Travelers can admire the beautiful scenery of the country as they. Advance tickets can be an especially smart buy for popular highspeed trains such as frances tgv trains and italys le frecce trains, which frequently sell out. Cheapest transportation in italy rick steves travel forum. Booking trains italy train companies popular routes trains italy. If you buy your ticket online, there is no need to validate it before boarding. Trains in italy the fastest and best value routes omio goeuro.
I have compared companies and routes for years in order to write a guide on how to buy train tickets in italy. Cheapest way to get from us to europe and eventually italy. Whether you plan to travel on a stateoftheart highspeed train, an overnight train, or simply between two cities within a specific region, there is likely an. How to get around italy on a budget walks of italy. The better train categories are fast and comfortable. Book italy train tickets online with italiarail the italian train travel specialists. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. Thello also offers daytime trains which run on the marseillemilan line via genoa among others frecciarossa, frecciabianca and frecciargento highspeed trains operated by trenitalia provide daily domestic trains in italy. When looking online it costs maybe 2 or 3x more when trying to buy something that week than if i checked 3 months in advanced. Its a better, cheaper, more efficient online booking site than in many ways.
All of italy s major cities are connected via highspeed rail, and booking a ticket to the italian countryside is simple. When youre looking up train schedulesticket prices online, how do you distinguish trains that are reserved from those that arent. These provide most of the highspeed service on the main lines between turin, milan, venice, bologna, florence, rome, and naples. As the number of seats at the lowest fares on thalys, eurostar, tgv and ice trains is limited, we recommend that you book your trip as early as possible. Compare trains and book your ticket at the best price. By reserving in advance, you can get 20 to 60% off what the price would be if you waited. Tickets for train travel in italy can be purchased online. She has also written for frommers, huffington post, usa today, and more. These are slower and less plush but can be a good way to experience the sights of rural and provincial italy. It shows a full days trains in the search results not just an hour or two like other train booking sites, it can book up to 20 people at a time trenitalia only books up to 5 people, and it highlights the cheapest trains for each route. Heres how to find the train schedule, choose the train you want, book your. The cheapest way is obviously a direct flight to italy.
What attractions do you suggest we visit and also what smaller towns round these areas. Tickets for frecce trains, the highspeed trains that run between italys major cities, can usually be bought within four months of your travel date. There are also cheaper, slower intercity and regionale trains, which could save them money, but of course, take more time. International tickets from france start at 15 for thellotrains from marseille and nice to milan and 29 for tgvtickets from paris and lyon to torino and milan.
Most trains are run by trenitalia, italy s national train operator. Trenitalia is the name of the national railways of italy. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home tripsavvy. Since the definition of child and youth varies by country and rail operator, we ask for the age of young passengers. Use the search and you will find lots of discussions on purchasing italian train tickets. Italy to greece 11 ways to travel via train, plane. Travel with our frecce trains, at high speed, departing and arriving from the center of the main cities. At the present moment the cheapest month to fly to italy is currently february. How to buy train tickets in italy an american in rome. When to buy your train tickets for italy tripsavvy. On certain services, roundtrip fares are slightly cheaper, and that applies especially to eurostar and most of the trains in the uk. Taking the train is the easiest way to explore italy. If youre planning a trip to italy and plan to travel by rail, you may wish to buy your train tickets in advance.
Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home. But note that some discounted and advance tickets may be nonrefundable or nonchangeable. Privately owned italo runs highvelocity trains to from turin, milan, verona, venice, bologna, florence, rome, naples and salerno. You can also look for flights that fly into pisa, bologna or florence from other european hubs to get even closer to your destination without needing the extra travel in between. The super economy fare on these two trains is nonrefundable and nonchangeable. The main trains in italy are operated by trenitalia, italo and thello, which provide highspeed, international and regional trains. Jan 21, 2019 without a car, i regularly travel through italy by train. Even with a eurail pass, you still need to pay a little extra to ride the fastest trains on the main routes connecting italy s bigger cities. There are many reasonably priced flights to italy, generally to the larger international airports in milan or rome.
