How to Travel by Train in Italy

Which type of transportation is convenient in Italy?

Many countries have transportation that locals prefer to use. For example, renting a car and driving in USA is a good choice. Spain has a very developed bus system so it is very convenient to take long-distance buses. Among the many means of transportation in Italy, the train is a more practical one. Trains in Italy are well connected and can be used to travel between cities, or can be used to travel inside cities like subways and buses.

It is not very easy for foreigners to take the train in Italy. But once you understand how the train system works, you will feel its convenience. The article provides travel tips on how to travel by train in Italy.

Types of trains In Italy

There are three types of trains in Italy: regional trains, intercity trains and Frecce.

Regional trains are not particularly fast, but they are also distinguished by express (Regionale Veloce, marked RV) and slow trains (Regionale, marked R). Even on the same line, express trains often do not stop at certain stations, while slow trains stop almost at every station.

Intercity trains and Frecce generally connect some larger cities, with faster speeds and higher prices. Intercity are trains similar to the Regional but they travel longer paths and they stop less.

Frecce are special trains that run faster. There are three types of Frecce:

All the trains above belongs to the company Trenitalia.  

Another company called Italotreno only provides the Italo train which is high speed train of 300 km/h.

Note: more details about the types of trains can be seen at the end of article.

reserve more time when taking train

Traveling by train in Italy requires some more time reserved for two reasons. The first is that trains in Italy can delay, so you need to reserve some time to take the train. The second reason is that it is important to note that the distance between platforms may be very far at large stations, so you need to reserve some time in advance when you go to the train station.

It’s convenient for taking trains in very small train stations but some very small stations do not have a ticket office to buy tickets. If you take Regional trains, you can also buy train tickets at the tobacco shop near the train station.

If you’re taking a train from a large station like Rome Termini station, it’s a good idea to arrive at the station at least half an hour earlier. Although most of the platforms are not too far away, there are indeed some that are very far and take a while to walk.

Purchase train tickets

three ways of purchasing tickets

You can purchase tickets at the ticket office or on the ticket machine at the train station.

It is often a very good choice to buy tickets in advance online, because the tickets for Frecce, Italo or Intercity trains may have discounts if you buy them in advance. The sooner you buy the cheaper, the more expensive it will be if you buy it later. Trenitalia and Italo are the two main train companies in Italy, so you can book train tickets directly on their websites.       

choose 1st or 2nd class?

There are 1st and 2nd class carriages on Italian trains. Generally speaking, most people will choose the 2nd class, that is, the standard class. The environment and other aspects in 2nd class carriages are normal and fine. If you need a very quiet environment and need to be very comfortable, then the 1st class should be closer to your requirements if you don’t have budget constraints

Take the correct train

Very often the train ticket only written names of departure and arrival stations, without marking the transfer station does not imply it must be a direct train. Whether the train needs to be transferred, you can ask at the ticket office when you buy a ticket at the train station. The best way is to check in advance online and book directly online from websites or from APPs.

There is a big difference when taking train in Italy comparing to many other countries. In many countries, you only need to know the names of departure and arrival stations. By knowing the train number, you can check which platform you need to go to take the train on the electronic signboard according to the train number.

When taking a train in Italy, not only you need to know names of departure and arrival stations, but also more importantly, you need to know what is the terminal station of the train that you want to take. According to the name of the terminal station, you can check on the electronic signboard which platform you need to board on the train, so as not to take the wrong train. Of course, you can also use the train departure time for further confirmation.

Here we recommend a relatively easy-to-use mobile APP Trenit, which can be used to query various information about trains, the time of departure and arrival, as well as the delay and actual arrival time.

Check-in and validate train tickets

There is no complicated check-in process to take trains in Italy. Frecce trains often check tickets at the entrance of the platform. In most other railway stations, you can board on the train directly. The conductor’s check may happen randomly after boarding.

Under normal circumstances, if your train ticket does not have your name and carriage and seat number, that is, this train ticket is similar to an open ticket, then you need to validate/print your train ticket on machines at the train station before getting on the train. If a traveller forgets to validate/print the ticket, he/she risks to get a fine.

Get off a train at the correct station

In some big cities, you need to pay attention to the name of the specific station to get off. Because the names of several stations may all contain the name of the city, but the distance between them may be far apart. Choose the station that is closest to your destination to get off can save a lot of effort and time.

Safety on the train

Sometimes there are thieves on trains, so it’s better to keep your important documents and belongings in a bag that close to you and not at a distance from yourself. When you put your luggage under your seat, if someone makes loud noises behind your seat to attract your attention, your first reaction should be look at your luggage. Because when you are turning back in an instant, your luggage could be stolen. But if you’re careful and you should be relatively safe.

Bathrooms on the train

There are bathrooms on most trains, but it may be necessary to pass through several carriages to reach a bathroom. If you do not find the bathroom successfully, you can look for the carriages in different directions.

Travel with your pet or bike

Travel with your pet

You can carry your pet on Italian trains. If you travel with Trenitalia, pet travel free inside a kennel smaller then 70x30x50 cm. You need to buy tickets to carry bigger dogs. Currently, ticket for pets in Frecce and Intercity costs 5 euro from Sunday to Friday and 1 euro on Saturday. Tickets can be bought online. When you book your train ticket, you can select the option “Viaggia con il tuo cane” (Travel with your dog). Remember that the dog has to be on a leash and it has to wear muzzle.

If you travel with Italo, you can also reserve a place for your big dog on a leash wearing muzzle. Smaller pets can be carried inside a kennel for free.

Travel with your bike

You can travel with a folding bike in Italian train. Remember that if you travel with Italo, you need to pay to carry the folding bike. When you purchase your ticket, you need to select the option to carry the bike.

If you travel with Trenitalia, the folding bike is free to carry. Trenitalia has also a service to carry non folding bike on some special Regional train.

Conclusion

In conclusion, once you understand how to travel by train in Italy, you will find that the train can be the first choice for travel. Italians are good at design, the seats on the train are designed quite comfortable. Before taking the train, you can also prepare water and some of your favourite foods to make your trip easier and more comfortable.

Notes:

More information about types of trains

When taking the Regional train, you must distinguish between the express train or the slow train before getting on the train, otherwise you will miss the station that you want to get off. You may also figure out that some Regional trains can be faster than others, because not every Regional train stops at every station. Thus, before take a train, it is always convenient to compare the length of the journey. 

Regional trains can be used also to move inside big cities such as Rome, Milano, Genoa and Turin. The speed of those trains is relatively slow, but much faster than subways. If you use them reasonably, you will feel very convenient.

Intercity trains stop in the main cities and in some minor towns located in important territory. Intercity Giorno runs during the daytime and Intercity notte runs in the night.

Frecciabianca runs only on two railway lines: 1) from Milan/Turin to Rome and 2) from Ravenna/Rimini to Rome.

Special Trains that connect Rome city center and Rome airports

There is another special type of train called Leonardo Express that only connects Roma Termini station and Roma Fiumicino airport (FCO) without any stop in the middle. The price is € 14 per person one way. But there are cheaper options explained in How To Get From Fiumicino Airport (FCO) To Rome City Center? You can also find other train infomation in How To Get From Ciampino Airport To Rome City Center?

Some small regional level train companies

Don’t forget that in some areas you may find smaller companies that also provide train services. For example, one of the main among small train companies is Trenord, which operates in the area around Milan. In particular, Trenord trains connect Milan city center with Rho Fiera (the site of Expo 2015), Malpensa airport and Lugano in Switzerland. The main Trenord station is Milano Cadorna, in Milan center next to Parco Sempione.

Author: Hua