Trains in Italy

Trenitalia, the Italian national rail system, is the only one there is, with the exception of a few private lines, like the Naples-Sorrento Circumvesuviana line. You can check schedules and fares at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html . Another good site for schedules only is the German national rail company, at bahn.de . You should be OK buying tickets when you arrive....if you buy the day before, you might be eligible for the "Amica" fare, which is 20% off (if there are any left.) For my money, second class on Italian trains is just fine.

Carole,

Trenitalia is the only rail line in Italy AFAIK (except for the exceptions that Norm noted). The travel times between cities will vary, depending on which train you choose between two cities. There are slower regional trains as well as high speed intercity or EuroStar trains (the fast trains most always require seat reservations).

You can use the Thomas Cook rail schedules (a somewhat "thick" book) or just plan your rail journeys on the internet before you leave. The bahn.de (German rail) website is an excellent resource! It provides not only departure & arrival times, but also number of changes and location(s) where passengers need to change trains and whether reservations are compulsory.

YES, it's very easy to purchase tickets! If I'm not travelling with a Rail Pass, I normally buy my tickets for the outgoing journey when I arrive in each city (since I'm at the station anyway). If I'm travelling with a Rail Pass, I purchase reservations (if required) for the outgoing journey when I arrive in a city. I usually travel 2nd Class, as I don't see any reason to pay the extra cost for 1st class.

If you haven't already, I'd highly recommend reading the "Rail Skills" section in Europe Through The Back Door. It provides an great overview of travel by train in Europe, and the "pitfalls" that you'll need to be aware of (such as being caught without a reservation on a train where this is required). There's also a PDF Rail Guide that you can download from Rick's website.

Happy travels!

Carole Olympia,
Major stations have Trenitalia offices with very helpful agents who will help you plan routes and print itineraries for you. For example, the agent in Verona helped us plan the next 3 "legs" of our trip.
Buon viaggio!
Carole Daytona

Carole, you Florence to Naples trip is closer to 3.5hrs-4.0hrs. depending on the run. Many runs are direct with no train changes. As mentioned above, you can easily buy tickets for your travels when you arrive in Italy. However, I don't think that you will be able to pick up a train schedule for the whole country. There are 8,000 train runs a day and they can change slightly twice a year. What you will see in each station is a fabulous schedule of all trains departing that station for the day. It lists every stop for every train. It's really quite informative. Just make sure that you have your travel itinerary written down. You'll do just fine if you do.

If you really want a train schedule to carry around, buy a cheap, used European Rail Timetable by Thomas Cook on Amazon (You may need to spend some time reading the instructions). For train travel within Italy, just follow the english instructions on the many Train ticket machines in every station for purchasing tickets. Or, you can always stand in line to purchase them from the ticket windows. It was easy to buy tickets. It's better to buy the tickets at the station. Always travel 2nd class in Italy. 1st class wasn't worth the extra cost on Italian trains.

My husband and I used Trenitalia from Rome to Assisi to Florence and then back to Rome - all second class. Before we left, we printed out the train schedules from the Trenitalia website for the destinations, dates and times (with a couple of options for times) we wanted to travel. When we arrived at the train station, I handed the ticket agent the print out and pointed to the train I wanted. This saved both of us any communication anxieties and it worked perfectly. We bought our tickets 45 minutes before the departure time. Italy has mastered train travel - on time, efficient, reasonably priced, plenty of room, beautiful views, friendly agents.

Just buy the tix a day or two in advance as you travel. No need to wait for an agent; most stations (except in the smallest stops) have automated ticket machines that are as easy to use as an ATM. Just press the British flag to start and it gives you an english menu. You can also use these to do some planning while in Italy(eg. what trains tomorrow go from here to X?) but that isn't an efficient use of your time. Write down in advance the times of trains you'd take. I usually write down several for each leg so I have some flexibility. If I'm not sure what day I'm leaving, I'll jot down times for several days since Sat. and Sun. can have different schedules.

You are allowed to bring food & drinks on the train, so if you have any longer legs you might want to bring a lunch. A book to read or an Ipod, the time goes by quick.

Overall, I've found the trains to be an easy and relaxing way to travel in Italy.

One last reminder; there are yellow boxes near the tracks to validate your tickets. Don't forget to validate them or you may get fined; they DO check.