Best way to buy train tickets italy message board tripadvisor. From there, you can easily rent a car and drive to tuscany or take a train to florence. Italy to greece 11 ways to travel via train, plane, subway. Dont forget about the roundtrip fares, especially on eurostar and uk trains eurostar train. I cant write a page for every possible starting point, so use common sense for example, if you wanted sorrento to groningen, youd look up naples to amsterdam. Cheap flights to italy search deals on airfare to italy.
Find the entire trip in one click and compare departure and arrival at different airports including the connection to go to the airport. For example, the train from florence to rome takes 1 hour 30 minutes. Trains in italy the fastest and best value routes omio. You can compare fast and slow trains or filter them out completely if you dont want to worry about accidentally. That includes taking regional trains to get to smaller towns or short distances, and fast speed trains to travel between major italian cities. Best way to buy train tickets italy forum tripadvisor. Flights from new york to florence, italy take just under 10 hours, while flights from florida to milan are. Jun 08, 2018 how to book a long distance train in italy the below is the cheapest and easiest method to book a long distance train from two cities such as venice to florence. A complete guide to how to buy train tickets in italy, including the different reliable companies, tips on the best price and how to buy in person. Distances in italy are not as long as in north america or even other european countries, so hopping from one city to another is fairly easy, and a great way to add extra to your trip.
If you are traveling to italy from other european destinations, check budget airlines along with train and bus routes to find the cheapest option. If you can order tickets well in advance, and if youre sure of the days and times you want to travel, you can get very cheap supereconomy tickets here. Cheap train tickets italy buy tickets online happyrail. Italy rail passes and train tips from rick steves rick steves europe. Train times use our journey planner to find all trains from rome to venice. Milan has one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. The scenery wasnt the most exciting of the triplots of tunnels.
Choose a month below to see average flight price and weather conditions. Choosing express trains provides a fast way to travel between italian cities, carrying you from rome to naples in under two hours. The company operates regional and longdistance trains, as well as highspeed trains called frecce that travel on specialised tracks on speeds of up to 360kmh. You can also look for flights that fly into pisa, bologna or florence from other european hubs to get even closer. This site uses proprietary or thirdparty profiling cookies to send online advertising with your preferences. Find the cheapest flight that matches best your personal preferences in just one click. Some sites to check out include autoeurope, maggiore rent, europcar, sixt, autoeuropa, and targarent. Using the train in italy is one of the best ways to move around the country, so saving money on your train tickets means you can use that money to spend on the more important parts of your holiday. Travel between italy and the uk by train rail travel advice and information on making the journey from italian cities including venice, rome and milan to paris and then onwards to london by eurostar.
Trenitalia is the national train system that runs most services. The train is one of the best, easiest, and cheapest ways to get around in italy. Trains in italy are convenient and relatively cheap compared with other european countries. Cheapest way to travel from london to venice flights are the cheapest way to travel between venice and london, however, affordable buses are available on the route. Italo and trenitalia are the two main rail systems. How to book a long distance train in italy the below is the cheapest and easiest method to book a long distance train from two cities such as venice to florence. Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel expert. How to travel in italy by train cheapest tickets rome.
If youre planning a trip to rome and traveling from california in the u. There are 11 ways to get from italy to greece by plane, subway, train, car ferry, bus, night train, bus and ferry, car or ferry. Insert your starting station and destination, noting if it is one way or round trip. If you are travelling from london to paris and back, do not book the train journeys separately as two one way tickets. Flight times to italy depend on the exact region of the country youre flying into, as well as where youre flying from. It helps to know some basic italian phrases that will help you buy a ticket, but the italian ticket machines and signs are fairly easy for english travelers to navigate. Rome to pisa 7 ways to travel via train, bus, rideshare.
Theres no better way to see the cities of italy than by train, trains link just about. Trains rome to venice cheap train tickets happyrail. International tickets from france start at 15 for thellotrains from marseille and nice to milan and 29 for tgvtickets from paris and lyon to torino and milan both trains require a compulsory reservation. For instance there are trains every halfhour between rome and florence, taking 1. Travel very early in the morning or early in the afternoon.
