What are the two main train companies in Italy?

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.



Italy's national rail network in 2026 is dominated by two major operators: Trenitalia and Italo. Trenitalia is the state-owned national carrier and operates the widest range of services, from the high-speed Frecciarossa (reaching 300 km/h) to regional and InterCity trains that service almost every town in the country. Italo (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori) is a privately owned company that competes exclusively on the high-speed lines connecting major cities like Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice. While Trenitalia offers the most comprehensive network, Italo is often praised by 2026 travelers for its modern fleet and competitive pricing on popular tourist routes. Because they compete directly on the same tracks, passengers benefit from high-frequency service and multiple "classes" of luxury, making Italy one of the most efficient and passenger-friendly rail markets in Europe.

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Like I mentioned above, Italo is usually cheaper than Trenitalia but because the cabins on lower-class tickets aren't the most comfortable, I'll usually consider Italo only for trains that are less than 2 or 3 hours long unless the Comfort ticket class is cheaper than Trenitalia.

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Italiarail is a reseller, Trenitalia and Italotreno are the train operators. We always find a place for our luggage; the trick is not carrying to much. For train travel, it is essential that you do not have more luggage than you can *comfortably* handle by yourselves.

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You can find the schedules of all Italian train tickets on ItaliaRail, Omio & Trainline — just plug in your route. These websites will give you the prices and times so you can quickly compare your options.

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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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There is rarely any discount for buying a regional train ticket in advance, but these are also the least expensive tickets within the Trenitalia system. If you buy your Regionale tickets online, they do not need to be validated before boarding.

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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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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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High-speed rail in Italy As mentioned above, your options for high-speed trains in Italy come from the following two train companies — Trenitalia and Italo.

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Traveling by train in Italy means always traveling with carry-on luggage. You'll carry on board everything you have with you. It's your responsibility to bring your bags on board and stow them properly, which is a great incentive to packing light. There's no fee to bring luggage on the train.

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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. Plug sockets for each seat.

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Tirano to St Moritz Among the most famous train routes in the world, the Bernina Express is the highest train in Europe and one of those railway experiences you should try and do at least once in your lifetime.

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Because these train trips are all about the view, cars with wrap-around windows are common. Perhaps the most popular scenic train route in Italy is the Bernina Express, which connects Tirano in Italy to St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps.

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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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For the cheapest high-speed tickets in Italy, go for Italo, and buy your tickets in advance. If you're on a super budget, go with the regional trains on Trenitalia. If you've never been to Italy and aren't super great at navigating confusing websites with translations that might be off, book with ItaliaRail.

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The Eurail or Interrail Italy Pass allows you unlimited travel with the freedom to hit the tracks whenever and wherever you want!

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With Italo you can choose your seat to travel! Whether you are interested in a window seat to enjoy the view or you prefer a single seat to have more privacy or equipped with a small table to work in comfort or near the corridor, Italo allows you to select the seat that suits you at promotional prices starting from 2?.

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You can reserve all seats in Italy in the high speed network. You do not need to reserve seats in regional trains in Italy. For seats on trains outisde of Italy, you will have to wait until you are in Europe and head to the station to make the reservation.

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