A sequence of two high speed railways enables high speed trains to rush from Milano to Rome/Roma.
This high speed route is shared by 'Frecce' services operated by the national rail operator, Trenitalia, and competing Italo services.
For those who favor cheapest price over journey time, there is also the opportunity to save money by taking the much slower Intercity trains which still snake their way along the older 'classic' railway lines.
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.
2hr 55min - 3hr 20min
Daily
1 - 3 x trains per hour
Is the journey from Milano to Roma / Rome direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.
Is the journey scenic?
Not particularly, but south of Firenze this route is comparatively scenic for a high-speed line route.
See the videos in the Journey Information.
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Roma / Rome from Milano Centrale on this journey option?
How easy is it to travel on from the station in Roma / Rome?
Roma Termini is served by two lines of the Metro - see the Station Guide for more info and a choice of accommodation convenient for the station.
When is the usual approximate latest departure from Milano Centrale to Roma / Rome on this journey option
How easy is it to get to the station in Milano?
Milano Centrale is served by two Metro lines, the M2 and the M3.
There are also typically 2 x trains per hour from Malpensa Airport.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay by Milano Centrale.
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
Yes, and they can be purchased from a choice of booking agents - see below.
Click on the 'Good to know info' to access a guide to how rail tickets are managed in Italy, plus step-by-step guides on how to make a booking with Trenitalia
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
It can be 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; and when looking up summer travel in March to May.
What are the child ticket terms for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
Children aged 4 -14 receive a 50% discount, though these 50% child rates are calculated against the full 'Base' ticket price.
But adult 'Super Economy' tickets can be discounted by more than 50%; So if these tickets are still available for your journey, it can be worth paying the adult rate for a child aged 4 - 14.
Does the ticket for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains include assigned seats?
Yes - See the Train Guide in the Journey Information for insights on how to board the train.
Do rail pass users need to book reservations for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
Yes - See the rail pass guide for Italy for info on the multiple booking options.
Is catering available on the Milano to Roma / Rome trains on this journey option?
Yes, there is a bar/bistro car.
See the Train Guide in the Journey Information.
What else is good to know about Italian rail travel?
Check out the guide to travelling by train in Italy.
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.
First time bookers using the Omio mobile apps (Find them at www.omio.com/apps) can save 10% on purchasers of up to €100 by using the promo code SEP24 Valid for bookings by September 30th, 2024 (11:59 pm CET).
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
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 Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
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:
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.
Final Destination: Napoli or Salerno or Reggio de Calabria or others
Departing from Milano
Some of these trains, particularly the slower services, also call at: Milano Rogoredo
Depending on where you'll be setting off from in Milano, taking the trains from this station can be time saver.
Milano Centrale is on the northern edge of the city centre, so these trains initially head north and then make their way around the city, so that they can take the route south towards Napoli.
Milano Rogoredo station is on Line M3 of the Milano Metro, though the same line also links the heart of the city to Milano Centrale station.
But if you'll be boarding a Metro train at Duomo station, which lives up to its name with a location by Milano cathedral, you'll be heading north to board these trains at Milano Centrale, so the end-to-end journey can be quicker if you head towards Milano Rogoredo.
Local trains head to Milano Rogoredo from multiple stations in the city centre, including Milano Porta Venezia and Milano Porta Vittoria.
Arriving in Roma
Some of these trains also call at Roma Tiburtina station.
Roma Tiburtina is linked to the city centre by line B of the Rome Metro.
This line also calls at Roma Termini station, but if your final destination in the city is convenient to a location with a station on Line B, there's a good chance you'll be there faster if you make the connection at Tiburtina instead of Termini.
When looking up this journey it's worth paying attention to the journey times as there are in effect three different service patterns used by these 'Frecce' trains.
The Frecciarossa 100 trains are more likely to be used on the faster services, but when you look up the journey on Trenitalia or ItaliaRail, you'll be able to see which specific type of train will be used on each departure.
This is a journey of three contrasting parts.
(1) Between Milano and Bologna the trains are at their fastest as on this stretch of high speed line they travel up to 290 km/h- which is fortunate as there's nothing much to see.
(2) Between Bologna and Firenze the train are travelling at high speed, but 99% of the journey is in tunnels,
(3) The high speed line between Firenze and Roma isn't quite as fast as that between Milano and Bologna, but as the trains travel at up to 250 km/h pleasing distant views of hills can be seen from either side of the train.
Much of this part of the route is elevated on viaducts, and the video, was taken from one of these.
Then as the train races towards Roma across the farmland, it flashes by a series of villages.
