🚆 Italy by train: how much Interrail costs and how to plan a route

Italy is best seen from a train window. Distances between cities are short and trains run frequently, so you won't have to choose between the sea, the mountains, and the old towns. The night train from Munich gets you to Rome in one night, and a seat in a regular car starts at €34.90 (as of 09/2026, ÖBB Nightjet on bahn.de). You board in the evening and have coffee by the Colosseum in the morning.

This Interrail route runs from Berlin through Rome, Naples, and Bologna to Venice and Zurich. Below you'll find the trains, pass prices, and a list of places worth seeing if you only have a few days.

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How Interrail works in Italy

💡 In short:

Get an Interrail Global Pass: one pass covers trains in 33 countries, including all of Italy.
Put Rome in the middle of your route, because Roma Termini is the country's main hub.
Night trains save you a night in a hotel and a full day of travel time.
Book seats in regular and sleeping cars in advance; in summer they sell out weeks ahead.
Prices and schedules: 09/2026, verified on the official Interrail website.

Italy has more cities and destinations than you have vacation days, so don't plan a long list. Instead, pick an entry point and a return route. That keeps your itinerary flexible, and you can swap one city for another without reissuing tickets.

Within the country you don't pay twice for travel, because one pass covers almost all regional and high-speed trains. The exception: night routes and certain high-speed lines where passengers pay extra for a mandatory seat reservation.

Entering Italy by night train

A night train gives you two wins at once: you don't pay for a hotel and you don't lose a day to travel. ÖBB Nightjet trains run from Munich and Vienna to Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome. Check schedules and seat categories on the night train page, and you can book them about six months before departure (as of 09/2026).

Your choice of car has the biggest impact on price. A regular seat is the cheapest option, a couchette car has bedding, and a sleeping car comes with breakfast and a shower. All three categories can be booked as individual spots, and there are separate compartments for women. If you're traveling with a group, it makes sense to book an entire compartment.

Roma Termini is the best starting point, because trains leave from this station to every part of the country. For advance train tickets along the route, it's easier to book through Trip.com, so you'll have a choice of seats for your travel date.

From Rome across the country

Rome sits at the center of the rail map, and trains fan out from it in every direction. To the south, the line leads to Naples and then on to Sicily and ferries to the islands. To the north, you'll travel to Florence, Venice, and Milan. Off the main lines are Genoa and Turin, where there are fewer tourists and calmer prices.

If you're heading to Greece, aim for the ferry terminal in Bari, where ferries depart for the Greek mainland and islands. You can add your next leg to the pass even on the day of departure, so you can change your route as you go and avoid locking yourself into a rigid schedule.

Returning via France or Switzerland

You can head back by night train or make the return journey part of the trip. From Genoa, a train runs along the coast to Nice, and from there you can continue through France with a stop in Marseille or Lyon. If you prefer the mountains, choose the return route through Switzerland.

Milan is the main hub here, with trains departing for Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne. That way you add another country to your Italy trip without extra transfers and see the Alps right from the window.

Route from Berlin to Zurich

Below is a ready-made route through eight cities that you can cover in one trip. The main legs are covered by the Interrail Global Pass, while short hops are cheaper to buy as separate tickets. A pass for several travel days within a month starts at about €283 for an adult in second class (as of 09/2026, Interrail fares).

Check in advance that your pass has enough days, because a night train counts as one day, and you pay for the seat reservation separately. Travel days don't have to be consecutive; you can space them out and take your time in whichever city you like best.

Leg	Train type	Book in advance
Berlin - Munich	regular ticket	recommended
Munich - Rome	night train	required
Rome - Naples	high-speed train	recommended
Naples - Bologna	high-speed train	recommended
Bologna - Venice	regional, daytime	no
Bologna - Milan	high-speed train	recommended
Milan - Zurich	scheduled train	recommended
Zurich - Hamburg	night train	required

Berlin and Munich

The route starts in Berlin, and the first leg on a separate ticket gives you time for Munich. Stop by Marienplatz, the Deutsches Museum, or simply walk through Viktualienmarkt, where they sell cheese, spices, and local beer. Before the night train, it's good to have dinner, and Doctor Drooly pizzeria is just a 15-minute walk from the station.

Frauenkirche and rooftops of old Munich from above

If you are staying overnight in Munich, leave at least one day for the city, because the museums here take a lot of time. The night train leaves in the evening, so it is better to pack your things in advance and not rush along the platform in the dark.