Seat reservations on intercity trains are mandatory and will be assigned automatically if you dont choose your own. Most train travelers in italy spend each railtravel day taking relatively short rides. When buying italy train tickets on the select italy website, youll most likely be traveling on le frecce trains by trenitalia. How to buy cheap european train tickets read this advice first. Happily, were here with some advice on how to save while planning your trip to italy and once youre on the ground. The italian train network is one of the best ways to travel to and around italy. Seats in business class were comfortable and wide with tables, power sockets, lots of luggage space overhead, and a free drink and snack. Even with a eurail pass, you still need to pay a little extra to ride the fastest trains on the main routes connecting italys bigger cities. Italiarail is a train ticketing site that is 100% in english. The first train leaves at 00h23 from roma termini to venezia santa lucia, the last train leaves at 23h15. Theres no better way to see the cities of italy than by train, trains link just about every town or city of any size, centre to centre. Trains from paris and milan to rome also stop in florence. Train travel in italy, a beginners guide tickets from 9. Its privately owned competitor italo runs highvelocity trains between turin and salerno, venice and naples, and brescia and naples.
Start by selecting whether you want oneway or roundtrip travel, then start typing in. Intercity train tickets can be bought on the trenitalia website, on in person at train stations in italy. Italiarail italy train ticket and rail pass experts. How to buy cheap european train tickets read this advice. Regionale veloce fast regional trains work the same way but have fewer intermediate stops. If youre flying to italy, being flexible in terms of the time you travel and the route that you take can make a big difference to the cost of flights. There are fast trains from rome to most italian cities, and slower trains connecting smaller destinations. Trenitalia offers national rail connections in italy as well as international connections to austria, france, germany and switzerland. Just go to the train station early in the day and buy tickets for a train to venice. Train travel in italy can save you time because they frequently use highspeed trains. Regionale trains connect provincial cities and smaller towns to the major cities and have more intermediate stops. The journey time is 3 hours and 12 minutes between the rome and venice. Prices will vary depending on multiple factors such as booking in advance, airline and departure airports and times.
Discounts are often available on fast trains for advance purchases, sameday return, or for groups of three or more. For the two reserved trains milan to venice and venice to florence. For some rail operators, children below a certain age can travel without a seat for free. Trains are the best way to get between these cities. Most international trains allow reservations to be made from 3 to 4 months before the date of departure or from 6 months for eurostar and ice. The passengers age will allow us to find the best fare for you. Choose any route in the map above and follow the links to see ticket prices and journey times, youll also be able to see which routes have highspeed trains theyre in red. What is the cheapest way to travel by train in italy.
If you have a little more time on your hands, take the train to a big european destination like milan and paris along the way. Baltour provides a single indirect connection every day with eurolines. In summary, all trains except the regionale require a reservation and ticket prices come at three levels super economy probably the 9 euro ticket, economy, and base. Buses are also a cheap option, but take over a day to make the journey, so make sure you bring a good book. If youre looking for the cheapest possible ticket between a and b especially if a and b are in the same country this is the way to go. Train travel is a convenient form of transportation when vacationing in italy, especially when moving between major cities, where using a car would be a nightmare for visitors not familiar with the maze of meandering alleyways, oneway streets and traffic restricted zones. Trying to figure out how to buy train tickets in italy in italian can be overwhelming if you are not fluent. The slow regional trains are cheaper, with trips starting as low as 6 eur 7 usd. Its no surprise that summer is the busiest tourist season in italy. Fast trains eurostar can cost between 3565 eur 4075 usd per trip. Trains italys train network is the easiest way to get around the country. If you want to guarantee a seat for child passengers, enter 4 as the. Cheapest way to get around in italy rome forum tripadvisor. When travelling by train in italy, youll want to make sure you get the cheapest train tickets for your journey, especially if you are mak ing more than one trip.
Jan 18, 2019 its a better, cheaper, more efficient online booking site than in many ways. Elizabeth heath has lived in the umbria region of italy since 2009 and has been writing for tripsavvy since 2017. Options include overnight trains, breaking the journey in paris or milan, or. I cant write a page for every possible starting point, so use common sense for example, if you wanted sorrento to groningen, youd look up. Now, with select italy, you can purchase italy train tickets right on our website, which gives you the chance to pay. Trenitalia cant, so will ignore any remaining tickets at the cheaper price. These trains provide most of the highspeed service on the main lines between turin, milan, venice, bologna, florence, rome, naples, and bari. Hi folks, travelling to italy for 3 weeks in july with 4 friends, expecting to take 6 train trips in total.
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