The Italian long-distance bus provider Itabus, which competes with Flixbus in Italy, will enter Austria next year.

“Next year we will start in the export countries that are particularly interesting for us, such as Austria and France. We have tripled our offer and this summer we are expecting 200,000 travelers per month,” says Enrico Zampone, CEO of Itabus. Exact company information about the start in Austria is not yet available.

Since the company was founded in April 2021, the company has already had one million passengers on board. Connections to southern Italy are particularly in demand. Since this summer, trips to Sicily have also been offered. About 30 percent of the passengers are foreigners. The fleet currently consists of 100 buses and is expected to continue to grow, Zampone reported, according to the media.

The new bus company scores above all with the networking of cities between which there is no efficient, direct train connection and at low prices.

Tickets for the route between Bologna and Rome are available from 4.9 euros. On board, the modern buses offer comfort and WiFi connection and there are vending machines for snacks and drinks.

Entrepreneur Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who founded Italy’s first private railway company Italo in 2006, acquired a 17 percent stake in Itabus. The Italian manager Flavio Cattaneo holds another 30 percent.