Italy is famous for its huge number of beautiful and historic places. During the trip it is worth to try to visit at least a few of them. How do I do that? The best way to use it, although it is not the only available option.
Trains
There is no doubt that trains are one of the most comfortable means of transport. Just like in our country and in Italy we will find several different carriers. It is a good idea to get acquainted with their offer beforehand, so that the journey planned by us could take place without any surprises.
As a rule, Italian trains arrive without major delays, although in the case of regional carriers, during the holiday season, they may occur. In order not to get too upset, all trains can be tracked using ViaggiaTreno.
Carriers
Trenitalia is the main Italian carrier operating most of the routes. We can buy train tickets on his official website. There you can also find current timetables and all relevant information from the passenger's point of view.
Italo is a private carrier operating part of the high-speed railway lines, especially in the north of Italy and in Rome, Naples and Salerno. What's worth noting is that tickets purchased earlier are cheaper and the carrier offers a number of discounts, which you can read more about on its website.
Trenord - regional air carrier of the Lombardy region. His tickets, which is very important for passengers, can be purchased both on the official website and through Trenitalia.
In addition to the above, there are other small carriers active on local markets, such as Ampuli.
Types of trains
In Italy, several types of trains can be distinguished. They differ mainly in terms of comfort levels and speeds.
- Freckles (high-speed trains, AV) - the most expensive but also the fastest trains in Italy. Their speed varies around 300 km/h, although it is technologically possible to reach even 400 km/h. AV railways come in three types - Frecciaross, Frecciargento and Frecciabianca.
- Despite years of investment, today there is only one route to reach maximum speeds. This is the connection between Turin and Salerno and is supported by Frecciaross.
- In addition to this route, there are several routes on which trains reach lower speeds (up to 250 km/h), such as Turin-Verona and Turin-Venice and Rome-Bari. These routes are operated by Frecciargento.
- The slowest and least comfortable option are the Frecciabianca trains. However, thanks to the use of ordinary infrastructure, their routes cover very many smaller towns.
- InterCity (IC) - trains connecting large and medium-sized cities. Their functioning is very similar to that of Polish railways of the same name. As in the case of AV railways, IC trains require prior reservation of seats.
- Regional trains (RV, R) - the cheapest trains that do not require prior reservation. Their significant disadvantages are frequent overcrowding and the lowest level of comfort.
