Trains in Italy: compare Trenitalia, Italo and Ouigo
Trains in Italy: why comparing pays off
Trains in Italy link the main cities at high speed, and 2 companies compete on the same lines: Trenitalia and Italo. On the same route, prices and times differ from one to the other, which is exactly why comparing is worth it.
On Kombo, you see both offers side by side, along with SNCF trains and more than 400 train, bus, flight and carpooling companies. You pick the cheapest fare or the fastest trip without juggling 3 tabs.
Italy works very well without a car: Milan → Rome takes 2h50, and from France, Paris ↔ Milan takes about 7h since the Fréjus line reopened in April 2025.
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Trenitalia and Italo: trains, routes and fares
Trenitalia trains
Trenitalia, the national operator, runs several train families:
Frecciarossa: the flagship high-speed train, with about 100 Frecciarossa a day between Milan and Rome;
Frecciargento and Frecciabianca: the other fast trains of the Frecce range;
Intercity and Intercity Notte: day and night long-distance trains, handy if you like a night train;
Regionale: regional trains for smaller towns and short hops. Around Milan, see also our Trenord page.
Frequent travellers can also look at Trenitalia's CartaFreccia.
Italo trains
Italo is the private high-speed operator. It runs 2 train types: the AGV, which reaches 300 km/h with 462 seats, and the EVO.
The flagship route: Milan ↔ Rome
The non-stop Frecciarossa covers Milan → Rome in 2h50. This is where Trenitalia and Italo compete hardest, so it is the route where comparing matters most.
How fares work
Trenitalia has 3 fares:
Base: the flexible fare;
Economy: on sale until 3 days before departure;
Super Economy: the cheapest, no changes, no refunds.
Italo also has 3: Low Cost, Economy and Flex. Same logic: the more restrictions you accept, the less you pay. If your plans are fixed, the cheapest fare does the job. If they might move, a flexible fare saves you buying a second ticket.
Popular train routes: Milan → Rome, Rome → Naples, Milan → Venice, Rome → Florence, Paris → Milan, Paris → Turin, Lyon → Milan.
Insider tip: validate your regional ticket
The classic trap on trains in Italy is the paper regional ticket. It is not tied to a specific train, so you must validate it in the station machine before boarding. Once validated, it is valid for 4 hours.
Boarding with an unvalidated paper ticket can get you fined. One quick stop at the validation machine and you are sorted.
With a digital regional ticket, there is nothing to do: validation is automatic.
Planning a wider European trip? The same comparison habit works for trains in Spain and trains in Germany.
Ouigo is preparing to enter Italy
Ouigo, the low-cost high-speed brand of SNCF, is preparing services in Italy on the Turin ↔ Milan ↔ Rome ↔ Naples and Turin ↔ Milan ↔ Venice lines, with double-deck trains, a first on the Italian network. The launch date is not confirmed yet: track capacity allocation by the network manager RFI is still being discussed. With a 3rd operator next to Trenitalia and Italo, fares should drop, as they did in France and Spain. Kombo will compare all 3 as soon as tickets go on sale.
Getting to Italy by train from France
The Paris ↔ Milan line through the Fréjus tunnel reopened in April 2025. Two operators run it:
Trenitalia Frecciarossa: under 7h, via Lyon and Turin.
Trenitalia also runs Frecciarossa trains inside France, on Paris ↔ Lyon and Paris ↔ Marseille. That is an alternative to the TGV when you are hunting for cheap train tickets. For domestic trips, see our page on trains in France.
Combining tickets with Kombo
Kombo can combine tickets from different companies: for example Paris → Milan on Inoui, then Milan → Rome on Italo, if that is the cheapest mix. For coach travel, compare Itabus, Marino and FlixBus too.
Customer service answers 7 days a week, and you can cancel or exchange eligible tickets in 2 clicks.
FAQ about trains in Italy
Should I take Trenitalia or Italo in Italy?
Neither is always cheaper: it depends on the day, the time and the fare. On Kombo, you compare Trenitalia and Italo on one screen and pick the best price.
How long is the train from Milan to Rome?
The non-stop Frecciarossa takes 2h50 from Milan to Rome. About 100 Frecciarossa trains run on this route every day.
How do I get from Paris to Milan by train?
There are 2 direct options: TGV Inoui (about 7h, via Lyon, Chambéry and Turin) or Trenitalia's Frecciarossa (under 7h, via Lyon and Turin). The line reopened in April 2025.
Do I need to validate my train ticket in Italy?
Yes, for paper regional tickets: validate them in the station before boarding, then they are valid for 4h. Digital regional tickets are validated automatically.
Can I change a Trenitalia Super Economy ticket?
No, Super Economy tickets cannot be changed or refunded. If your plans might change, choose Base, or Flex with Italo.
We introduce you to Kombo?
Kombo is, above all, a team of travel enthusiasts who work (secretly) to make ticket searching simpler. With over 4 million users, the platform has been allowing you to compare and book train, bus, plane, and carpooling tickets since 2016.
But we don't just sell tickets! We also take care of you throughout your journey. This includes a customer service based in France, easily reachable 7 days a week, as well as many little tips and features developed to make your life easier. For example, tickets available on your phone or automatic reimbursement in case of delays or cancellations.
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