Italy Train Travel Distances And Times

	Bari	Bologna	Bolzano	Florence	Genoa	Milan	Naples	Rome	Trieste	Turin	Venice
Bari	km\hr.	6	11	7	10	8	4	5	10	10	8
Bologna	681		3	1	3	2	5	3	4	3	2
Bolzano	950	291		5	5	3	10	7	5	5	3
Florence	784	106	397		4	3	4	2	5	5	3
Genoa	966	285	399	268		2	7	5	7	1	5
Milan	899	218	276	324	156		6	5	5	1	3
Naples	322	640	931	534	758	858		2	9	9	7
Rome	482	408	90	302	526	626	232		6	7	5
Trieste	955	308	338	414	535	420	948	715		7	2
Turin	1019	338	408	442	174	139	932	699	551		5
Venice	806	269	225	265	387	284	899	567	165	414

National Passes. In general, trains in Italy are cheap enough not to warrant buying a national pass. Eurail sells a National Pass for Italy (Youth and Saver options also available). The Italy pass is available for three to 10 days in a two-month period, and costs US$225-424, US$191-361 for the Saver pass, and US$186-346 for the Youth pass. The Euro Domino pass became the InterRail One Country Pass in 2007 and is available to anyone who has lived in Europe for at least six months; it is only valid in one country (designated when bought). Passes can be bought for three to eight days within one month. A three-day pass is €109, under 26 €71; an eight-day pass costs €229/149. Reservations must be paid for separately. Supplements are included for many high-speed trains. The pass can be purchased online at www.interrailnet.com. In addition to simple railpasses, many countries (as well as Eurail) offer rail-and-drive passes, which combine car rental with rail travel—a good option for travelers who wish to visit cities accessible by rail and to make trips into the surrounding areas. Prices range US$308-728 per person, depending on the type of pass, car, and the number of people included. Additional days cost $46-104 per day. For price estimates, contact Rail Europe .

Need Validation? Before boarding, always validate your ticket in the validation machines, colored yellow or orange. Failure to validate may result in steep fines, and train operators do not accept ignorance as an excuse.

Reservations. Seat reservations are rarely required, but you are not guaranteed a seat without one (€2.50 and up, depending on the ticket). Reservations are available up to two months in advance on major trains (IC and Eurostar). Italians often reserve far ahead, so strongly consider reserving during peak holiday and tourist seasons (at the very least, book a few hours ahead). If someone occupies your seat, be prepared to say politely, “Mi scusi, ma ho prenotato questo posto” (Excuse me, but I have reserved this seat). Purchase a supplement (€3.50-30) or special fare for faster or higher-quality trains. Eurail passes do not include reservations.

Overnight Trains. Night trains have their advantages: you don’t waste daylight hours traveling, and you can forego the hassle and expense of securing a night’s accommodation. However, they have their drawbacks, namely discomfort and sleeplessness. Consider paying extra for a cuccetta (couchette), one of six fold-down bunks in a compartment; private sleeping cars offer more comfort, but are considerably more expensive and not always available. Even if you’re not willing to spend the money, some trains have more comfortable seating compartments with fold-out seats. If you are using a restricted-day railpass, inspect train schedules to maximize your pass use: a direct overnight train or boat journey uses up only one of your travel days if it departs after 7pm.

Should You Buy A Railpass? Railpasses exist to allow you to jump on any train in Europe, go wherever you want whenever you want, and change your plans at will. In practice, it’s not so simple. You still must stand in line to validate your pass, pay for supplements, and fork over cash for seat and couchette reservations. More importantly, railpasses don’t always pay off. If you are planning to spend extensive time on trains, hopping between big cities, a railpass will probably be worth it. But in many cases, especially if you are under 26 or traveling in a large group, point-to-point tickets may prove a cheaper option.

You may find it tough to make your railpass pay for itself in Italy, where train fares are reasonable, distances short, and buses are often preferable. If, however, the total cost of your trips nears the price of the pass, the convenience of avoiding some ticket lines may be worth the difference.