The city is preparing for EUG 2026, with over 1,600 vehicles for transfers.
The city is preparing to host over 4,000 participants, including student-athletes, EUSA technical staff, referees, competition officials, and volunteers, and to support a fleet of over 1,600 vehicles.
This number highlights the impressive logistical machine behind the transport service for EUG Salerno 2026. The service will connect the Campuses, university residences, and sports facilities across the 13 municipalities in the provinces of Salerno and Avellino, which will host the eighth edition of the Games and, this year, the first time in Italy.
The event is coordinated through a synergy among the University of Salerno, CUS Salerno, and ADISURC, with support from FederCusi and the Campania Region.
The University of Salerno itself took the lead in organising the vehicle plan through the Sustainable Transport Systems and Mobility Engineering Laboratory (Laboratorio Ingegneria dei Sistemi di trasporto e Mobilità Sostenibili), ISTMoS, of the Department of Civil Engineering, led by Professor Stefano De Luca, Mobility Representative of the Rector Virgilio D’Antonio, with support from researchers Facundo Storani and Francesca Bruno.
“Transport organisation,” explains Facundo Storani, “represents one of the most significant challenges of the event, considering the variety of connections and services to be guaranteed. We have designed a network to link the campuses, accommodation sites, and competition venues. The work required an in-depth study of the routes because we will need to move around 2,000 student-athletes every day, and many venues are not easily accessible to touring coaches. For this reason, we conducted numerous site inspections and meetings with the Local Police forces of the 13 municipalities involved to define itineraries, timetables, stopping points, and parking areas. Collaboration with local administrations has been essential to ensure the safe and efficient management of such a complex transport system.”
The first major event will be the Opening Ceremony, scheduled for July 18 in Piazza della Libertà in Salerno.
“For the occasion,” adds Facundo Storani, “we have planned to use over 40 touring coaches which will be escorted by the Traffic Police and the Carabinieri to ensure punctual and completely safe arrivals. Alongside the participants, we must also ensure mobility for the technicians involved in setup, the volunteers, and all staff who will help manage the event. We are working in close synergy with the transport service providers and with the bodies involved in mobility planning: the Municipalities, the Local Police forces, and the Police Headquarters of Salerno and Avellino, to whom the final operating plan will be submitted.”
“We have prepared,” recalls Francesca Bruno, “dedicated connections from the Naples Airport and the Salerno train station starting from July 15 to allow participants to reach the University simply and efficiently. From there, they will be accompanied to the various accommodation facilities. Every day, we plan to use at least 10 buses to ensure these transfers, minimise waiting times at both the airport and the station, and accompany the athletes directly to the campus for accreditation procedures. Continuous connections will be active between Baronissi, Mercato San Severino, Fisciano, and the Campuses at 15-20-minute intervals. During peak hours, the service will be further enhanced, especially between the Baronissi and Fisciano campuses, where numerous competition venues are concentrated. The goal is to facilitate the movement of athletes even when they are not competing, allowing them to attend other sporting events and experience the atmosphere of the event.”
It’s not just about sport: daily connections to and from Salerno will be guaranteed to provide transport for athletes who wish to visit the city in their free time.
“We wanted to create a direct connection with the city of Salerno,” explains Francesca Bruno, “so that athletes can learn about its cultural heritage and spend their free time there. An additional service will therefore operate alongside the ordinary transport, running from 10 am until midnight. In short, we have also considered moments of rest in the sports programme: on days off or during free hours, athletes can easily reach Salerno and, from there, visit other destinations in the area, such as the Amalfi Coast and the Cilento region. The connection will have a few intermediate stops to make travel quick and comfortable, ensuring a smooth and complete service.”
