Related Content
How to take the rail journey from Florence/Firenze to Rome/Roma
Share this journey with a friend...
Firenze / Florence to Roma / Rome by train
The 'Frecce' trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed route between Firenze/Florence 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, some trains from Firenze/Florence to Roma, the IC and RV 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 Firenze / Florence 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 32 min - 1hr 37min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 - 4 x trains per hour
There are at least two departures in most hours.
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
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.
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.
Save A Train Guide
Travel Information
Taking these Frecce trains:
Final Destination: Roma, Napoli or Salerno or Paola or Reggio Di Calabria
Most trains also call at: Roma Tiburtina
If your final destination in Rome/Roma is conveniently located to a station on Line B of the Roma Metro the end-to-end journey can be faster and easier if you make the transfer to the metro at Roma Tiburtina instead of at Roma Termini.
Take a Frecce train, from Florence to Roma and you'll have the peace of mind of travelling in a reserved seat.
Though you will have to take the specific train you are booked on to.
The alternative journey options
As the guide to travelling by train in Italy explains, travellers often have a choice of train services when making journeys between major Italian cities.
This is the case on this route between Florence/Firenze and Rome/Roma, as there are four train journey options to choose from:
(1) these high speed (AV) Frecce trains;
(2) Italo (AV) trains which match the speed of these Frecce trains, but aren't sold by Trenitalia.
(3) Cheaper Intercity trains which are slower than either of the AV services because they don't take the high speed line.
They also don't depart from Santa Maria Novella, the main station in Florence/Firenze.
(4) The cheapest, but slowest option are the Regionale Veloce trains, they take the same 'classic route' as the Intercity trains, but call at more stations.
Though they do depart from the main city centre station in Firenze/Florence.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Journey description:
The direttissima between Florence and Rome was the first high speed railway line to be built in Italy, so it has a slower maximum speed than the other Italian high speed lines.
But it also takes a route through the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, so it is more scenic than a typical high speed line, which thanks to the trains travelling at around 250 km/h, gives the journey a wow factor.
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 (AV) train service between Firenze/Florence 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.
Booking tickets to Roma Tiburtina station:
Most of of these Frecce trains call at Roma Tiburtina station, before going on to Roma Termini.
On the Trenitalia website to see the trains from Firenze to both Termini and Tiburtina stations, choose Roma (Tutte Le Stazioni ) as the Arrival station.
Route Information
Option 2: taking the high speed Italo trains
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
1hr 36min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
9 x trains per day
There are hourly departures from 09:43 to 15:43 and then from 17:43 to 19:43
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
Taking these Italo trains:
Final Destination: Roma, Napoli or Salerno or Reggio di Calabria
All but one of the daily departures also calls at: Roma Tiburtina
If your final destination in Rome/Roma is conveniently located to a station on Line B of the Roma Metro the end-to-end journey can be faster and easier if you make the transfer to the metro at Roma Tiburtina instead of at Roma Termini.
Take an Italo train, from Florence to Roma and you'll have the peace of mind of travelling in a reserved seat.
Though you will have to take the specific train you are booked on to.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
These Italo trains take the same route as the Frecce trains.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open:: around 3 months ahead of the travel date
The high speed (AV) train service between Firenze/Florence and Roma is provided by;
(1) These Italo trains
(2) Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Frecce train tickets 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, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
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.
Booking tickets to Roma Tiburtina:
All but one of these Italo trains call at Roma Tiburtina station before going on to Roma Termini.
If your final destination is near a station on Line B of the Rome Metro, then making the transfer at Roma Tiburtina can be a better option than making the connection at Roma Termini, particularly if you don't have luggage.
Route Information
Option 3; taking an Intercity train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
2hr 57min (Intercity trains)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
2 - 4 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
You will need to set the alarm to take the only direct city centre to city centre Intercity train, as the train to Roma Termini is typically scheduled to depart from Firenze S.M.Novella station at 05:45 (not Sundays).
Other Intercity trains depart from Firenze Rifredi station and NOT the city centre station, Firenze S.M.Novella.
You'll need to take a connecting train from Firenze S.M. Novella to Firenze Rifredi in order to connect into these trains.
Final Destination: Roma Termini
An Intercity trains to Roma Termini is usually scheduled to depart from Firenze Rifredi at around 17:30 (not Saturdays).
This train also calls at:** Roma Tiburtina
Final Destination: Napoli Centrale
There are two additional Intercity trains per day from Firenze Rifredi to Roma Tiburtina station that do not call at Roma Termini, these trains are usually scheduled to depart at 08:30 and 18:28
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
So why take these Intercity trains from Florence to Rome?
Three reasons:
(1) Ticket prices are cheaper than on the high speed trains.
(2) The limited numbers of cheapest discounted 'Super Economy' tickets, which will be made available online, can cost less on these IC trains, than on the [slower Regionale Veloce trains.
(3) Rail pass users can save €10 by taking these IC trains and not the Frecce trains.
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
If you want to compare the cost of taking these Intercity trains, with the alternative high speed service of Frecce and Italo trains, you will need to look up this journey on Omio or Trainline.
Take these Intercity trains from Firenze to Roma and you can save around €10 in comparison to taking the slower and less comfortable Regionale Veloce trains; IF the cheapest 'Super Economy' tickets are still available.
However, if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, those Regionale Veloce trains are the cheapest option for a Florence to Rome train journey.
If you have a rail pass you can save €10 by taking these IC trains and not the Frecce trains.
Route Information
Option 4: taking a Regionale Veloce train
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
3hr 48min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
7 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.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Roma Termini
These trains also call at Roma Tiburtina
The trains on this route are 2nd class only.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Why take these Regionale Veloce trains from Florence to Rome, when the alternative train journey options are much faster.
For these reasons:
(1) They're much slower, but also a lot cheaper than the high speed trains.
(2) Like the high speed trains, they depart from the city centre station in Florence.
(3) If you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, they will also be a cheaper option than taking the Intercity trains.
The Intercity trains are less frequent and most of them also depart from Firenze Rifredi station, so you need to take a connecting train from Firenze S.M.Novella station, in order to board those Intercity trains.
(4) If you will be travelling around Italy with a rail pass, you can just hop on these trains, knowing that nobody else will be able to claim the seat(s) that you have occupied.
Tickets
Book early and save: No
Tickets will cost the same price if purchased at the station immediately before departure.
If you will buying at the station on the day of travel then it's likely that you will save around €25 by taking these trains and not the Frecce or Italo trains.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.
- Austria by train
- Innsbruck
- Salzburg
- Wien / Vienna
- Belgium by train
- Bruxelles / Brussels
- Czechia by train
- Praha / Prague / Prag
- Denmark by train
- København / Copenhagen
- France by train
- Lille
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Paris
- Germany by train
- Berlin
- Frankfurt (Main) / Francfort sur le Main
- Hamburg
- Köln / Cologne / Koeln
- München / Munich
- Great Britain by train
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- London
- Manchester
- Hungary by train
- Budapest
- Italy by train
- Bologna
- Firenze / Florence
- Milano / Milan / Mailand
- Roma / Rome
- Torino / Turin
- Venezia / Venice / Venedig
- Verona
- Netherlands by train
- Amsterdam
- Norway by train
- Oslo
- Poland by train
- Warszawa / Warsaw
- Portugal by train
- Lisboa / Lisbon
- Porto
- Spain by train
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Sweden by train
- Stockholm
- Switzerland by train
- Basel / Bâle
- Bern
- Genève / Geneva
- Zürich / Zurich
- No Matching Cities
- List is empty.
- No Matching Cities
- List is empty.
This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.
TOP