Getting Around Bergamo: An Overview
Bergamo is split into two distinct halves: the hilltop medieval Città Alta (Upper Town), ringed by Venetian walls, and the Città Bassa (Lower Town) spread across the plains below. The two are linked by funicular, roads, and footpaths, and understanding that geography is the key to planning how you move around. The city's public transit authority is ATB (Azienda Trasporti Bergamo), which runs the bus network, both funiculars, and the tram, and publishes a comprehensive website in English.
Rail Connections
Bergamo's train station sits at the southern end of the lower city centre on piazza Marconi, within easy reach of the Città Bassa. Regional services are operated by Trenord, while long-distance trains are run by Trenitalia. There are regular trains to Milan, Lecco, and Brescia; from Brescia you can change for services toward Verona and Venice. Note that the station has been under major renovation, which has affected which destinations are directly served and introduced a substitute bus service on some routes — the bus is included in the train ticket. There is no left-luggage service at the station itself, but there is one at the bus station building behind McDonald's, and another at the airport.
Trams
Bergamo has a single tram line, T1, which runs from the railway station northeast along the river Serio out to the town of Albino, edging closer to the Alps. It is of limited use for sightseeing, since it has no stops near the city's major attractions — think of it as a commuter route rather than a tourist one.
Buses
ATB operates a number of bus lines, and for visitors the most convenient by far is line #1, which links the airport with the railway station, the Città Alta, and several other points of interest. Key stops along the route include Aeroporto (the airport), Orio Center (the shopping centre opposite the airport), Stazione FS (the main railway station), Porta Nuova (the centre of Città Bassa — some buses stop here and don't continue to Città Alta), Stazione Inf. Funicolare (the lower station of the Città Alta funicular), Stazione Sup. Funicolare (the upper station), and Colle Aperto, the northwestern terminus for buses doing the full route and the lower station of the funicular to San Vigilio.
Within the city, buses run at frequent daytime intervals, with a slightly less intensive schedule on Saturdays and holidays. The route has a few variations that do not run to the airport, so check the schedule and look for buses stopping at "Aeroporto". If you end up on a bus heading to Grassobbio, get off at Orio Center and reach the airport via an underground passage beneath the Autostrada. Be careful not to get off at the stop called "Orio al Serio", which serves the village on the far side of the airport with no access to the terminal. Buses to Scanzo and Torre de Roveri do not go anywhere near the airport at all.
Lines 2–11 can be useful for getting between other localities. Lines numbered over 20 run only on weekdays and are mostly structured around peak-hour traffic. The ATB website has maps and schedules for all lines.
Funiculars
Bergamo has two funicular lines, and both are genuinely useful to visitors. The first connects Città Bassa with Città Alta; it takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes to walk to its lower station from the train station. The second connects Città Alta with the locality of San Vigilio — a pleasant walk back downhill to Città Alta along quaint narrow streets and houses, with good views along the way.
Tickets and Passes
ATB's ticketing is a zone-based system, and it is worth understanding before you ride. Single-ride tickets start at the lowest zone fare for a timed validity, and the whole city centre falls within that base zone. To travel to or from the airport, however, you need a three-zone ticket, which costs more. There are also "Whole Network" cards covering longer periods, and these are valid on the funiculars and tram lines as well as the buses, and allow you to travel with luggage.
Tickets can be purchased from automated or manned points of sale throughout the town — most importantly at the train station, the airport, Porta Nuova, and the lower station of the Città Alta funicular. They can also be bought through the ATB app, or onboard with a card or a digital payment system such as Apple Pay or Google Pay; note that onboard you can only pay for one passenger per card.
Taxis
Taxis are available and quick for short hops, but they are quite expensive relative to the distance covered. A taxi between the airport and the city takes about fifteen minutes and costs around €15, rising to around €21 after 21:00 in the evening. The source material does not cover ride-hailing apps in Bergamo, so it is safest to plan around taxis and public transport.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Bergamo is served by Il Caravaggio International Airport (BGY), which mostly hosts low-fare airlines — many of which market it as an alternative to Milan's Malpensa and Linate and therefore call it "Milan Bergamo". There is a left-luggage service at the airport, though it is reportedly closed at night. Many passengers get on a coach to Milan right after arrival and skip Bergamo entirely; if Bergamo is your destination, you have two main options.
- Airport Bus (line #1): Runs between the airport and important points within the city, such as the train station and the lower station of the funicular. Schedules and route maps are on the ATB website. A single ticket is valid on all city transport for a set time window, with 24-hour and 3-day tickets also available. Tickets can be purchased at a ticket machine at the bus stop, via contactless payment on the bus (Passa e Vai, at a slightly higher fare), and at some other locations listed on the website.
- Flibco Shuttle Bus: Frequent departures, roughly every 20–30 minutes during peak hours. Flibco connects the airport to various destinations including Milan Centrale railway station, other Milan stops, and additional cities. The journey to Milan Centrale typically takes about an hour depending on traffic. Schedules and route maps are on the Flibco website; fares vary by destination and booking time, and tickets can be purchased online, at airport counters, or from the driver.
One practical warning: buses can be both unreliable and unpunctual, so allow 30–45 minutes of buffer before the time you actually need to be at the airport.
Other Bus Connections
If you are at the airport and your destination is Milan or Venice, you can simply take one of the regular coaches. Be aware, though, that the autostrada connecting Bergamo and Milan carries a lot of trucks and congests easily — do not rely on the stated journey time, especially on weekdays. An alternative is to take the bus into Bergamo and then take the train. There are also regular buses to Milan from the city's bus station, which sits about 100 metres north of the train station and has automatic left-luggage lockers; schedules and fares are on the Autostradale website.
Bicycles
Bergamo has a public bike system called La BiGi, run by Nextbike. Bikes are available for rent, with a charge for the first 30 minutes and an additional charge for each further 15 minutes. There are also e-bikes available at a higher rate for the first 30 minutes and then an hourly charge thereafter.
Walking
Walking is central to experiencing Bergamo, particularly because the two halves of the city are connected by footpaths as well as by funicular and road. The Città Alta is a compact, walled historic centre best explored on foot, and the walk down from San Vigilio back into Città Alta is a rewarding one in its own right. For the climb between the lower and upper towns, you can choose between the funicular, the roads, or the footpaths depending on your energy and the weather.