Photo by Francesca Tosolini

In April 2012, a private company (NTV) introduced a new high-speed train line called Italotreno, which now works in direct competition with Trenitalia (government owned).

Four “ambiences” are offered onboard:

• The Smart Ambience is the most economical one. It has reclining leather seats, self-service vending machines selling coffee, cold drinks and snacks, individual electric outlets, and most of all, free Wi-Fi along with live TV. There is also a Cinema wagon where you can watch movies on 19-inch High Definition screens.
• Add extra space to the Smart Ambience and you get the Extra Large Ambience, which offers wider seats and a wider aisle.
• If you decide to travel in the Prima Ambience, you will be given drinks and snacks as you board the train. Besides offering the same services as the Smart ambience and more legroom and room between seats as the Extra Large Ambience, in the Prima you can also order your meal and be served directly at your seat.
• The Club Ambience is the most exclusive one. Located either at the head of the train or at the tail of it to provide more privacy, it offers two different travel solutions: either a traditional open space compartment with only 19 seats or two lounges that can accommodate up to 4 passengers and it has a personal wardrobe space. In the Club Ambience English speaking staff serves hot and cold beverages and light meals. Wi-Fi is obviously available.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 1 “General transportation” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”}

 

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

The primary train company in Italy is (government owned) Trenitalia. Trenitalia offers different types of trains, the fastest ones are those belonging to the Frecce (arrows) family:

• Frecciarossa is the high-speed line train and it travels to up 300 km/h. This train has three different routes that connect the major Italian cities. The most popular one is Turin-Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples-Salerno with 91 trains per day. The Frecciarossa is frequently preferred to the airplane since it travels from Milan to Rome in only 3 hours. Wi-Fi is available.
• Frecciargento connects Rome to some of the major Italian cities. With Frecciargento you can travel from Rome to Venice in about 3 and half hours, reaching a speed of 250 km/h. Wi-Fi is available.
• Frecciabianca offers many different routes, departing mainly from Milan. One of them connects Milan to Trieste in less than 4 hours (yes, don’t forget to visit my beautiful hometown, recently placed by Lonely Planet at the top of a must-visit list!!). The Frecciabianca trains can reach a speed of 200 km/h. No Wi-Fi available on the Frecciabianca trains.
• Other types of Trenitalia trains are:
  • The Intercity (IC) is a train that covers the entire Italian territory, connecting major and minor cities.
  • The Direct train connects cities within one or two regions. It stops at fewer train stations.
  • The Regional train is the slowest and is mainly used by commuters. It travels within one region (or two neighboring regions) and it stops at almost every station. It offers second-class service only.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 1 “General transportation” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”}