Italo verses Trenitalia-any differences or preferences?

I have used both and both were fine. We chose the line based on route, time and price.

We use Trenitalia just to keep things simple

Trenitalia runs both fast trains and regional
Italo runs fast trains only on certain lines

Just like others, price and schedule. If you're comparing fast trains, they would be generally the same, but if a fast train on Italo serves the same timing as an intercity on trenitalia, I would probably go with Italo. The last Italo train I took was Salerno to Venice because it was no changes, versus trenitalia that had to change.

The Italo website is a little more user-friendly, especially for first-time travelers in Italy. For example, you do not have to know the names of cities in Italian like you do on Trenitalia. If you type in “Florence” on Italo it will work. On Trenitalia it will just tell you that “the departure station you have entered is incorrect”—-but it does not help you find the correct name. But of course it is a good idea to know the names of the cities in Italian in any case.

I generally buy from Italo where they serve a route we are using, as we have had good experiences with them. Also, I have read that they are less likely to go on strike than the employees of state-owned Trenitalia. (Although I have also read that the train strikes in Italy affect only the. Regional trains and do not include the fast Frecce trains).

The one time we needed to change a ticket (time only, not date) I found it very easy to do on Italo. But I’ve never tried that with Trenitalia tickets so maybe it is just as easy with them.

And the one time we boarded the wrong train by mistake (heading to Venice from Bologna but mistakenly boarded the earlier Italo train going to Milan), the Italo conductor was very understanding and helpful. He could have fined us, but did not. He did help us buy new tickets that we could use to reach our intended destination while we were underway.

Italo does not actually \serve Siena, but they will sell you a ticket that has an Italo train from Roma Termini to Firenze and then the Trenitalia regional train from Firenze to Siena. You should compare the price and timing with an all- Trenitalia route before you decide.

Either is fine, although I prefer Italo. I find their website easy to use and often the price lower when purchased in advance. I always check both, though.

Both are great compared with anything we have in the states. Select the price/duration/schedule that fits your needs. Mix and match

If your journey begins or ends with a regional or IC train, I'd go with Trenitalia, since you will be protected if there is a delay. If it is straight highspeed train journey, compare the price and departure time with Italo and choose the best option for you.

Agree that it all depends on the schedule. But apples to apples, we do prefer Italo.