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 periods will be typically be shorter when looking up journeys for travel after the second Sundays in December and June.
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.
The choice of train services - and tickets / prices
The high speed (AV) train service between Milano Centrale and Roma/Roma is provided by
(1) these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia, and
(2) alternative Italo trains
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains can be placed on sale up to 6 months in advance, but the tickets for travel by Italo trains 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.
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 or Rail Europe. Though look out for the fact that these ticketing services will charge a booking fee.
The types of ticket:
Up to four core types of ticket will be available for advance booking:
(1) Long-term promotional tickets, such as 'Frecce Special' tickets, give discounts of up to 70% on the 'Base' ticket price.
Though they are made available in limited numbers, so can sell out on popular departures more than a month ahead of the travel date.
Regardless of how popular a departure / train is, they are only available up until 14 days ahead of departure.
They also can't be refunded or transferred to another departure.
(2) Super-Economy tickets are the cheapest option for journeys when a long-term promotion is either not available, or sold out.
They need to be booked more than five days ahead of a travel date.
They also can't be refunded or transferred to another departure.
(3) 'Economy' tickets are mid-priced, but they can be transferred to another departure, up to two hours before the train you were originally booked on, is due to leave.
However, you will need to pay the price difference, if tickets for the train you have swapped to are more expensive (they likely will be).
They also can't be refunded.
(4) Base tickets are the most expensive, but they are more flexible.
They can be refunded if the price per person is more than €10 - And they can also be transferred to another departure up until the time of the of your original departure - Meaning that you can go to the ticket counter and swap them to an earlier or later train.
You will have to pay any price difference, but the advance prices of Base tickets aren't heavily discounted.
You can also transfer them to another departure online, but this needs to be done at least two hours before the original departure time - When there is less than two hours to go, you'll need to use a ticket counter at the station.
Additional information, including what to look out for in general when booking, is available on the general guide to booking Italian rail tickets.
Child tickets:
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you will need to reserve prior to boarding these trains, either at the station (using a Trenitalia ticket machine or ticket desk) OR by booking them online.
How to book the rail pass reservations online is included on our guide to using rail passes in Italy.
3hr 10min - 3hr 40min approx
Daily
1 to 3 x trains per hour
Is the journey from Milano to Roma / Rome direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.
Is the journey scenic?
Not particularly, but south of Firenze this route is comparatively scenic for a high-speed line route.
See the videos in the Journey Information.
What other tourist locations are along the route from Milano to Roma / Rome?
Bologna and Firenze / Florence
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Roma / Rome from Milano Centrale on this journey option?
How easy is it to travel on from the station in Roma / Rome?
Rome is served by two lines of the Metro - see the Station Guide for more info and a a choice of accommodation convenient for the station.
When is the usual approximate latest departure from Milano Centrale to Roma / Rome on this journey option
Before 20:45 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to get to the station in Milano?
Milano Centrale is served by two Metro lines, the M2 and the M3.
There are also typically 2 x trains per hour from Malpensa Airport.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay by Milano Centrale.
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
Yes, and they can be purchased from a choice of booking agents - see below.
Click on the 'Good to know info' to access a guide to how rail tickets are managed in Italy.
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
It can be up to 4 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; and when looking up summer travel in March to May.
What are the child ticket terms for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
Children aged 3 and under travel free of charge, but they cannot occupy their own seats.
Children aged 4 to 13 also travel for free, if they are accompanied by at least one adult on the 'Family Offer'.
Though otherwise there is no discount on tickets for children aged 4 to 14.
Does the ticket for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains include assigned seats?
Yes - See the Train Guide in the Journey Information for insights on how to board the train.
Do rail pass users need to book reservations for these Milano to Roma / Rome trains?
Rail passes are not valid on these trains.
Is catering available on the Milano to Roma / Rome trains on this journey option?
There is no bistro/bar car, snacks and drinks can be purchased from vending machines.
See the Train Guide in the Journey Information.
What else is good to know about Italian rail travel?
Check out the guide to travelling by train in Italy.
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.
First time bookers using the Omio mobile apps (Find them at www.omio.com/apps) can save 10% on purchasers of up to €100 by using the promo code SEP24 Valid for bookings by September 30th, 2024 (11:59 pm CET).
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
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 Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
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 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.
Final Destination: Napoli or Salerno or Reggio de Calabria or others
**Departing from Milano
Most of these trains, particularly the slower services, also call at: Milano Rogoredo
Depending on where you'll be setting off from in Milano, taking the trains from this station can be time saver.
