Urban City

Travel Italy by Train: How to Make It Easy

Travel Italy by Train: How to Make It Easy

Last updated: October 28, 2026. This update checks selected ticket and operator details; the guide’s personal route, fare, and onboard observations remain historical. The guide was first published December 15, 2019; that date does not establish when the trip took place. Date information added October 28, 2026.

Italy has proven to be such a treasure of a country. So much beauty and variety of pleasures for the eyes. Italy sees TONS of tourists and is well catered to getting tourists around and serving them, making it easy to travel Italy by train. Don’t even get me started on the food! Deliciousness, like I have not tasted anywhere else, has blessed us in our travels of Italy.

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.

Related 7Wayfinders trip film: Florence, Italy: 15th Anniversary Trip to Italy! Part I. It is listed as a separate anniversary trip video.

If you plan to visit, I highly recommend getting around this beautiful country to see a few different places. We made our home base Rome, which was wonderful, but if I were to do it again, I would have split our time amid at least one other place.

Best places to go in Italy:

• Rome

• Florence

• Venice

• Sorrento (Amalfi Coast)

• Naples

• Milan

• Cinqueterra

• Lake Como

As we were lucky enough to train from Rome to Amalfi Coast, then up north to Florence and Venice, I wanted to share some of the things we learned. There isn’t much of a learning curve, but we gathered a few nuggets that would be helpful to know beforehand.

Current ticket note: Ticket instructions depend on the ticket type and service. Trenitalia regional paper, electronic, and digital tickets have different validation instructions; Italo requires a valid reservation to board another service. Check the current timetable and ticket instructions for your route: Trenitalia, Italo, Trenitalia regional-ticket guidance, and Italo ticket FAQ.

Tips to Travel Italy by Train like a PRO:

1. Two train operators we used. Trenitalia and Italo Treno. We rode both on different sections. Trenitalia had lots more options on our routes, so we pretty much always went with that one. Their self-service kiosks were simple to use, and at the time we traveled we found trains every 15 minutes on the routes we used. However, Italo was a bit cheaper (or was in my experience), so if the timeline works for you, it’s a great option.

2. We often did not need to buy tickets in advance on our trips. We tried to buy tickets online before we left, but the search engines were clunky and difficult to navigate in English. We decided (being kid-free) to just show up. It was perfect for us at the time! We found trains multiple times per hour to many popular destinations, with hundreds of seats on the routes we used then. It seemed unlikely we would need to buy in advance. The one time we needed to buy ahead was going from Venice to Rome on a Saturday morning, as it had other big destinations on this route (Florence and Naples), and those sections could sell out. Check current schedules and availability before relying on that trip experience.

3. There were different sections on the trains we used. I thought the differences were quite small. Some sections seemed to include a drink and snack, and the sections we used had tables. In the more expensive sections, seats were bigger (4 per row versus 6, for example), but to us the difference was minimal.

4. Pricing. Trains are not dirt cheap, but the convenience and ease were amazing to us. We always opted for at least the business section. In this 2019 guide, I estimated about $70–100 per person, depending on the length of the section, and thought base sections could be around $30 per person. Those are historical estimates from the guide, not current fares.

5. Bathrooms were available on the trains we took, and I found them decent. I used them multiple times. I can’t promise they were totally clean.

6. Food options on our trains were basic. One of the cars had a little “restaurant” section with only a handful of options. There was also a “snack bar” of sorts, which only accepted cash on the trips we took. For us, it was best to bring our own food, which was acceptable on the services we rode, or eat before or after.

9. Station security on our trips was limited. No one ever checked my passport. In Florence and Venice, the security we encountered was ticket checking; we did not see metal detectors or bag searches. Those were our observations then, not current station or identification rules.

10. Rules felt pretty relaxed to us. There was a “silent business” section of the train when we bought tickets, but otherwise rules did not seem strictly enforced for noise on the trains we rode. Unlike some of the trains we rode in Japan, where noise felt unwelcome, and some in China, where it was expected and LOUD, Italy felt like a good medium to us. Plenty of conversations, but don’t be watching your movie at full volume 🙂

I fully plan to travel to Italy by train again! On the routes we took, it was an easy way for us to see different places. Enjoy your future travels to this super fun country.

Best,

Leslie

Additional Reading

How To Conquer Training Around Europe With Kids

10 Important Things To Know When Traveling From Italy to Switzerland By Train

10 Best Things To Do During Your Day Trip To Chartres, France with Kids