Trains in Italy
In Italy the extensive train network takes you from the ancient relics of Pompeii to the picturesque Umbrian countryside, along the spectacular Tuscan coastline or the beautiful islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Travel to famous cities Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan on board Italian trains and get great views from your window along the way.
Train types in Italy
Trains in Italy will take you across the entire country and its islands, as well as other countries in Europe. Italy's train network is operated by Trenitalia. You can check times for Italian trains in the Interrail timetable or the Trenitalia timetable.
- Route map
- Domestic trains
- International trains
- Night trains
- Scenic trains
Regional and Intercity trains
Trenord regionale (R)
Runs through the central northern region of Lombardia, close to Switzerland.
No reservations required.
Trains between Lecco and Piona are not included in your Pass.
Trains between Milan and Malpensa airport are not included in your Pass.
Check train times on the Trenitalia timetable.
InterCity (IC)
Connects major cities like Florence, Milan, Rome, and Venice.
Faster than regional trains and fewer stops.
Reservations are mandatory.
The Leonardo Express
An express train between Rome and Fiumicino Airport.
All seats are 1st class, therefore a 1st class Interrail Pass is required to travel on this train. If you have a 2nd Class Interrail Pass you will need to buy a ticket.
2nd class Pass holders can travel between Rome and Fiumicino airport with Frecciarossa trains.
Domestic high-speed trains
Le Frecce high-speed trains (formerly known as Eurostar Italia) are modern and comfortable. All trains have air-conditioning, luggage racks, power sockets, refreshments and usually a restaurant car.
Frecciarossa (FR)
- Connects the main Italian cities from north to south on high speed lines.
- The fastest trains in Italy, with speeds up to 300 km/h.
- Flagship: Frecciarossa 1000
- Reservations are required.
Frecciarossa (FR) to and from Fiumicino Airport (Rome)
- Fiumicino - Roma Termini
- Fiumicino - Napoli (via Roma Termini)
- Fiumicino - Venezia S. Lucia (via Bologna, Florence, Roma Termini)
- Reservations are required.
Frecciargento (FA)
- Connects the main Italian cities from north to south on high speed lines and conventional railway lines.
- Second fastest trains in Italy, with speeds up to 250 km/h.
- Reservations are required.
Frecciabianca (FB)
- Connects the main Italian cities with secondary cities on conventional railway lines.
- Third fastest trains in Italy, with speeds up to 200 km/h.
- Reservations are required.
Freccialink (Frecce + bus)
International trains
EuroCity and Railjet Brenner
- Connects Venice / Verona / Bologna to Munich (Germany), via Innsbruck (Austria)
- Seat reservations are optional.
- Mandatory supplement if you are travelling to/from/within Italy.
- 1st class: €15 (including supplement)
- 2nd class: €10 (including supplement)
- Business Class upgrade: €30 (including supplement; only on Railjet)
- A supplement can be bought on board for an additional fee, costing €5
EuroCity to Switzerland
- Connects Milan and Venice to Zurich / Bern / Basel / Geneva (Switzerland)
- Reservations are mandatory.
EuroCity (Express)
- Connects Milan to Frankfurt (Germany) via Basel (Switzerland)
- Reservations are mandatory if you're travelling to/from/within Italy.
EuroCity to Austria via Slovenia
- Connects Trieste to Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Vienna via Graz (Austria)
- Reservations are optional.
Railjet
- Connects Venice / Bolzano to Vienna (Austria)
- Seat reservations are optional.
- Mandatory supplement if you are travelling to/from/within Italy.
- 1st class: €15 (including supplement)
- 2nd class: €10 (including supplement)
- A supplement can be bought on board for an additional fee, costing €5
TGV
- Connects Turin / Milan to several cities in France
- Reservations are mandatory.
Intercity and Regional train to Nice
- Connects Milan and Genoa to Nice and Côte d’Azur (France)
- Step 1: IC Milan – Genoa – Ventimiglia / RE Genoa - Ventimiglia
- Step 2: RE Ventimiglia – Monaco – Nice – Cannes (France)
- Transfer in Ventimiglia
Domestic night trains
InterCity Notte (ICN) to Sicily
This is a unique journey as the train is transported by boat across the Strait of Messina.
- Milan – Bologna – Firenze – Messina – Catania - Syracusa
- Milan – Bologna – Firenze – Messina – Palermo
- Rome – Napoli – Salerno – Messina – Catania – Syracusa
- Rome – Napoli – Salerno – Messina – Palermo
- Rome - Messina – Catania – Syracusa
- Rome – Messina – Palermo
InterCity Notte (ICN) between the rest of Italy
- Milan – Bari – Taranto – Brinsidi – Lecce
- Milan – Parma – Bari – Brinsidi – Lecce
- Torino – Alessandria – Bari – Brinsidi – Lecce
- Torino – Milan – Roma – Napoli – Salerno
- Torino – Genoa – Roma – Napoli – Salerno
- Torino – Genoa – Pisa – Livorno – Reggio di Calabria
- Trieste – Venice – Padova – Rome
- Bolzano – Trento – Verona – Rome
International night trains
ÖBB Nightjet (EN) has many trains connecting to and from several destinations in Italy:
- Rome – Florence – Salzburg – Munich (Not between 10 June – 9 September)
- Ancona – Bologna – Salzburg – Munich – Stuttgart (10 June – 9 September)
- Rome - Florence - Bologna – Vienna
- Ancona – Bologna – Vienna (10 June – 9 September)
- Livorno - Pisa - Florence - Bologna – Vienna (Not between 10 June – 9 September)
- La Spezia – Genoa – Milan - Verona - Vienna
- La Spezia – Genoa – Milan - Verona - Salzburg – Munich – Stuttgart
- Venice - Udine - Salzburg - Vienna
- Venice - Udine - Salzburg – Munich – Stuttgart
- Reservations for sleeping accommodation are required.
