It is believed that the Italian railway was born in 1839. A branch with a length of just over 7 km connected Naples and the suburban station - Prosthesi. Only after the fragmented country united into a single state (after 1860), a new way to travel began to conquer spaces and fans.
Cargo and passengers
It is curious that rail transportation of goods through Italy is not very popular. Automobile transport confidently holds the palm of the championship : good, perfect road condition allows.
International companies also prefer wheels or, at worst, a path along the waves: 144 seaports make it more profitable. On the network you can find reviews where travelers note abandoned and lightly loaded sorting stations: it seems that rail transportation of goods is in fact going through hard times.
But passenger - in perfect order. According to this indicator, Italy ranks fifth in Europe and ninth in the world.
The best of the best
In principle, rail transport is the most convenient for tourists. Airplanes are expensive, you can’t get everywhere, car rental is not cheap in itself, but you will have to add expensive parking, toll roads and gasoline to it. In addition, according to experienced motorists, the driving culture in Italy is not very developed, so insurance is also highly desirable.
So the car should be taken only by very “quirky” tourists who are not interested in Roman and Florentine beauties - they want to see the country closer, visit small villages, private distilleries, and admire natural beauties. For the vast majority of travelers, the railway is what the doctor ordered. It covers the whole country with a dense network, and you can also save a lot of money.
The situation with carriers
Private railway companies in Italy, which are about forty in the country, serve only 20% of the market and, as a rule, operate locally (regional trains, which will be discussed later, are precisely their “patrimony”).
The largest carrier in the country is called Gruppo Ferrovie dello stato Italia. The company was founded in 1905, and in 1992, by decision of the government, was transformed into a limited liability company. The company is one hundred percent owned by the state.
It serves the vast majority of routes and passengers, uniting all the railways of Italy. Tickets can be purchased online or at the station (at the box office and terminals).
Ticket purchase
As for the most traditional method, it is not very convenient: many cashiers do not speak English, work only until 8 pm (and sometimes even until 6), at a later time the station bar can turn into a “cashier”, and it’s not possible for a local to figure out This will be quite difficult.
In order not to rush around in searches for the station, it is better to contact the machine (the unit "knows" English), you can pay in it in cash or by credit card.
It is best to purchase tickets on the official website of the carrier (trenitalia.com), however, certain skills are needed. Let the homeland of da Vinci be a real Mecca for tourists, and it is visited by residents of various countries, travelers who do not speak Italian or English will have a hard time: the site offers to "talk" only in these two languages.
Best of all - buy a ticket online
However, the interface, as they say, is intuitive, and you can cope with it with a minimum of knowledge. The only thing you need to pay attention to: those who came across the resource, advise the name of the departure / destination points to write in Italian, otherwise the smart machine will not understand and God will send the message to where.
To begin with, you need to decide on the train to ride: the Italian railway network is quite saturated and there may be several options. You can study the schedule on the same site or search for other resources on the Internet. Having found what you are looking for, you need to fill out a special form to purchase a ticket, be sure to leave your email address and wait calmly: the answer will come only in a day.
You will need to follow the link, change the password - and only then pay with a card (make sure that the completed form with the name and surname matches what is written on the card).
After payment, tickets will be sent to the passenger’s email - they just need to be printed out, nothing else is needed: the purchased travel document is not composted, unlike the others (purchased at the ticket office or machine). Experienced travelers say that it is highly advisable to write down a special PNR code - it is the controller who will need it on the train, which will check the passenger database and issue a check. Of course, for this he has a special device, but anything happens.
Swift La Frecce
Transportation by rail in Italy is carried out mainly by three types of trains.
The first are high-speed Eurostar or Arrow, which drive between the major cities of the country. On the carrier’s website they are affectionately called “la Frecce”.
There are three varieties in total: Bianca (white) is the slowest, speed is about 180 km / h, Argento (silver) is 250 km / h and Rosso (red) is the fastest, 350 km / h. The given data should be guided by making a choice - the further you go, the faster the train should be.
Of course, the fare “bites” (from Rome to Florence you will have to pay about 60 euros), but the travel conditions are luxurious and you can get to your destination in less than two hours (even if the distance is more than 500 km). It is very convenient for those travelers who want to "reach" as many attractions as possible in a short time.
Simultaneously with the purchase of a travel document, a seat on the train is booked, you also do not need to compost the ticket (in other cases, it is better to carefully monitor this process).
