Train Travel

State-owned Trenitalia trains are part of the Metrebus system and also serve some destinations on side trips outside Rome. The main Trenitalia stations in Rome are Termini, Tiburtina, Ostiense, and Trastevere. Suburban trains use all of these stations. The Ferrovie COTRAL line departs from a terminal in Piazzale Flaminio, connecting Rome with Viterbo.

Only Trenitalia trains such as Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, and Intercity Plus have first- and second-class compartments. Local trains can be crowded early in the morning and in the evening as many people commute to and from the city, so try to avoid traveling at these times. Plan on arriving early to secure a seat or be ready to stand. On long-distance routes (to Florence and Venice, for instance), you can either travel by the cheap (but slow) regionale trains, or the fast, but more expensive, Intercity, Frecciarossa, or Frecciargento, which require seat reservations, available at the station when you buy your ticket, online, or through a travel agent. The state railways' excellent and user-friendly site at www.trenitalia.it will help you plan any rail trips in the country.

Since 2012, Italy’s rails have had a private competitor, Italo, whose gorgeous and very fast trains travel between large cities including Naples, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan, Venice, and Torino. In Rome, Italo trains stop at Termini and Tiburtina stations.