Getting from Munich to Rome

The night train from Munich to Rome runs every day and departs at around eight in the evening, and you arrive at Roma Termini in the morning. Drinks and breakfast are included on the trip, and the sleeper car also has a shower, so the journey saves you a whole night in a hotel.

Leave the first day for the Vatican, because St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums take half a day, and buy your tickets online in advance. Spend the second day in the San Lorenzo neighborhood or along the Tiber embankment, where it is pleasant to walk in the evening. See the Colosseum from the outside, since getting inside involves long lines, and there are many pickpockets nearby. Three full days in Rome are enough to see the main sights and not get tired of the crowds. Look for hotels near the station in advance through Trip.com.

Rome and Naples

The high-speed Frecciarossa runs from Rome to Naples, and the trip takes about an hour (as of 09/2026, Frecciarossa schedule on Trenitalia). Naples is considered the birthplace of pizza, so you should try one right here. It was in this city at the end of the 19th century that a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil in the colors of the Italian flag was baked, and it has been called "Margherita" ever since.

© This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a · CC BY-SAPhoto: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

Naples is noisy, with dense traffic and endless scooters that ride without any rules. But the food here is excellent, and nearby are islands where ferries run every day. People go to Procida for quiet, while Capri suits you if you like activity and sea views. Ferries run all day, so a day trip is entirely realistic. In the city itself, see the catacombs and small family restaurants, and in the evening take a walk along the waterfront. Two or three days are enough for Naples and the islands, because after that the city quickly becomes tiring.

Panoramic view of Naples with Vesuvius and the sea

Bologna: the city of two towers

From Naples, the Interrail train takes you to Bologna, and this city is a pleasant surprise. The narrow streets are interesting to walk through, and in the center stand the two leaning Due Torri towers. Why they lean is explained on a city tour, which is worth taking on your very first day.

If you want to get away from the crowds, head up into the surrounding hills, where the view of the city opens up like in an old Italian film. Bologna is also a university city, so in the evening it is lively here and there are many inexpensive trattorias.

A day trip to Venice

From Bologna to Venice by train takes about two hours, and trains run every hour, so you won't spend a whole day on travel. The route itself is scenic, especially the last stretch across the lagoon. In Venice, besides the Grand Canal, St. Mark's Square and St. Mark's Basilica, it's worth simply getting away from the crowds.

Turn into an empty alley and wander wherever your feet take you, and you'll end up in a residential neighborhood with no souvenir shops. You can see the Rialto Bridge from a distance and skip the line for a photo. A simple rule works here: go against the flow of tourists, and the city will open up to you from a different side.

Via Milan to Lake Zurich

From Bologna the route goes through Milan and on to Zurich. Half a day is enough for Milan. If you love fashion districts and shopping, give it two nights. Be sure to go up to Milan Cathedral, because from the roof you can see the whole city. While you're at it, try the gelato, which is served in generous portions here.

In Zurich you don't have to stay in the center; you can stop on the Gold Coast of Lake Zurich, for example in Herrliberg. From there it's easy to get around by bike: one day for Rapperswil, the second for Zurich itself. Swimming in Lake Zurich is free even in September, and such pleasures are rare in Switzerland. Book your accommodation on this stretch through Trip.com.

Returning to Hamburg and your rights

You can get home on a night train that leaves Zurich station in the evening and arrives in Hamburg in the morning. Plans can fall through, and if the train is canceled, you have passenger rights: the carrier is obliged to pay for an alternative route and refund your reservation.

Panorama of Hamburg Old Town with church spires

In practice, a refund often only comes after you write to support, so keep your tickets and file the claim yourself. A delay of several hours also entitles you to a partial refund, and in that case it's enough to cite the carrier's rules. Booking your return train in advance is easy on Trip.com.

How much Interrail costs in Italy

The cost of the trip depends on your style. The pass is only part of the budget, to which you add seat reservations, night trains, food and accommodation. Cheap hostels and markets lower expenses, while restaurants near attractions noticeably raise them.

The pass comes in flexible and continuous versions: the flexible one counts only travel days within a month, while the continuous one is valid every day in a row. The more days, the lower the price per day. For a single country there's a separate One Country Pass, and it suits those traveling only in Italy. Interrail gives young travelers a discount on the youth Pass, so check exact fares on the Interrail website.

