Italy is unusually well suited to travelling by rail: short distances, dramatic terrain, and a network that reaches places roads handle badly. The luxury end is worth knowing about, and so is the fact that the best views are often on a €7 regional ticket.
The genuinely luxurious
- La Dolce Vita Orient Express. The new Italian sleeper concept, running multi-day itineraries across regions including Sicily, Tuscany and the Dolomites. Cabins, a chef, and prices that put it firmly in the special-occasion category.
- Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The classic. Venice to Paris or London in restored 1920s carriages. Not really an Italian journey so much as a departure from Italy, but the Venice leg is the point.
The scenic routes that cost almost nothing
- Bernina Express, Tirano to St Moritz. A UNESCO-listed line climbing from Italian vineyards to Swiss glaciers without a tunnel through the summit. Spectacular, and bookable as an ordinary seat.
- Circumetnea, Sicily. A narrow-gauge line circling Etna through lava fields, pistachio groves and small towns. Slow, ramshackle, unforgettable.
- Cinque Terre local line. The train that links the five villages, mostly through tunnels with sudden bursts of coast. A few euros, and the only sensible way to move between them.
- Trenino Verde, Sardinia. A seasonal narrow-gauge line through the island's empty interior.
- Naples to Reggio Calabria along the Tyrrhenian coast. An ordinary intercity service that spends hours beside the sea.
The most beautiful train in Italy costs seven euros and smells faintly of espresso.
Practical notes on Italian rail
- High-speed Frecce and Italo services connect the major cities and are excellent. Book ahead for cheap fares; they are reserved, so no validation needed.
- Regional trains are cheap, unreserved and slower. Paper tickets must be validated in the platform machine — see the mistakes list.
- Strikes happen and are announced in advance. Check before travel days.
- First class on a Frecciarossa is a modest upgrade and often barely more than second. The genuine luxury bargain of Italian travel.
Why the language matters more on a train
Announcements about platform changes, delays and replacement buses are made in Italian first and sometimes only. Being able to catch binario, ritardo, sciopero and coincidenza is the difference between a calm journey and a stressful one. We drill exactly this scenario in Italian for travel.