
Most useful for internationals - available in English. Search by city and property type (residences, garages, offices, commercial spaces).
Immobiliare
User-friendly app for browsing properties (houses, villas, flats, commercial spaces) for sale or rent. Connect with agents directly.
Airbnb
Short and long-term rental listings across Italy. Search by dates and location to see available homes with prices.
Second-Hand Marketplace Apps
Subito
Digital marketplace for jobs, homes, cars, furniture, and more. Chat directly with sellers, buy and sell items.
Secondamano
Classified section for jobs, homes, musical instruments, furniture, sports equipment, vehicles. Search by category or region.
Food & Delivery Apps
Just Eat
Most popular food delivery app. Wide variety of restaurants and cuisines within your delivery area.
Glovo
Order anything from medicine and flowers to groceries and takeaways from local shops and convenience stores.
Too Good To Go
Buy discounted food from restaurants, cafés, and grocery shops (Italian only) before it's thrown out. Sustainable and saves money.
WeTap
Find closest water fountains to refill your reusable bottle and minimize plastic waste.
Entertainment Apps
RaiPlay
Most popular Italian entertainment app by broadcaster Rai. Watch live broadcasts of all 14 Rai channels plus on-demand shows, documentaries, and sports.
Netflix
Local favorite with latest originals, Italian content, and English shows/movies.
Pluto TV
American streaming service (entered Italy in late 2021) offering movies and TV across all genres - comedy, romance, action, kids.
NOW
TV subscription for live sports, movies, and series. Partners with Netflix and Prime Video for broad Italian and English content.
Social & Dating Apps
MeetUp
Find social groups based on interests and hobbies. Perfect for making friends who enjoy books, museums, sports, traveling, or practicing Italian.
Badoo
Meet new people for dating or friendships. Matches appear based on location and mutual interests. Chat online or schedule meetings.
App Categories Summary
| Category | Essential Apps |
|---|---|
| Transport | Trenitalia, Free Now, URBI |
| Weather | Il Meteo, 3B Meteo |
| Healthcare | Doctolib |
| Banking | N26, Revolut |
| Language | Duolingo, iTranslate |
| Housing | Idealista, Immobiliare |
| Food Delivery | Just Eat, Glovo |
| Entertainment | RaiPlay, Netflix |
| Social | MeetUp, Badoo |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ride-sharing app in Italy?
Which housing apps work best for expats in Italy?
Are Italian apps available in English?
What apps do I need for daily life in Italy?
From Sao Paulo, Brazil
| 
Living in Milan, Italy What's it like claiming Italian citizenship through your grandparents? I did it. Six years after leaving Sao Paulo for Milan, I'm fluent in Italian and deeply confused about which country is actually home. Helping others navigate jure sanguinis and Italian bureaucracy.
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