Guide to Train Travel in Italy

If you’re planning a trip to Italy and want to visit several cities or towns, the train is a great way to get around. A vast and efficient railway network runs throughout the Italian peninsula and even connects the mainland to Sicily. The trains in Italy are not only a more sustainable choice than flying, but also a convenient way to travel, since the train stations are usually right in the city center and you don’t need to arrive hours early to check your bags and go through security.

There are three main types of trains run by Italy’s state-run train operator, Trenitalia: Frecce such as the Frecciarossa are the high-speed trains that go up to 300 kilometers per hour and connect major cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Bologna, Turin, and Naples; Intercity trains connect small cities like Oriveto to major cities like Rome; and regional trains connect small towns. Where you’re going will determine which type of train you can take; you might have to take a combination of trains.

“We organize tours of Florence and Pisa from Rome in a day and send our clients on the Frecciarossa,” says Elisa Valeria Bove, CEO of luxury tour operator Roma Experience. She also sends clients to Venice aboard the high-speed train, adding, “They don’t do those routes with drivers because the train is very comfortable and it’s faster.”

Read on for everything you need to know about the best train routes, how to buy tickets and rail passes, what to expect on board, and some expert tips for traveling by train in Italy.

Best Train Routes in Italy

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

For the ultimate luxury time-traveling journey, book a cabin aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Operated by Belmond, the restored 1920s trains operate on a number of routes, including Rome to Paris, Florence to Paris, and Venice to London, Paris, Amsterdam, or Brussels. On board, you’ll be treated to a sumptuous lunch and dinner served in the dining car and have the chance to enjoy music in the bar car before retiring to your sleeper cabin or suite.

Espresso Cadore

The recently restored Espresso Cadore train is a sleeper train from the 1990s that discontinued service in 2011. After more than a decade of disuse, it relaunched this year with overnight journeys from Rome to Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites. Dinner is included in the price of a private sleeper cabin, but don’t expect the level of luxury you’d find on the Orient Express. The train terminates in Calalzo Pieve di Cadore and a bus brings passengers to Cortina.

Cinque Terre Express

“Nothing is more exhilarating than feeling like you’re skimming the lagoon before arriving in Venice, stepping out of the station directly onto the Grand Canal. But the best ever wait at a train station? Manarola in Cinque Terre, where the platform hovers on the sea,” says Zoe Shapiro, Rome-based founder of Stellavision Travel, a boutique travel company that plans trips to Italy. The Cinque Terre Express stops in all five towns that make up the Cinque Terre as well as Levanto and La Spezia.

Bernina Express

For the kind of breathtaking scenery and a red vintage train that looks like it belongs in a Wes Anderson film, book a ticket aboard the Bernina Express. The route begins in Tirano, in the Dolomites, and crosses into Switzerland, arriving in St. Moritz. Along the way, it clings to the mountainside, offering eye-popping views of the Brusio Viaduct and passing waterfalls and glaciers. The highest railway in Europe, this route is actually inscribed in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. “If you book first-class tickets, you have a unique experience with glass ceilings,” says Bove.

How to Buy Tickets

For tickets aboard normal trains run by Trenitalia (i.e. not the special trains listed above), you can buy tickets at the ticket booths or automatic kiosks in train stations or book tickets online in advance via trenitalia.com or italiarail.com. If you’re taking a regional or Intercity train, you don’t necessarily need to book online in advance, but if you’re taking the Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, or Frecciabianca, you should definitely reserve your ticket in advance in order to ensure you can get a seat and because the price will rise the closer it gets to the train’s departure.

Keep in mind that in some cases, it’s not enough to simply buy your ticket — you must also validate it. If you have a physical ticket that you purchased at the train station, look for the little machines on the platforms and insert your ticket. If you purchased a ticket for a high-speed train online, all you have to do is show the PDF you received via email to the ticket controller. For regional and Intercity trains that you booked online, you must virtually validate your ticket by clicking the link in the email confirmation you received and checking in on your phone before the train departs from the station. Failing to validate your ticket could result in a fine.

What to Know About Rail Passes

If you’re planning to take a lot of trains, travel long-distance, or don’t know yet where exactly you want to go, a rail pass might be a good option for you. Rail passes within Italy allow for unlimited train travel within the country for a set number of days per month. Prices start at $189 for three days in one month, and up to two children ages 0-11 years old can travel for free with each adult. You can purchase rail passes at railpass.com, but for high-speed trains and overnight trains, you’ll still need to make a reservation and pay a seat reservation fee.

What to Expect on Board

Italian trains are generally clean and comfortable, but the onboard experience varies depending on the type of train you’re taking. High-speed trains have bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, outlets where you can recharge your devices, and a cafe car where you can buy espresso, wine, beer, soft drinks, snacks, and sandwiches. Seats on the high-speed trains are assigned.

“If there’s not much difference in the price, then it’s always worth it to upgrade to premium or business class tickets because you get a less crowded train car, you get a roomier seat, a better class of service, usually you get a drink and a snack, and a cleaner bathroom,” says Umbria-based Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure contributor and founder of Villaggio Tours. As Heath notes, business-class tickets also grant you access to the lounge inside the train station.

Regional trains and Intercity trains don’t have Wi-Fi or a cafe car, but Intercity trains have vending machines where you can buy a drink or snack. Seats on these trains are not assigned, so feel free to choose any available seat.

Tips for Traveling Italy by Train

Plan to arrive at the train station about 20 minutes in advance. Platforms are generally posted about 10 minutes in advance, but it’s a good idea to give yourself a bit of extra time to find your way to the correct platform. In some stations, you’ll need to show or scan your ticket in order to access the platforms.

“Having had a couple of bad experiences with delayed trains and missed connections, I always try to give myself 20 minutes between trains, especially in a big station like Rome or Bologna,” says Heath. “I use the Trenitalia app to track the progress of the train in real time. It’s a really handy trip-planning tool.”

And make sure you get on the right train. Your destination is not necessarily the train’s final destination, so when looking on the departures board, make sure you look not only at the departure time but also at the train’s unique number. If you have a PDF ticket, you can find the train’s number in the upper right corner (sometimes in a red box). When in doubt, ask for help. Do not just board the first train going to your destination. If you have a ticket aboard a high-speed train, your ticket is valid only on the train you booked.

“My favorite train hack in Italy is for the savvy travelers because you have to be dexterous and careful when you use it. When you are using the mobile Trenitalia website, on the drop-down menu, there’s something that says train status that will show you the binario previsto, or the supposed platform that your train is arriving on,” Shapiro says. “However, previsto means predicted. It is not an absolute confirmation. Until you see your platform displayed on the partenze board or your correct train displayed on the platform, it’s not 100 percent. Always double check before you get on.”

If you need to change your reservation, you might be able to do so online, using the Trenitalia app, or at a customer service kiosk in the station, but only if you purchased an economy, base, premium, business, or executive ticket. Super economy tickets cannot be changed or refunded.