Scenic train routes in Italy
Chur (Switzerland) to Lugano via Tirano (Italy).
Interrail Passes are valid for the entire journey.
Seat reservations are only required for the special panorama train.
Locarno (Switzerland) to Domodossola (Italy).
Interrail Passes are valid for the entire journey.
Popular connections
- Domestic routes
- International routes
- Ferry routes
Route | Regional | High-speed |
---|---|---|
Rome to Florence | 3h 30m | 1h 30m |
Rome to Milan | 9h (1 stop) | 3h |
Rome to Venice | 9h (3 stops) | 3h 30m |
Florence to Milan | 5h 30m (1 stop) | 1h 30m |
Florence to Venice | 4h (2 stops) | 2h |
Pisa to Florence | 1h | 1h |
Venice to Milan | 3h 30m (1 stop) | 2h 30m |
Milan to Naples | 14h | 4h 35m |
Rome to Turin | 10h 20m | 4h 10m |
Milan to Palermo | - | 20h 45m (overnight) |
Route | Which train? | Travel time | Reservations |
---|---|---|---|
Genova (via Ventimiglia) to Nice (France) | IC + Regional trains | 3h 15m | Required |
Milan to Bern / Geneva / Zurich (Switzerland) | EuroCity | 3h / 4h 15m / 3h 15m | Required |
Milan to Vienna (Austria) | ÖBB Nightjet | 11h 30m (overnight) | Required |
Rome to Munich (German) | EuroCity/Railjet Brenner / ÖBB Nightjet | 6h 20m / 13h (overnight) | Required |
Venice to Innsbruck (Austria) | EuroCity/Railjet Brenner | 4h 30m | Required |
Venice to Vienna (Austria) | RailJet | 8h (overnight) | Required |
Venice to Vienna (Austria) | EuroNight | 7h 30m (overnight) | Required |
Trieste to Ljubljana (Slovenia) | EuroCity | 3h | Optional |
International ferry routes to and from Italy
Spain to Italy
Get an Interrail discount of 20% off Grimaldi Lines journeys from Barcelona to Civitavecchia and Porto Torres (Sardinia).Greece to Italy
Get free and discounted travel with Minoan Lines ferry trips from Patras or Igoumenitsa to Ancona on the Adriatic coast of Italy.
Reservations
Interrail reservation self-service system
- Interrail
- IC, EC, Frecce (domestic), TGV, RailJet, Nightjet
Administration costs when booking through Interrail self-service
- € 2,- p.p.per train
- Additional € 9,- per order (for paper tickets)
With railway carriers
- ÖBB (Austrian railways): Domestic and international trains to Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia
- SNCB (b-europe): Only Eurocity trains to Switzerland
- ÖBB Nightjet: Only Nightjet
- DB (German railways): ‘Brenner’ EC/Railjet direct trains to Munich
- Leave ‘Book seat only’ switched off
Other platforms
- Rail Europe:
- Frecciarossa, Intercity, Intercity Notte
- TGV to Paris, Eurocity to Switzerland, Bernina Express
- Italiarail
An explanation of how each booking platform works can be found here: How do I book my reservations
Locally at the train station in Italy
By Phone
Reservations can be booked through the Trenitalia call centre
Good to know
Which trains in Italy require reservations?
- No reservations: Trenitalia regional trains.
- Compulsory: Frecciarossa, Frecciagento, Frecciabianca, Intercity and Intercity Notte trains
Reservations for the TGV (Paris to Milan)
- Seats are limited for Interrail Pass Holders.
- It's not possible to buy tickets or reservations for this route at Italian train stations.
Freccialink
Get your Pass for Italy
Interrail Italy One Country Pass
Offers you extensive rail travel in Italy and its islands.
20% off City Sightseeing buses, plus more benefits.
Youth, senior and family discounts available.
Prices from € 144
Interrail Global Pass
Have the freedom to visit Italy and up to 32 other Interrail countries
Youth, senior and family discounts available
Prices from € 212
Tips and tricks for Italy
The main Italian train stations
The two main hub stations in Italy are:
Roma Termini (Rome)
Milano Centrale (Milan)
Italy's main train stations usually have great facilities:
Luggage storage
Cash machines and a foreign exchange desk
Restaurants, cafés, and pharmacies
Tourist information offices
Elevators, escalators and access for disabled passengers
Spelling of names in Italy
In towns and cities in Italy, train stations, maps and information boards show local place names. Here are a few you can learn to make your Italian rail journey easier:
Firenze = Florence
Genova = Genoa
Milano = Milan
Napoli = Naples
Padova = Padua
Pompei = Pompeii
Roma = Rome
Sicilia = Sicily (island)
Torino = Turin
Venezia = Venice
Ferry travel and other discounts
If your Interrail Pass is valid in Italy, you can take several ferries for free or at a discount. These ferry routes run from from Italy's mainland to:
Sardinia and Sicily (Italy)
Split (Croatia)
Barcelona (Spain)
Various locations in Greece
And we've got many more discounts for you.
Get inspired
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Explore Cinque Terre and Tuscany by train Experience an enchanting off-season train route through Italy. Travel through Cinque Terre and Tuscany by train and discover romantic landscapes, breathtaking art and so much more.
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Italy with Interrail Discover the most classic and romantic Italian cities on short train journeys. Go Interrailing through Italy to feel the essence of La Bella Italia.
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Train route: Florence and Beyond Travel by train around Tuscany to discover the most iconic Italian cities and scenery. Enjoy the placid views from the train and explore Florence, Pisa, Milan and Rome in the easiest possible way.
Change of currency
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