The only way to see Italy
Fast, frequent, good value and always on time, trains are…
That Mussolini made the Italian trains run on time was, of course, more a Fascist propaganda line than anything to do with public transport reality. But now, almost a century after Il Duce came to power, you could set your watch by the trains in Italy. But they have a lot more going for them besides.
For a start, they are things of beauty. Just look at those sleek, high-speed Frecciarossa or Frecciargento trains on the Trenitalia network, or the more recent addition of the non-State, red-arrow Italo trains, complete with cinema carriages and other mod cons. Meanwhile, many of the 300 kph Frecciarossa trains offer not one or two ‘classes’ but four, so all needs, comforts and pockets are catered for.
But apart from the aesthetics, the system also works – very well.
I have long been a fan of Trenitalia. The inter-city trains are comfortable, efficient, and – especially if you book in advance – surprisingly reasonably priced. And the online experience is a doddle. The only thing you need to be aware of is to enter the departure and destination names in Italian. So Roma, not Rome, Firenze not Florence.
Then it’s just a matter of selecting the date, time, number of tickets, choosing your best option and booking. Reserving a seat is compulsory and makes life a lot easier on the day you travel. That’s why, I suppose, in the bigger stations, they rarely put the departure platform number on the board until 10 or 15 minutes before the train is due to leave. There is no need for early boarding in order to secure a good seat.
But even the ‘regionale’ trains are a pleasant experience. And extraordinarily good value.
I recently travelled on a highspeed Frecciargento (Venice to Milan and back) and on two regional trains. Tomorrow I will be on another Frecciargento to Rome. I booked both high-speed journeys ages ago, online, from the comfort of my living room in Greystones. Then just printed out the tickets. Done and dusted.
The regional journeys were last-minute day returns – Venice to Bologna two weeks ago, and Venice to Verona last Saturday.
I could have opted for a highspeed train but wanted the ‘regionale’ experience. (Booked online with the ticket downloaded to my iPhone.) For a start it was cheap. So, to Bologna, I paid €12 each way, half the price of the high-speed equivalent, and only about 30 minutes slower. To Verona, an hour and a half ’s journey, I paid just over €8 each way.
The trains were spotless, comfortable and punctual. The only difference, really, from their sleeker-looking high-speed cous- ins is that you can’t reserve a seat.
The Italo network was a pleasant experience, too, when I used it two years ago out of Florence. It now also operates the Venice to Rome route.
So, come the morning, it’s Trenitalia’s Frecciargento to the Eternal City. One of those bulletnosed, tilting trains, will take me from Venezia Santa Lucia all the way to Roma Termini. With a comfortable window seat, a café-bar, and the glorious Italian landscape unfolding before me. Bliss.