Bergamo for Expats and Nomads

Healthcare in Bergamo is below average. For every 10k inhabitants, there are around 2.97 pharmacies, 7.91 general practitioners and 21.5 specialized doctors per 10k inhabitants.

Average life expectancy in Bergamo is 79.6 years of age.

Bergamo has a lower-than-average percentage of high school graduates, around 51.4%; and a lower-than-average percentage of university graduates, around 22.6%.

The average number of completed years of schooling for people over 25 is 9.9, which is lower than the national average of 10.44.

There is one university in the province.

Bergamo offers a vibrant nightlife scene with a variety of bars, clubs, and entertainment options. Visitors can explore the city's diverse range of bars, each with its own unique atmosphere and drink selection.

From traditional pubs to modern cocktail bars, Bergamo has something to suit every taste.

The city also hosts theatrical performances and cultural events, providing a well-rounded nightlife experience.

Overall, Bergamo has pretty good nightlife with 2.68 bars and 2.82 restaurants per 10k inhabitants.

The province of Bergamo is overall very safe for expats. As of 2021, there are an average of 2579.4 reported crimes per 100k inhabitants. This is 9.04% lower than the national average.

There have been around 0.3 deadly road accidents and 12.2 serious work-related injuries per 10k people in Bergamo. This is respectively 44.44% less driving accidents than average and 5.43% less work accidents than average.

Car theft is reportedly 41.07% lower than average with only 41.56 cases per 100k inhabitants.

Reports of house thefts are 11.92% lower than average with 154.16 cases per 100k inhabitants.

Cases of robbery are not totally uncommon, around 22.99% higher than average with 27.23 reports per 100k inhabitants.

Bergamo is considered a relatively safe city with a low crime rate. Instances of petty theft and pickpocketing can occur, especially in crowded tourist areas, but they are relatively uncommon. The city maintains effective safety measures and has a visible police presence, contributing to a secure environment. Road accidents are infrequent, but it is important to exercise caution and adhere to traffic regulations when driving in Bergamo.

Public transport in Bergamo is quite good, and traffic is below average.

There are on average 0.62 active vehicles per person, against a national average of 0.66.

Around 1.66km per 10k inhabitants of the main city in Bergamo consist of bicycle lanes. This makes Bergamo somewhat bike-friendly by Italian standards.

The city's public transit authority is called ATB (Azienda Trasporti Bergamo) and provides a comprehensive website in English. ATB operates a number of bus lines, two funiculars and a tram line.

ATB's ticketing system is a complicated zone-based affair, with single-ride tickets starting at €1.30 (75 min) for zone 00 (24-hr card – €3.50). Basically, the whole city centre is included into this zone, but to travel to or from the airport you would need a 3 zone ticket for €2.30 (75 min). There are also "Whole Network" cards: 24 hr for €5.00 and 72 hr for €7.00. These tickets are also valid at the funiculars and tram lines 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 Citta Alta funicular.

Bus line #1 is the most convinient for tourists, as it connects the airport with the railway station, the Citta Alta and several other points of interest. The important stops are:

• Aeroporto for airport
• Orio Center for the shopping centre opposite the airport
• Stazione FS for the main railway station
• Porta Nuova for the centre of Citta Bassa, some buses stop there and don't go to Citta Alta
• Stazione Inf. Funicolare for the lower station of Citta Alta funicular
• Stazione Sup. Funicolare for the upper station of Citta Alta funicular
• Colle Aperto northwestern terminus for buses doing the full route, at the lower station of the funicular to San Vigilio

The journey from Aeroporto or Orio Center to Colle Aperto takes not more than 25min (unless there is major traffic congestion), and within the city all of the stops are not more than 15min from each other. Buses leave the airport three times an hour from 06:00 until 00:00, which is complemented by two hourly departures from Orio Center on the other side of the Autostrada. Within the city, the intervals are 10min at daytime. On Saturdays ("Sabato") and holidays ("Festivo") the schedule is slightly less intensive, but still workable.

Do note that the route has a few variations which 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", the shopping centre opposite the airport, and head to the airport via an underground passage under the Autostrada. The stop called "Orio al Serio" is for the village and is on the other side of the airport, from where it is possible tonot get to the terminal, so make sure you do not get off there (wait for "Orio Center"). Buses to "Scanzo" and "Torre de Roveri" do not go anywhere the airport at all.

Lines 2-11 can be useful for getting around between other localities. Lines with numbers over 20 only run during weekdays and are mostly structure to handle peak hour traffic. Do take a look at the pretty extensive and exhaustive information at the ATB website, where it is possible to find maps and schedules for all lines.