Are Italian high-speed trains reliable?

Trains in Italy are generally good value; frequent, but of mixed reliability. The railway market in Italy has been opened to competition, so on some high speed routes you have the choice between Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori or Italo (privately owned) and Trenitalia (state owned).



Generally speaking, Italian high-speed trains—specifically the Frecciarossa (operated by Trenitalia) and Italo—are remarkably reliable, efficient, and frequent. In 2026, they boast an "on-time" rate that often exceeds 90%, making them a far more dependable choice for inter-city travel than domestic flights or driving on the "Autostrada." These trains operate on dedicated high-speed tracks, allowing them to reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), which minimizes the impact of local commuter rail delays. However, "reliability" can be affected by transportation strikes (scioperi), which are relatively common in Italy. These strikes are usually announced in advance and often have "guaranteed time slots" (6:00–9:00 AM and 6:00–9:00 PM) during which trains must run by law. For tourists, the competition between the state-owned Trenitalia and the private Italo has driven up service quality, meaning you can expect clean cars, functional Wi-Fi, and punctual departures. To ensure the best experience, travelers are advised to book "Base" or "Business" fares, which offer more flexibility if a rare delay or rescheduling occurs.

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While Italy's high-speed trains usually travel at 300 kilometres per hour, they have to slow down to 250 km/h on this aging secton. While it may not be as high-speed a sit once was, however, there is no evidence that Italy's high speed lines are especially dangerous for passengers.

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There isn't a huge difference in the overall travel experience between Italo and TrenItalia. They travel on the same tracks, and the speed is the same. (Both Italo and FrecciaRossa trains have a max speed of 300 km/hour, or 186 mph.) And the likelihood of delay is about the same.

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High speed services operate between the major cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Milan and Turin and can get you to your destination very quickly. Reaching speeds of up to 300 kilometers an hour they are convenient, fast and the best way to travel between cities.

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High-speed trains in Italy can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h (248 mph). The fastest Italian high-speed train reaching that speed is the modern Frecciarossa 1000, which connects the main cities, including Turin, Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples and Salerno.

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All seats on Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca & InterCity trains are reserved, so they can in theory sell out. However, as there are so many trains each with hundreds of seats there are almost always places available on most trains even just before departure.

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High-speed trains always require reservations. Trenitalia, Italy's state-run rail network, operates most of the high-speed trains. Others are run by a private company, Italo. The two options are competitively priced and reasonably similar, though they sometimes serve different train stations.

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1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.

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Trenitalia had already sparked controversy with a proposal that passengers in the cheapest class will not be allowed to use restaurant carriages or even venture into the more expensive carriages, prompting charges in the blogosphere and Italian media of promoting an economic apartheid.

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Should you choose Frecciarossa or Italo? On the Turin-Milan-Florence-Rome-Naples route, Venice-Florence-Rome-Naples route and Turin-Milan-Verona-Venice route you can choose between Trenitalia's Frecciarossas and NTV's competing Italo trains. Both are excellent, you won't be disappointed whichever you go with.

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Trenitalia is the first railway company in the world to obtain the Biosafety Trust Certification, a certification that recognises the important work carried out in recent months to guarantee both passengers and employees the highest levels of safety in managing the prevention of infections while on board.

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Return to FAQ page. What do I do if there's a train strike? Strikes on Italian trains are infrequent enough that you might travel through the country many times and never have to deal with one. It only takes one instance of having travel plans thwarted by an unexpected strike, however, to ruin a trip.

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ItaliaRail is an official partner of Trenitalia, the national railway of Italy. We are the largest foreign seller of train tickets in Italy. We have direct, real-time connectivity to Trenitalia's schedule and reservation system, allowing us to give you the best fares and most up-to-date availability.

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Often there is little difference in the ticket prices between the two. But even more often, TheTrainline offers discounted train tickets months in advance before the national train company itself ( Trenitalia, for example) has them up for sale on its own website.

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Train tickets can get fully booked in Italy, so booking well in advance is extremely important near the Italian holidays as trains book up quickly with Italian locals and tourists competing to book their train travel during these times.

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The main contenders are Omio, Rail Europe and Trainline. Those three are all legitimate companies, and established ticket resellers for European train tickets. (They're official partners of the European national train companies.) And they all put you on the same trains!

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Frecciarossa trains are Trenitalia's flagship product and offer passengers maximum comfort. They consist of ETR 500, ETR 600, ETR 700 and ETR 1000 models, all featuring: Air conditioning.

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