Trains In Italy

Riding trains in Italy is a must-do adventure for your Italian holiday pleasure!

The people of Italy are a generous, hospitable and lively group. When you meet Italians on the street, just to ask directions, you’ll find that they are so eager to be genuinely helpful. Many do not speak English, but are quite adept at getting the message across. On a busy street in Rome, I approached a lady, to see if she could direct me to a watchmaker’s repair shop. Although she didn’t speak much English, she got me on my way, pointing the direction and counting blocks before turning.

Despite these many virtues, Italians are somewhat disorganized. Perhaps spontaneous is the better word!  Trains in Italy do suffer from infrequent, unexpected strikes, usually lasting just a day or even only hours, before resuming regular service. Whatever you may have heard, it’s still unlikely you’ll encounter one of these strikes. You must avail yourself of the adventures to be found riding the rails of the trains in Italy.

Getting a rail pass before you leave the States results in better rates. Impromptu purchases in Italy cost more, but spontaneity is a recommended part of the Italian experience. Italy is a fairly small country, and the majority of trains in Italy travel in a north-south direction, serving major towns and cities. Unlike France, with train routes virtually covering the map, trains in Italy provide convenient travel between major cities, with transfers required if you get off the main network.

Italian train stations are typically teeming with people. Allow extra time to find your platform, if you’ve got your ticket in hand. If you’re buying your ticket at the station, you may want to allow a couple of hours before your scheduled departure to accomplish the task. However, the process is highly entertaining, so just enjoy the experience. The enthusiasm of the ticket seller may seem unwarranted to some Americans, so used to efficient, snap-snap service here in the States. However, you can be sure that the ticket seller will make every effort to get you a good deal and get you where you want to go as quickly as is possible.

For your part, for best results when traveling on trains in Italy, spring for the book of European train schedules. It will prove invaluable. This book allows you to look up when and where you must be to travel from point A to point B. If you’re traveling between, say, Milan and Rome, look for the Eurostar trains, which make just a couple of brief stops, with a total trip time of just about three hours. The regular train makes stops at every little town along the way and can eat up the better part of a day out of your holiday.

When you buy your ticket, specify the Eurostar, as possible, and your final destination. You’ll get where you want to go, in the adventurous Italian style!