Country info: Italy (Italia)

Rail companies: FS (Ferrovie dello Stato)

Italian Rail Network Map 

Currency: Euro

Train travel in Italy: train types, tickets, fares, discounts & other useful info

National Train Service:

Train types in Italy: Regional, Intercity, InterCityNotte, Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca & EuroCity/EuroNight trains

• Regional (marked as 'R', 'RV' on TrenItalia website) – short & medium distance trains, no seat reservation required
• InterCity (marked as 'IC' on TrenItalia website) – fast intercity service on major & minor lines, seat reservation compulsory  
• InterCityNotte (marked as 'ICN' on TrenItalia website) – overnight trains, seat reservation compulsory 
• Frecciarossa  - high-speed  trains connecting Turin-Milan-Bologna-Rome-Naples-Salerno, previously were known as EuroStar Alta Velocità, seat reservation compulsory
• Frecciargento - high-speed trains connecting Rome to Venice, Verona, Bari/Lecce, Lamezia Terme/Reggio Calabria, previously were known as EuroStar Italia, seat reservation compulsory
• Frecciabianca - fast trains connecting Milan with Venice, Udine & Trieste; Genoa with Rome & Rome with Bari and Lecce, previously were known as EuroStar City, seat reservation compulsory
• EuroCity/Euronight (marked 'EC'/'EN' on TrenItalia website) – international daytime & overnight trains connecting Italy with Switzerland, Austria, Germany & France, seat reservation compulsory  

Discounts, special offers & ways to save money for passengers traveling in Italy (FS/Italo):

1. Super Economy & Economy tickets (previously known as MINI): Italian Railways offer a limited amount of discounted ticket (from 9 euro) per each departure on all the trains InterCity, InterCityNotte and Frecce trains. Offer is valid both for 1st and 2nd class ticket, in Business, Premium and Standard service & Couchettes and Sleepers as well. Super Economy and Economy tickets available up to departure (unless all the discounted tickets for chosen connection had been sold)
   
2. Not very long ago private rail company - Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori - started so called Italo rail service between major Italian cities (lines Turin (Porta Susa) - Milan (Porta Garibaldi, Rogoredo) - Bologna (Centrale) - Florence (S. Maria Novella) - Rome (Ostiense, Tiburtina) - Naples (Centrale) - Salerno (Centrale) & Rome - Florence - Bologna - Padova (Centrale) - Venice (Santa Lucia, Mestre). Because of competition with TrenItalia and their Frecciarossa & Frecciargento trains, Italo sometimes offers tickets cheaper then FS, so it's always makes sense to check both operators, compare fares and buy the cheapest ticket
3. Same-Day Return offer: special fixed return fares for Frecciarossa and Frecciargento (ES) trains, tickets start from only 69 euro (2nd class) or 89 euro (1st class), offer is valid only for direct journeys made on only one train and is not cumulative with other reductions, not valid for Executive and Premium services
4. Special Family offer from TrenItalia: offer for journeys by family groups made up of from 2 to 5 persons of whom at least 1 is an adult and 1 is a child of less than 12. Gives children <12 years old 50% off (30% for couchettes and Wagon Lit) and 20% off (for other passengers) on tickets Frecce trains, IC, ICN & couchette/sleepers
   
5. Another option to save on rain travel in Italy is to use (where it is possible) slower, but less expensive trains. For instance popular route from Florence to Rome: full fare ticket for Regional train here costs only 20,25 euro, same route with InterCity/EuroNight trains – 31,5 euro and finally with high-speed Frecce trains (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento) – 43 euro. All of the above means that passenger can save more than 20 euro by simply choosing Regional train instead of expensive high-speed train alternative
6. For budget train travel in Italy passengers can as well rely on international SCIC-NRT/TCV tickets used for travel within Italy (for more details about this 'trick' see 'Western Europe – how cheap it can be?' section). For instance Venice to Naples ticket via Florence & Rome valid for 1 month & unlimited number of stopovers costs only 46 euro  

International Train Service:

a) Regular discounts

Not available, since all the international connections calculated using so-called 'Global Price' tariff

b) Special offers (SparSchiene)

 Ticket offers with limited number of tickets per each departure (purchase in advance required):

• Spain: Barcelona from Milan/Novara/Turin (from 71 EUR) - discounted tickets should be bought >14 days before departure date. (service canceled)
• France (Smart Offer): from Rome, Florence and Bologna to Paris by 'Thello' EuroNight train (6 berth couchettes from only 35 euro, 4 berth couchettes from 55 euro etc.); from Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia, Milan to Paris by 'Thello' EuroNight train (6 berth couchettes from only 35 euro, 4 berth couchettes from 55 euro etc.), 'Smart Offer' tickets can be purchased from 4 months before your departure date to 7 days before your departure date, according to seat availability, exchange or refunded not allowed
• Switzerland (Smart Offer): from Italy (Milan & Venice) to Geneva, Bern, Zurich & Basel by EuroCity daytime trains (seats from 22 euro); from Italy to Lugano & Brig (seats from 19 euro),  'Smart Offer' tickets can be purchased up to 7 days before departure date, exchange or refunded not allowed
  
• Germany: from Venice, Bologna, Verona to Munich via Austria by EuroCity daytime trains (seats from 29 euro, 'Europa Offer') & from Rome, Florence, Bologna, Verona, Venice and Milan to Munich by EuroNight train (seats from 29 euro, couchettes from 49 EUR & sleepers from 69 euro, 'Smart Offer'), 'Smart Offer' tickets can be purchased up to 7 days before departure date, 'Europa Offer' up to 3 days
• Austria (Smart Offer): from Venice to Vienna during the day by Intercitybus over the border + OeBB train from Villach to Vienna (seats from 29 euro) & from Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan and Venice to Salzburg and Vienna by overnight EuroNight trains (seats from 29 euro, couchette from 49 euro & sleeper from 59 euro), 'Smart Offer' tickets can be purchased up to 7 days before departure date, exchange or refunded not allowed

c) CityStars

Not available

How to Buy Train Tickets in Italy:

Most national (domestic) and many international tickets (including offers) can be bought online using www.trenitalia.com

Do you still have further questions or want to share your own travel experience? You are welcome on our Forum page

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