For a route across the whole country, a pass is usually less stressful than a dozen individual tickets, because you can change plans without extra charges. Short trips, on the other hand, are cheaper to buy one by one. Keep internet on the road without roaming, and for that an eSIM for Europe will work well.

A pizza guide: Neapolitan and Roman

Italy has two main types of pizza: Neapolitan and Roman. Neapolitan is soft, with a thick crust, and it bakes very quickly, so the dough stays airy. Roman is thin and crispy, with no crust, and it stays in the oven longer, which makes it drier.

Wood-fired pizza with mozzarella and basil

An invisible pizza border runs between Rome and Naples, so north of Rome you'll more often find Roman pizza, while from Naples southward it's Neapolitan classics. Order a Margherita: tomatoes, mozzarella and basil cost less than complex toppings, and the flavor depends only on the dough and the oven. That way you'll try what Italians themselves eat.

Neapolitan pizza with mozzarella and basil

What's worth seeing in Italy

The list of Italian places is endless, so we picked the most popular ones and those most often put on a trip itinerary.

View of Italy from space from the ISS orbit

Milan. The fashion capital is known not only for shoe fairs: the white Milan Cathedral stands here, and strong gelaterias are at work. A portion of gelato costs more than usual, but it's noticeably bigger, and the taste is worth it.

Naples. The best pizza in the country. Only an hour by train from Rome, but the city and islands deserve two to three days. Ferries leave from the waterfront to Ischia, where you can dive in and take a break from the city noise.

Elba. The island lies off the coast of Tuscany, with a ferry from Piombino. It has some of the best beaches in the country and plenty of dive schools right by the sea, so people come here for several days.

Burano. The brightest island in the Venetian Lagoon, where colorful houses once served as landmarks for fishermen in the fog. Today it's one of the most recognizable fishing villages in the world.

Panorama of Florence with the Arno River and the Duomo dome

Rome. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do": the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Pantheon are included by default. See the Colosseum from outside, and book Vatican tickets in advance.

Florence. The Palazzo Vecchio tower gives you a great view of the city and costs less than climbing the Milan Cathedral, with fewer crowds. Go up in the morning before it gets hot.

Cinque Terre. A walking route along five villages on the Ligurian coast, chosen by those who want to see the Italian Riviera and combine the trip with trekking.

San Marino. This microstate will appeal to passport stamp collectors. Technically the stamp isn't required, but almost all travelers ask for it.

Pisa. A selfie with the leaning tower remains the main reason to come, although the city has other sights too. Half a day is enough to see it.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does an Interrail pass to Italy cost?

The base price of a flexible Global Pass is listed in the route section. Check current fares at interrail.com. Then add seat reservations and night trains, because a Nightjet reservation is not included in the pass and is paid separately. It works out cheapest if you stay in hostels and eat at markets.

Do I need a reservation for the night train?

Yes. On ÖBB Nightjet trains, a seat reservation is mandatory, and when you buy a ticket the reservation is already included (as of 09/2026, Nightjet schedule and reservations). With an Interrail pass, you only pay the seat supplement on top. In summer, book in advance, because available spots sell out weeks ahead.

How many days do you need for Rome?

Three full days is enough. A day-by-day plan is in the section about the route from Munich to Rome.

What should I choose for Naples: Capri or Procida?

It depends on your mood. Capri is a fashionable island with crowds and high prices, people go there for the views. Procida is calmer and cheaper, chosen for its quiet streets and local cuisine.

What should I do if my train is canceled?

You have passenger rights. The carrier is required to pay for an alternative route and refund your reservation (as of 09/2026, ÖBB conditions of carriage). A delay also entitles you to a partial refund.

Should I get an Interrail pass or individual tickets?

If you're traveling through many cities in a row, the pass is less stressful and often cheaper. For two or three short trips, individual tickets are usually a better deal. Between Rome and Naples, a single Frecciarossa ticket is enough (as of 09/2026, Frecciarossa tickets).

In short: what to book

Plan your route around the two night trains, because they hold the whole trip together and save you two nights in hotels.

If you have a week, take Rome, Naples, and Venice.
If you love mountains, add Milan and Zurich.
If you want peace and quiet, swap Capri for Procida.
If you're traveling in summer, book night train spots in advance.

Check the 2026 schedule and fares before buying, because prices depend on the day of the week and train occupancy. Book train tickets through Trip.com, and look for hotels along the route in the hotel search.

Italy by Interrail: route from Berlin via Rome to Zurich