Long-distance traffic
Arrow stops at a minimum. If the desired destination is not listed among them, you will have to pay attention to the second type of trains that the Italian railway offers - "intercity" (intercity domestic and in Europe).
Here you have to worry about the reservation in advance, and it will cost 3 euros. If the place is not important, you can simply board any empty seat, but you must definitely punch the ticket at the station (bright yellow or blue boxes - by putting a “ticket” in the hole, you need to wait until the machine sets the time and date).
The validated ticket is valid for 6 hours, not validated - 2 months. It can even be returned, having lost about 20% of the cost, but it does not give the right to travel. In the case when passengers jump into the departing train or simply forget to search for the composter at the station, you must immediately go (on your own, this is important!) In search of a controller.
If he catches the negligent traveler himself, he will have to pay a considerable fine, which also does not exempt from buying a ticket - the Italian railway does not favor “hares”. Riding without a ticket is expensive, unpromising. Yes, and ashamed.
An analogue of a commuter train
The third type of communication is regional electric trains. It will take quite a long time (one and a half to two times longer than in Strela), but it’s cheap. They usually travel a distance of no more than 200 km. For example, if the place of deployment is Rome, but you want to admire the Florentine heritage of the High Renaissance, travel in a class 2 carriage of a long-distance train will cost 44 euros, and on an electric train - 21.
Saving on the latter, of course, will not work - the price will be the same whenever the passenger buys a ticket, even before departure.
Whether it’s the case of “La Frecce” or “Intercity”: if you attend to the travel document in advance - two months (at least) before the proposed trip, you can purchase it at an economy and super-economy rate. This will allow you to buy a ticket almost half the price. So, according to the tariff, a super-economy from Rome to Florence can be hired for only 19 euros (second class).
Comfortable Europe
According to reviews, against the background of Strela or Intercity, the electric trains look wretched and shabby, but they are very far from the “post-Soviet” ones. So the inhabitants of the former Union have nothing to fear: the Italian railway does not know wooden benches, torn handrails and broken windows.
Pay attention to the class of the car - if you are placed at the wrong address, you will have to pay the difference in cost. Experienced travelers say that the level of comfort in the second and first grade is almost the same. Well, bring a microscopic cup of coffee or a fresh newspaper (Italian). It is hardly worth overpaying for them.
Surprisingly (at such a speed), rail transport in Italy can also be nightly (wise tourists boast that when moving from city to city, you can get enough sleep in a carriage and save a lot on a hotel).
Important details
The next thing you need to pay attention to is the station. In large cities there can be several of them, and having arrived on the wrong one, it will be impossible to catch up with the departed train. Lists of the main stations and their abbreviations are given on the site.
To navigate the station, you need to use the scoreboard - the platform number appears 15 minutes before arrival. It must be borne in mind that the name of the route will not say anything to an inexperienced passenger: only the final stations will be displayed, and if the destination is an intermediate, you can blunder. Therefore, it is best to pay attention to the composition number (it is on the ticket and will be indicated on the board).
A separate topic is strikes. They occur so often and organized that it makes sense to familiarize themselves with their schedule. As a rule, this is of little concern to tourists, but what the hell is not joking? Experienced tourists are advised to read the strike schedule on scioperi.mit.gov.it. Do not advise and count on fast transplants.
Of course, the Italian railway is one of the best in Europe, but there is one peculiarity: trains are chronically delayed (although they are delayed everywhere, in France it is even more intense), but cascading delays of 25-30 minutes are a local “trick”.
Especially you should not count on a delay, it is better to prepare for landing in advance. The platforms at most stations are quite low, and you still have to contrive to drop heavy luggage into the car.
Rail transportation of passengers
Travelers burdened with children will not be amiss to know that a 4-year-old baby can be transported free of charge (you only have to hold it in your arms), and a child from 4 to 12 (14) years old can get a 30% discount.
There are numerous discount offers - for families, students, groups of 6 people, etc. Savings can be very significant, so it will be useful to get acquainted with the offers.
So, if a tourist plans to travel throughout Italy, he can, by purchasing a special card for 50 euros, save up to 50% on regional trips and up to 20% on long-distance trips. Information is available on the official website of the carrier, and almost everyone will find the best option for themselves if they get into the situation properly. A carefully designed route is the key to a successful trip. Everyone who paid due attention to this issue was very pleased.