I love traveling by train in Italy! The network is extensive, connecting major cities and tiny villages all over the country, the views are great and pricing is reasonable.
But for first time users, the choice of services can be a bit overwhelming. To simplify things, we’ve put together this guide to walk you through everything you need to know to use trains in Italy like a pro.
Types of Trains in Italy
If you want to use trains in Italy, you’ll first need to work out which ones are best for your itinerary. Italy has several types of trains, often offering multiple solutions that vary in time and price. Let’s take a look at them:
High-speed trains
These modern, fast trains connect major cities like Rome, Florence, Milan, and Venice. Traveling by high-speed train is much faster than driving and without the stress of looking for parking.
There are 2 high-speed train providers in Italy: the state-owned Trenitalia and privately-owned Italo.
Trenitalia has 2 levels of fast trains:
- Frecciarossa (Red Arrow): reaching 300km/hr, these trains travel connect Italy’s major cities. Choose from 2nd class, 1st class and Business class (and sometimes also Executive class) carriages. When time is limited, this is how you want to travel.
- Frecciargento (Silver Arrow): Slightly slower and cheaper than the frecciarossa with no Business Class. These trains use both the high speed and regular lines and reach a maximum speed of 250km/hr.
Italo offers a similar service to Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa. Tickets are generally cheaper, but these trains don’t seem to have priority on the lines (owned by Trenitalia). Platforms are often announced close to the departure time and when there are delays, Italo trains always seem to be more impacted.
Intercity (IC) Trains
Intercity trains connect larger towns and cities across Italy, including Pisa, Cinque Terre and Assisi, which aren’t on the high speed network. They are slower and more affordable than high-speed options, but currently don’t have wifi. Seats are numbered so book in advance to get the ones you want and for lower prices.
The Intercity Night Trains are also worth knowing about. These sleeper trains connect the north and south along the two coasts. Catching a train in Rome and waking up at the Straits of Messina when the train is taken apart and put on a boat before continuing to Siracusa is quite an experience.
Regional Trains
These trains will get you into the heart of Italy. They stop frequently, are the cheapest and slowest option and are perfect for day trips. There are no assigned seats for regional trains, just buy a ticket and jump on.
Airport services
MILAN
The Malpensa Express connects the airport with Milano Centrale and Milano Cadorna stations. It’s operated by Trenord, a partner of Trenitalia in the Lombardy region. Tickets are €13 one-way or €20 return.
ROME
Leonardo Express is a direct link between Fiumicino Airport and Termini Station. There are 4 trains an hour. The service takes 30 minutes and costs €14 per person. Recently there have been complaints that travelers had been fined after buying their ticket when they landed but arriving at the station in time to take an earlier train. It’s therefore best to have the app downloaded and wait until you are nearing the station before completing the purchase.
FL1 is a regional train that stops at some of the smaller Rome stations (Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana and Tiburtina). It takes 30-40 minutes and costs €8. At Roma Ostiense, you can connect easily to Metro B. Roma Tuscolana is close to Metro A, though the connection isn’t as straightforward.
When to take a high-speed train
High-speed trains are always my first choice when traveling between cities. They are reliable, comfortable and have wifi.
Even if you can’t get all the way by fast train, you will be well-placed to connect to another train or have a car service pick you up.
Making the most of your time in Italy is key to a fulfilling vacation, so let’s put this into numbers:
| Route | High-Speed Train Time | Driving Time |
| Rome → Milan | ~3h 10m | ~6h 30m |
| Rome → Florence | ~1h 30m | ~3h 30m |
| Rome → Venice | ~3h 45m | ~5h 30m |
| Rome → Naples | ~1h 10m | ~2h 15m |
| Milan → Florence | ~1h 50m | ~3h 45m |
| Milan → Venice | ~2h 15m | ~3h 15m |
| Milan → Bologna | ~1h 00m | ~2h 30m |
| Florence → Venice | ~2h 00m | ~3h 15m |
| Naples → Florence | ~2h 30m | ~4h 30m |
| Naples → Milan | ~4h 15m | ~7h 30m |
High speed trains save you some serious time and make it possible to travel long distances across Italy in half a day.
Which high speed train tickets to buy
The higher the class, the bigger the seats get and there are fewer seats in each carriage, leaving more space for luggage.
When you book early, you’ll also get a choice of pricing options for each class. The cheaper options have little or no flexibility if your plans change unexpectedly. The higher the price, the more flexibility you get.
Our advice is to book your tickets well in advance and to choose tickets where you can change train if necessary.
How to Buy Train Tickets
There are multiple ways to purchase train tickets in Italy:
- Online: The Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) and Italo (www.italotreno.it) websites allow you to book tickets in advance. This is the best option for high-speed trains since prices increase closer to departure.
- Apps: We’d recommend downloading the apps where you can buy and access your tickets quickly from your phone.
- Ticket Machines: Found in all major train stations, these machines offer an easy way to buy tickets using cash or credit cards.
- Station Ticket Counters: If you prefer in-person service, you can buy tickets at the station, but expect long lines, especially in tourist-heavy cities.
Validating Your Ticket
This used to be something that confused visitors to Italy, but it’s less of a thing today.
For high-speed and Intercity trains, your ticket comes with a specific seat reservation and does not need validation. Regional tickets that you buy through the app are also automatically validated.
Only if you buy a paper ticket do you still need to validate it. Look for the machines on the platform or inside the station building that will print the time, date and location on your ticket.
Finding Your Train and Seat
Check the Departure Board for your train’s number and destination. Trains are listed by their final stop, so if you’re heading to Florence on a train that continues to Milan, look for “Milano” on the board. The departure board will also show your train’s platform number (binario).
In the major stations, you’ll need to scan the QR code on your ticket or phone to access the platform. People without a ticket can’t go beyond this point.
Double-check your carriage and seat number. It’s not unusual for people to move seats to sit next to friends. Tell them it’s your seat and they will move.
Strikes
Strikes are the one downside of train travel in Italy and there are a lot of them at the moment.
When strikes are during the week, services are still guaranteed from 6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm so people can get to and from work. At weekends, services still run from 7am to 10am and 6pm to 9pm.
If this sounds bad, know that there’s no knowing until the day whether trains will really stop. Sometimes everything stops, other times some services will still run.
