How To Travel Italy By Train

Travelling overland is always far more exciting than catching a flight. You get more of a feel for the country you’re visiting when you see the suburbs and countryside between the flashy cities. And if you’re lucky, you may even discover a hidden gem of a destination enroute!

So on a recent trip to Italy I decided to travel by train between my destinations. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not only easier to navigate than I had imagined, but it’s also super affordable. See as follows for a list of the journeys I undertook and how much they set me back…

Italy Train Fares

• Genova – Levanto
  Slow train taking almost 2 hours = €6,80 (approx £5)
• Cinque Terre Card
  Unlimited travel between Levanto and La Spezia, including the 5 Cinque Terre towns, for 24 hours = €10 (approx £7.50)

• Riomaggiore – Pisa
  Fast train that took 1 hour = €16,60 (approx £12)
• Pisa – Florence
  4 stops taking 1 hour in total = €8,10 (approx £6)
• Florence – Pisa
  4 stops taking 1 hour in total = €8,10 (approx £6)
• Pisa – Genoa
  Slow train taking 2hr 30mins in total = €20 (approx £15). I upgraded to first class for an additional €6 (approx £4.50)
• Genova Piazza Principe – Genova S P Aeroporto (Genoa city centre to the airport)
  15 min journey = €1,60 (approx £1.20)

Not too bad is it? I spent a total of €77,20 (approx £58) on train travel throughout the trip and got to explore amazing places such as Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence and Genoa! Pretty cheap really when you consider how far that would get you in the UK (one train from London to Birmingham).

So how do you go about it? Here’s my top tips for travelling by train in Italy…

Italy Train Top Tips

Buy your tickets from the red machines at the station. They are incredibly easy to use, with English translations and train times for your destination. This is really handy in smaller stations when the train times aren’t advertised on the platform.

Validate your ticket. If your ticket isn’t validated, it basically doesn’t count. All you have to do is pop your ticket in the green pods on the platform and it will print the date on the side of your ticket. Validated.

Avoid peak times if you can. I did the 2 hour journey from Genoa to Levanto in peak time and it wasn’t pleasant. Be warned.

If you have a long journey, the first class upgrade is worth it. More room, much more comfortable and lots of space to stow your backpack. For an extra few euros it’ll save you some hassle.

Locate luggage space. My backpack didn’t fit in the overhead luggage rack so sometimes I had to be creative. No one wants to be that dick taking up a free seat with their bags. Luckily there was either space under the seats, space between the seats or a mini table to perch it on. Be space savvy.

Sit by a window. You won’t regret it when the rolling hills and Cyprus trees of Tuscany come into view.

Overall I really recommend travelling by train in Italy. It’s not as daunting as it may sound! Let me know how you get on! Have you ventured into inter-railing in Italy? What did you think? Leave a comment below or tweet me @HeelsInBackpack!