Express trains on the classic network
Trenitalia runs Intercity trains on the classic (non-high-speed) network.
What are Intercity trains like?
On what routes do they run?
Various routes on Italy's classic network all over Italy, including:
Ventimiglia - Savona - Genoa - Milan
Rome - Naples - Messina - Palermo/Catania/Siracuse, see
the Sicily page.
Rome - Livorno - Pisa - La Spezia - Genoa - Milan.
Rome Tiburtina - Florence Rifredi - Bologna - Milan.
What are Intercity trains like?
Intercity trains consist of older carriages hauled by locomotives at up to 160 km/h (100 mph), sometimes 200 km/h (125 mph). Most Intercity cars are open-plan with a centre aisle, a few are classic side-corridor-and-compartment cars with 6-seat compartments, though you don't always get both sorts in both classes on a given train. Some Intercity trains have a cafe counter, some just vending machines selling drinks and snacks. You're free to bring your own food & drink, even a bottle of wine if you like. Tickets for all Trenitalia's long-distance train include a seat reservation and are only valid on the specific date & train you've booked.
An InterCity train at Milan Centrale. Click the seats images below for larger photos.
Above left, some Intercity trains are sandwiched between first-generation high-speed power cars, like this one from Ventimiglia to Milan. Others are hauled by locomotives. Some intercity cars have a grey band around the windows, others don't, you'll often find cars of both colour schemes on one train.
An InterCity train in the latest blue colour scheme, slowly being applied to the fleet from 2024 onwards. Courtesy of Andrew McIntyre.
Travel tips
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1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is fine for most travellers, there's no need to go 1st class unless you don't mind the extra cost. See what prices you get, with dynamic pricing 1st class sometimes costs only a little more. 1st class means more leg & elbow room and usually a quieter environment, that's all.
1st class also gets you solo seats and tables-for-two on one side of the aisle, as seats are arranged 2+1 across the car width rather than 2+2 as in 2nd class. In fact, the solo seats and face-to-face tables-for-two are why I go first class if I'm travelling alone or with Mrs 61.
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Forward-facing seats
The reservation system doesn't know which way round the car will be, so you can't select forward facing seats. However, on many routes the train changes direction when it calls at a terminus station, so seats that are forward-facing for part of the journey will be backwards-facing for the remainder. My advice for a couple or family is to book seats facing each other across a table. You can select seats from a seat map if you book using www.italiarail.com, www.thetrainline.com or Trenitalia.com.
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Luggage
You can pretty much take any luggage you like, nobody cares how much it weighs or what size it is. You take it with you onto the train and put it on the luggage racks, there's plenty of luggage space in both classes. There's also space between the seat backs. More about luggage on European trains.
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Power sockets & WiFi
There are 220v outlets built into the tables, you'll need the Italian rectangular 2-pin plug or adaptor. There's no WiFi, but 4G/3G and occasionally 5G reception works through most of Italy.
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Boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. The doors may be closed a minute before departure. Rome Termini station guide. Naples Centrale station guide. Milan Centrale station guide. Turin Porta Nuova station guide. Venice Santa Lucia station guide.
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Food & drink
Take a food & drink with you, the only catering on most Intercity trains is a couple of vending machines. The station guides tell you where you can stock up before you board.
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Solo seats & tables-for-two in 2nd class
Normally, you only find solo seats and face-to-face tables-for-two in 1st class. But many IC trains have one 2nd class car with an extra-wide aisle and seats arranged 2+1 across the car width, which means there are solo seats & one table-for-two on one side of the aisle. It's the car with the wheelchair spaces, the 2+1 seating makes the aisle wide enough for wheelchairs. The same car has the bike spaces and drink/snack vending machines. If you book early using one of the websites that's lets you select seats from a seat map, you can choose these seats.
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Interrail & Eurail passes
See the Interrail & Eurail reservations page for passholder reservation fees & how to make reservations.
How much does it cost?
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Rome to Florence from €8.90, Rome to Palermo from €19.90, Milan to Ventimiglia from €19,90, in 2nd class with an advance-purchase Super-economy fare. These are the cheapest prices, fares vary like air fares according to demand and how far ahead you book.
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See the Train travel in Italy page for an explanation of Trenitalia's fares including Base, Economy & Super Economy.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, buy tickets at www.italiarail.com in plain English, in €, £ or $.
They're a long-established agency which connects to Trenitalia's ticketing system. They will refund their €3.50 booking fee after you book if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
Tip: When the search results appear, look for FILTERS, un-tick High speed.
www.italiarail.com lets you select seats from a seat map.
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Option 2, buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, also in plain English, in €, £ or $.
They advantage of www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com is that they also connect to the British, French, Spanish, Swiss, German, Austrian & Benelux ticketing systems, so you can buy tickets across Europe together in one place. It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone. There's a small booking fee.
www.thetrainline.com lets you select seats from a seat map.
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Option 3, buy at www.trenitalia.com. You can choose your seat from a seat map for an extra couple of euros. However, even when switched to English, you'll need to use Italian-language place names and understand the different sleeper types in Italian. www.italiarail.com, www.raileurope.com & www.thetrainline.com are easier to use.
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When does booking open?
Booking typically opens up to 4 months ahead, but dates after the mid-December timetable change usually only open for booking in mid-October.