Trains in Italy: how to buy a ticket without overpaying

Italy is the country where the train almost always beats the plane and
the car. Rome to Florence in an hour and a half, centre to centre, with no
security check and no baggage desks. Here is how it works and where a family
can save half the cost.

Two carriers

Trenitalia is the state operator and has everything: high-speed,
intercity and regional trains across the country.

Italo is private, high-speed only and between major cities only.
Often cheaper and always newer.

On popular routes such as Rome — Florence — Venice they compete, and both
are worth comparing. Buy on the carriers’ own sites: intermediaries add
commission and almost never show the family fares.

Four kinds of train, and the difference matters

The practical conclusion: buy high-speed tickets early — the price
rises as seats sell, and the difference between buying a month ahead and a
day ahead can be double. Buying regional tickets early is pointless: they
always cost the same and no seats are reserved anyway.

Family fares: where half the money hides

This is the main reason to read this article.

FrecciaFAMILY is a fare on Trenitalia’s high-speed trains:
children under 15 travel free and adults pay half. The conditions:

• a group of 2 to 5 people;
• at least one adult and at least one child under 15;
• bought no later than midnight 15 days before departure.

That last point is the catch: a week before the trip the fare is no
longer available. So family tickets on the Frecce are planned before
anything else.

Bimbi Gratis is the same on Intercity trains: children under 15
free, adults 40% off. The group is also 2 to 5 people.

Italo Family is the private carrier’s version, with 50% off for
children aged 4 to 14.

Do the maths for a family of four: Rome to Florence on a Frecciarossa at
the basic fare means four tickets. With FrecciaFAMILY it is two adults at
half price and two children free. The saving is more than the one-way
journey costs.

What you are fined for: an unvalidated ticket

The most expensive mistake a visitor makes in Italy — and the most
annoying, because you have the ticket and you paid for it.

A paper ticket for a regional train with no date on it must be
validated before boarding, in the green-and-white machine on the
platform. An unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket at all, and the fine is
issued on the spot, with no discussion.

When you do not need to validate: if the ticket is electronic, if it
shows a date and departure time, or if you have a reserved seat on a
high-speed train. The rule applies to exactly one situation — a paper
regional ticket.

What to know when travelling with children

• Nobody weighs your luggage. There are no airline-style limits,
  but there are few racks: on high-speed trains suitcase space is by the doors
  and overhead, and at peak times it fills quickly. Do not board last.
• The Frecce have quiet carriages. Better not to sit there with a
  child: silence really is expected.
• Regional trains are sometimes double-decker. The upper deck is
  free entertainment for half an hour on a short hop.
• A pushchair is not a problem on a train. Unlike the Rome metro,
  nobody asks you to fold it.

How long the journeys take

• Rome — Florence: 1 h 30 min on a high-speed train.
• Rome — Naples: about 1 h 10 min.
• Rome — Venice: about 3 h 45 min.
• Rome — Milan: about 3 hours.

With children this is the main argument for the train: three hours in a
seat with the freedom to get up and walk about is far easier than the same
three hours of flying with a connection and security.

We run quest tours for children in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan — if
the train is taking you between those cities, have a look at
our routes in Italy. And city transport
within Rome is covered separately:
the Rome metro, tickets and
opening hours.