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How to take a rail journey from Bologna to Rome / Roma
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Bologna to Roma / Rome by train
The 'Frecce' trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed route between Bologna and Rome, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below; and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.
However, the Intercity (IC) trains still take the older 'classic' route, so they're slower, because they don't travel at high speed and also make more station calls
If ticket price and not speed is your key criteria, you can usually save money by taking these trains and they're a cheaper option for rail pass users, but they are not as frequent as the high speed services.
Routes you can take to go from Bologna to Roma / Rome
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the high speed Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 55min - 2hr 20min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 - 4 x trains per hour
(two departures per hour is typical)
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Other Ticket Providers
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli or Roma or Salerno or Reggio d. Calabria (and others)
Some trains also call at: Firenze S.M. Novella
Some also call at: Roma Tiburtina
When looking up a journey between Bologna and Roma by the Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia it's worth paying attention to the journey time as well as the price.
There are hourly trains that divert off the direct route to call at the main station in Firenze / Florence, where they reverse direction, and this adds around 15 - 20 mins to the journey time.
Though these departures can be cheaper.
The faster trains are non-stop from Bologna to Roma.
Also note that a variety of Frecce trains are used on this route, though the Frecciarossa 1000 trains are used for most of the non-stop services; and the Frecciargento trains aren't used on these faster services.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains all depart from AV part of Bologna station.
This is a journey of two contrasting parts.
(1) Between Bologna and Firenze 99% of the journey is in tunnels.
(2) Then from the high speed line between Firenze and Rome, pleasing distant views of hills can be seen from either side of the train.
Tickets
Save by booking in advance: Yes, for more details on how to obtain the cheapest prices for Frecce trains see the guide to Italian rail tickets.
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date; though the booking period will be typically be shorter when looking up journeys for travel after the second Sunday in December.
The high speed train service between Bologna and Roma is provided by;
(1) these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and
(2) alternative Italo trains
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed up to 6 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets are typically made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared with Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Choosing a station in Roma:
Some trains also call at Roma Tiburtina station.
If you will be travelling to Roma Termini, then use this specific station when looking up tickets and prices.
To see the trains to both Termini AND Tiburtina choose Roma ( Tutte Le Stazioni ) as the arrival station on Trenitalia.
Route Information
Option 2: taking the high speed Italo trains operated by NTV
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 58 min - 2hr 20 min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
2 - 3 x trains per hour
(two per hour is typical)
Purchase Tickets
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Italo Guide
Italo trains compete with the Frecce services, provided by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, on the high speed routes which link major cities in Italy.
The Italo booking site only sells tickets for journeys by its trains.
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Travel Information
Italo trains, operated by NTV, compete with the Frecce trains, operated by Trenitalia, on the high speed line between these cities, the journey times are similar, but the on-board experiences differ, so it's worth taking a look at the 'Trains guides'.
Final Destination: Roma or Napoli or Salerno or Reggio di Calabria
Most trains also call at: Roma Tiburtina
These Italo trains are much more frequent option for a high speed journey from Bologna to Roma Tiburtina station than the alternative Frecce trains.
If your final destination in Roma is conveniently located near a Metro station on Line B, then making the transfer to the Metro at Tiburtina can be a good alternative to making the transfer at Roma Termini, particularly if you don't have luggage.
Most trains also call at: Firenze S.M.Novella - where they reverse direction
The faster trains are non-stop to Roma.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains all depart from AV part of Bologna station.
These trains take the same route as the Frecce services operated by Trenitalia.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open:: around 3 months ahead of the travel date
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale around 6 months in advance - but the Italo train tickets are made available around 3 to 4 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking - the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on Trainline or Omio - and you can avoid paying a booking fee.
Rail passes are not valid on the Italo trains
Route Information
Option 3: taking the Intercity trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4 hrs (IC trains)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
2 x trains per day
Purchase Tickets
Trenitalia Guide
Trenitlalia is the national rail operator in Italy and in addition to its cheaper types of ticket; it also typically offers other discounts available to non-Italians, which include:
- Group Offers, provides for a discount of up to 50% when 3-5 Adults travel together.
- Family Offer for when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 11 and under.
- The Children Free Offer is available for journeys by Frecce trains, when groups of 2 - 5 people are travelling together and at least one of the party is a aged 15 and under.
Those aged 15 and under travel for free, but the Adults will need to purchase full price 'Base' tickets.
Italia Rail Guide
Italiarail lives up to its name by selling tickets for rail journeys within Italy and the core feature of its service is that it is primarily designed to be used by international visitors to Italy.
So the English translations of place names are used when looking up journeys and the terms and conditions for using each type of ticket are clearly explained.
It also clearly points out the additional costs of upgrading to other classes and types of tickets while spelling out the additional benefits of doing so.
Though Italiarail will charge a booking fee, typically of around €3.
The Early Bird service
Italiarail has launched an 'early bird' pre-booking service for journeys by Frecce trains.
Tickets can be booked up to a year ahead of travel at a flat-rate price per route, before the tickets have been released for sale by Trenitalia.
If when they are placed on sale, the price is cheaper than what you have already paid to Italiarail, it will automatically refund the price difference.
Conversely, if the price is more expensive, you won't be charged the price difference.
You can also have the peace of mind of securing your seat(s) on the Frecce train(s) when you are first planning a trip.
If before the tickets are placed on sale, you decide to change your plans, you can request a refund; but once the tickets are released for sale, you will then be bound by the terms and conditions of the ticket(s) you have booked.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Roma
These trains to to Roma Termini are usually scheduled to depart from Bologna Centrale at 11:18 and 16:18.
Though if you enter Roma Tiburtina as the 'Arrival' station when looking up this journey, you will have access to three additional Intercity services per day, which only call at Tiburtina station in the city and don't call at Termini.
if your final destination in Roma is conveniently located near a Metro station on Line B, then heading to Tiburtina station will be as good an option as taking trains to Termini station.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These trains are are around 1hr 45 mins slower than the high speed Frecce and Italo trains between Bologna and Roma because they don't use the high speed line between the two cities.
But they can be much cheaper, particularly when the cheapest 'Super Economy' tickets have sold out on the Frecce trains
Target these IC trains if you want to save €10 on rail pass reservation fees.
Though if you'll want the peace of mind of being able to remain in the same seat for the entire journey, paying the optional €3 reservation fee is virtually essential.
.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
These trains to to Roma Termini are usually scheduled to depart from Bologna Centrale at 11:18 and 16:18, so target those departure times when looking up this journey.
Or enter Roma Tiburtina as the 'Arrival' station for access to three additional Intercity services per day, which only call at Tiburtina station in the city and don't call at Termini.
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