Italy: Railway Information

Explore Bella Italia - the country of romance

Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice... Thousands of 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 all the other European countries, such as France, Spain and Austria.

Railway company

If your Eurail Pass is valid in Italy, you can travel on all trains from Trenitalia, the Italian railway company.
Visit the Trenitalia website: English version / Italian.

Italian Railway network

All 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.

Connections
Eurostar Italia trains are high-speed trains connecting the larger Italian cities. For these trains a reservation is compulsory and a small supplement is charged. This supplement includes a reservation and in 1st class a welcome drink and a snack. You can make reservations before your trip at the main train stations in your country or during your trip at most international train stations.

Intercity and Eurocity trains connect all main destinations inside and outside Italy. Seat reservation is not compulsory.

Regional Trains link the smaller towns and villages, which are often situated in the most beautiful and picturesque regions of Italy. There is no need to make reservations for those trains.

Railway Service
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. On the Trenitalia website you can read about various services for disabled passengers, travelling with pets, travelling with bicycles and luggage transport.

Scenic routes

Lounges

All Eurail Pass holders are welcome in the special “Club Eurostar” lounges, located in the main rail stations, where they will find assistance and dedicated services, in an elegant and relaxed atmosphere.

Airports
From Rome Fiumicino International airport, trains leave every 15 minutes to Roma Ostiense and Roma Tiburtina stations where they connect with the underground. All Eurail Passes are valid on these trains. Trains leave every 30 minutes to Roma Termini, the main railway station. On these trains only 1st class Eurail Passes are valid.
All other airports are connected to the centre of the towns by frequent bus services.

Making reservations
Many trains in Italy require seat reservations. Eurail Pass holders can make a reservation at a ticket window or self-service point at an Italian train station. Advance booking may be possible through the Trenitalia website or the DB Booking Centre. Read more on making Italy train reservations.

Reservation

  • Artesia de Jour (domestic journeys)
    Reservation compulsory
    1st and 2nd class: € 5
  • AV / AV Fast
    Reservation compulsory
    2nd class: € 10 / 1st class: € 10
    Free access to Club Eurostar with a 1st class ticket
  • Cisalpino (domestic journeys)
    Reservation compulsory
    2nd class: € 3 / € 15 / 1st class: € 3 / € 15
    price depends on the route
  • EuroCity/IC Internazionali (domestic)
    Reservation possible, but not required
    2nd class: € 3 / 1st class: € 3
  • Eurostar Italia / Eurostar Italia Fast
    Reservation compulsory
    2nd class: € 10 / 1st class: € 10
  • EurostarCity Italia
    Reservation compulsory
    2nd class: € 10 / 1st class: € 10
  • InterCity; ICN, EXP (only seats)
    Reservation possible, but not required
    2nd class: € 3 / 1st class: € 3

If you plan to take an international train in or to Italy (Riviera day, Villa Opicina Jour, Allegro Day, Artesia de Jour, Cisalpino or Eurocity trains) please observe that reservations are often compulsory.

Eurail Aid Offices in Italy

For Eurail related questions, please go to a Eurail Aid office in the Railway stations (Stazione) of Bari Centrale, Bologna Centrale, Firenze SMN (Florence), Genova PP, Milano Centrale (Milan), Napoli Centrale (Naples), Pisa, Roma Termini, Torino PN (Turin), or Venezia Santa Lucia (Venice). View detailed information about Eurail Aid Offices in Italy and in the rest of Europe.

Special trains

You can travel by train through Europe on a large variety of special trains. Examples are high-speed trains, scenic trains or night trains.

Special trains mostly require a small supplement or a reservation fee from Eurail Pass holders. See the list of supplements for international trains and the information about train reservations. You can plan your trip with the help of online timetables.

Rail tour suggestion

Pisa - Siena - Orvieto
Why not take your Italian Rail Pass to discover Tuscany, one of the culturally richest and least spoilt parts of Italy? Green hills, olive groves as well as historic towns with Renaissance and architecture will await you.

Tour stages and average journey times

  • Pisa - Lucca (25 mins)
  • Lucca - Florence (1 hr 20 mins)
  • Florence - Siena (1 hr 30 mins)
  • Siena - Orvieto (2 hrs 5 mins)

From Orvieto you could continue your Italian rail adventure to the capital Rome.

Read a detailed description of this tour in the recommended guide Europe by rail, available from Thomas Cook Publishing.