Trains in Italy

Travel by train in Italy

Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice... Thousand trains per day cover 16,000 km of railroad track on the Italian rail network, operated by Trenitalia, the Italian Railways.

They connect the big cities and the small towns in Italy and connect Italy with other European countries, such as France, Spain and Austria.

Rail Network

Railway operator ItalyAll the beautiful landscapes of Italy: the sweet hills of Tuscany, covered with vineyards, the stately Dolomiti mountains, the blues and the greens of the sea shores, the quiet countryside, the busy towns, all framed by the window will pass by the traveler’s eyes.

It won’t take long to do all that: 1 hour and a half to go from Rome to Florence, 45 minutes from Florence to Pisa, less than 3 hours from Florence to Venice, always right into the very heart of the town.

Services

All the main Italian stations have various facilities for passengers including: trolleys, baggage lockers, foreign exchange facilities, restaurants, car rental offices and hotel reservations. Smoking is prohibited on all trains in Italy.

Bicycles are only allowed on suburban and regional trains marked with a bike symbol in the timetable and upon purchase of a special bike ticket.

Train stations in Roma
Train stations in Rome
Reservations

Train types and reservations

Eurostar Italy Alta Velocità (AV), Eurostar Italia (ES), Eurostar City (ESC)

Premium high-speed trains between the larger Italian cities.
Seat reservation: compulsory. In 1st class the reservation fee includes a welcome drink and a snack.
Reservation fee: 2nd class: € 10 / 1st class: € 10

EuroCity (EC), InterCity (IC)

Trains connecting main destinations inside and outside Italy.
Seat reservation: possible, not compulsory.
Reservation fee: 2nd class: € 3 / 1st class: € 3

Regional (R) and Express (E)

Slower trains within a single region, stopping at almost every station en route.
Seat reservation: not necessary.

InterCity Notte (ICN)

Night trains for medium to long-distance journeys.
Seat reservation: compulsory. In 1st class the reservation fee includes a welcome drink and a snack.
Reservation fee: depends on the comfort level (seats, 4/6-bed couchette, cabin)

Making reservations

You can make reservations in advance (see How to make seat reservations) or at a station in Italy. You can go to a ticket window or use one of the 'Self-Service' machines to avoid queues. On these machines, you select the train you want to use and then click on the button 'Global Pass' (see example screenshot). You can pay the reservation fee by cash or credit card.

Extra info

How to get there

By train
Italy has direct train connections with bordering countries France, Austria and Slovenia.

By ferry
Italy has direct ferry connections with Geece, Spain and France. See Italy Pass Benefits for an overview of discounted ferries.