🚆 Why is the train the best way to travel around Italy?

Sicily, Rome, Milan, Florence – Italy as a travel destination is beautiful in its diversity. Culture, architecture, music, food… I want to try, see, listen to as much as possible, because the cultural characteristics in the north, south and center of the country are different. But what to do when you want to do a lot, but your vacation time is limited? Take the train

Italian modes of transport amaze with their diversity – planes and buses, trams and electric trains, taxis and rented cars, metro, gondolas and even river buses. True, in terms of time, convenience and cost, all this is inferior to His Majesty the train.

There are legends about the developed railway system among travelers and lovers of this country. The Italian network has about 17 thousand kilometers of railways, distributed over an area of ​​302 thousand square kilometers.

Still would! The locals themselves do not like buses and use them only when it is not possible to travel by train. By the way, there are three types of them in Italy.

High speed trains

The Red Arrow or Frecciarossa is the railway equivalent of a Lamborghini and the fastest Italian train, owned by the state-owned Trenitalia. Its speed reaches 360 km/h, so it will be possible to get, for example, from Milan to Naples, the distance between which is 657 km in a straight line, in just 4.5 hours. True, you will have to pay a lot for a ticket – the price in economy class from Tartu starts from 77.90 €.

By the way, on Italian trains there is a “the sooner the better” system: the sooner you decide on the date of your trip, the cheaper the ticket will cost.

A little cheaper in cost, but not inferior in time, you can get from Milan to Naples by train from the private company Italo. Ticket prices start from 59.90 €. A big bonus for international travelers is that on Italo trains all you need to do to get Wi-Fi is email. Whereas in “arrows” you will also need to enter an Italian phone number.

Since it is more profitable to travel with a second carrier, why did we choose the first one? The fact is that Trenitalia is the main monopolist of the Italian railway. They have more route options. In addition, Trenitalia “pinches” its direct competitor everywhere. For example , the most convenient stations in the most touristic cities are accessible only to Trenitalia trains, while Italo trains are reserved for secondary stations.

Intercity (intercity)

If your budget is limited, then it is worth considering intercity trains. They come in two types – daytime and nighttime. Such trains move at more modest speeds, but from the point of view of time and cost, this is the best option. In addition, in this type of train you will have time to see the beautiful views outside the window.

Regional

The cheapest, but also slowest travel option is regional trains. They primarily work over short distances, for example, for nearby small towns. 

My husband and I traveled all over Italy by train. It was comfortable, fast and had good Wi-Fi. We haven’t yet come up with a better option for moving around this country. In our collection of stories there was even a case when only the train saved us from being late for the plane. On the day of departure from Rome to Vilnius, the way to the airport became a real quest – Italian taxi drivers decided to go on strike! Not a single service was working. Fortunately, a train runs from the railway station directly to the airport, and we got there on time,” said our author Alina.

The main advantages of traveling by train:

1 Convenience

It consists of several things. Firstly, luggage. When traveling by train, you don't have to worry about the weight of your bags or what you can and can't carry. You can put your suitcases aside and sit in comfortable and clean chairs, enjoying the views outside the window.

Secondly, buying tickets. Buying them online is even more profitable than at the station. After all, right before departure, the price may be higher than several weeks or even months before the purchase. By the way, you don’t need to print out your train ticket; you just need to download it to your phone.

With an online ticket, upon arrival at the station, you can go straight to the platform, bypassing the process of searching for ticket offices and proudly looking at the people in the queues.

2 Time saving

Someone might object: what could be faster than an airplane? If you move between countries, then, of course, nothing. But if you travel within the state, it is better to choose the railway. After all, you can fly there in half an hour, but checking in for the flight and waiting for your luggage upon arrival will take time. And airports, unlike railway stations, are not located in the city center, so it will take longer to get there.

For comparison: from Rome you can get to Milan and Verona in 3 hours, to Florence and Naples – in 1.5 hours, to Venice – in 3 hours 45 minutes.

It’s another matter if you plan to travel to the south – Sicily or Sardinia. In Italy, Ryanair and Wizz Air planes fly between cities – so if you want to go to warm up, then you need to use a low-cost airline.  

3 Bonuses and promotions

Almost every Italian carrier has a fairly developed system of discounts. Longer journey – lower ticket price. Are you planning a trip with family or friends of three to five people? Read about the “Together” offer – discount from 30 to 50%. Are you traveling together? For couples there is a promotion “Me and You”, which entitles them to a discount from 20 to 50% of the full ticket price.

So, having carefully studied all the offers and promotions, you can profitably plan a trip around the country. 

Are there any disadvantages?

But a priori everything cannot be perfect, so we will have to add a fly in the ointment to the Italian trains, which we rightfully generously poured honey on. If you can compare your watches according to the Swiss railway schedule, then being late by 10-20 minutes is commonplace for the Italian railway. When traveling with a transfer, keep this fact in mind!  

Also keep in mind that strike is one of the most beloved words among the people of Italy. Fortunately, railroad workers don't go on strike that often. For example, the most massive recent strike occurred on September 9, 2022. Leading companies: Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord demanded to ensure the safety of conductors and drivers. The reason for the strike was several cases of aggression on the part of passengers. 

Otherwise, Italian trains and stations, where they prepare that same pizza and latte in front of you, are simply created for traveling around the country. The country generously funds projects for new high-speed lines and train safety systems. 

For example, according to the business plan for 2019-2023, 58 billion euros were invested in state railways. These funds were used to expand the network of conventional rail transportation and suburban routes. Do you need any more facts about where the locals' love for trains comes from? 

If after reading this material you are seriously thinking about a trip to the Apennine Boot, then to travel by train you will need a mini-dictionary:

• Partenze – departure;
• Arrivi – arrival;
• Bin — platform number;
• Carroza – carriage number;
• Pozti — seat number.

Buona fortuna and have a nice trip!