​I know I am a bit anal about timetables, but a recent trip to Lake Como out of season and I realise there is a whole new vocabulary out there to learn.

Feriale is workdays (and can include Saturday – on the more detailed timetable Fer5 = 5 days Mon to Fri, Fer6 includes the Saturday).

Scolastica is school days (as many schools operate on Saturdays, you need to check the note). Si Effettua al Sabato means it operates on Saturdays. Soppressa al Sabato means it doesn’t run on Saturdays.

​Don’t get caught out by the note (Si Effettua nei giorni non di Scuola – Soppressa al Sabato). In other words it operates during school holidays but not on Saturdays.

Festiva is Sundays and holidays (but we knew that).

Gornaliera is daily.
​
But beware. If in doubt, try asking… 

You wouldn't think bus stops could be so interesting. Here is a typical bus stop on Lake Como. Fermata means Bus Stop. Actually it means A Stop. C10 is the number of the service and it tells you the towns the bus stops at. Below is the bus timetable. On the opposite side of the road you'll generally find the bus stop for the other direction. Sometimes it might not be very obvious.
On the lake (and I suspect in many places in Italy), you have to purchase your bus ticket before you get on. They are usually sold in a bar or shop near the bus stop. This can be most annoying if it is a shop as they are generally shut between 12.30 and 3.30. So you have to be prepared in advance.
On the word Fermata. It comes from the verb fermare (to stop). You can fermare a bus but if the bus is stopping then it is fermarsi (a reflexive verb - one where the action is being done by the bus itself). La corriera si ferma in Piazza Cavour (The bus stops in Piazza Cavour).

Bus timetables can be confusing. The key words to know are:
Feriale - work days, including Saturdays.
Festiva - Sundays and holidays
Gornaliera - Daily
Note that the 5.50 Feriale is Soppressa dal 03 Agosto al 31 Agosto 2013. Which means that the 5.50 service does not run (it is suppressed) between 3 August and 31 August. Most Italian firms shut down for much of August. There wouldn't be much call for the 5.50 taking people to work. So if you are standing in the middle of the blazing August heat waiting for a bus, check the timetable.