Milano Centrale is on the northern edge of the city centre, so these trains initially head north and then make their way around the city, so that they can take the route south towards Napoli.
Milano Rogoredo station is on Line M3 of the Milano Metro, though the same line also links the heart of the city to Milano Centrale station.
But if you'll be boarding a Metro train at Duomo station, which lives up to its name with a location by Milano cathedral, you'll be heading north to board these trains at Milano Centrale, so the end-to-end journey can be quicker if you head towards Milano Rogoredo.
Local trains head to Milano Rogoredo from multiple stations in the city centre, including Milano Porta Venezia and Milano Porta Vittoria.
Arriving in Roma
Most of these trains also call at Roma Tiburtina station.
Roma Tiburtina is linked to the city centre by line B of the Rome Metro.
This line also calls at Roma Termini station, but if your final destination in the city is convenient to a location with a station on Line B, there's a good chance you'll be there faster if you make the connection at Tiburtina instead of Termini.
When looking up this journey it's worth paying attention to the journey times as there are in effect two different service patterns used by these Italo trains.
These Italo trains take the same high speed route as the Frecce trains
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: Around 3 - 4 months ahead of the travel date
The choice of train services - and tickets / prices
The high speed (AV) train service between Milano Centrale and Roma Termini is provided by:
(1) these Italo trains
(2) alternative Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia
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.
However, 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 or Rail Europe. Though look out for the fact that these ticketing services will charge a booking fee.
Additional information, including what to look out for in general when booking, is available on the general guide to booking Italian rail tickets.
The types of ticket
Up to four types of tickets are available for journeys by Italo trains - regardless of the type of ambience / travel class you wish to travel by.
The three types of ticket which are always available are:
(1) Low Cost tickets = You can change the class, date and time of your trip, as many times as you like, up to 72 hours before scheduled departure - Subject to availability
But will be charged 20% of the price initially paid + plus any price difference with the original price
You can purchase a Refund Option for an additional cost - and if you then want to cancel you will receive 80% of the price paid; Without it this type of ticket is not refundable
(2) Economy = You can change the class, date and time of your trip, as many times as you like, up to 3 minutes before scheduled departure - Subject to availability
But will be charged 20% of the price initially paid + plus any price difference with the original price
If you want to cancel you will receive 60% of the price paid.
(3) Flex = You can change the class, date and time of your trip, as many times as you like up to 3 minutes before scheduled departure - without paying any price difference from the offer available at the time of booking.
If you want to cancel you will receive 80% of the price paid
Plus if you miss your train, you will have an hour to re-book by the next available departure - but this can only be arranged at an Italo booking desk at a station, or by telephone.
When long term promotions such as the Extra Summer Offer are available, they will be the cheapest type of ticket, but they cannot be re-booked or refunded.
Child tickets:
Worth knowing is that this offer has terms, which are atypical of Flex tickets, including
When not booking under the Family Offer, children aged 4 to 13 will be charged Adult rates.
Rail passes
Eurail and InterRail passes can't be used on Italo trains.
6hr 22min
Daily
up to 2 x trains per day
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:
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.
Final Destination: Napoli
If you want to make the train journey from Milan to Rome, these InterCity trains are much slower than the alternative and Italo trains, because unlike those trains, these Intercity trains don't travel on the high speed lines.
So why would you consider spending more than an additional three hours making the Milano to Roma journey on these trains?
The simple answer is price; travellers can typically save at least €20 by taking these Intercity trains.
They are usually scheduled to depart from Milano Centrale daily at 06:05 not Sunday; and around 13:45 not Saturday
Note that these Intercity trains do NOT call at Roma Termini - the city's main station.
Between Firenze/Florence and Roma these Intercity trains travel through a similar landscape, the foothills of the Apennine Mountains, as the high speed trains, though their slower speeds allows more time to take in the scenery.
Though between Bologna and Firenze is the most scenic part of the journey by these Intercity trains; and the high speed trains travel between those two cities in a series of tunnels.
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
Take these Intercity trains from Milano to Roma and you can save at least €20 in comparison to taking the faster trains.
Though make sure you enter Roma Tiburtina as the 'To' station when looking up this journey
Rail Pass Users:
If you have a rail pass you can save €10 by taking these trains, as Eurail and InterRail users don't have to make reservations to travel by these trains, but paying the €3 optional reservation fee is virtually essential, because if you don't, you'll be lucky not to have constantly find different seats during the journey.
So think twice! You can save more than 3 hours by taking the Frecce trains and the journey will also be more comfortable.
This is a journey on which the balance definitely tips in favour of paying the more expensive supplement to travel on the Freece trains.
If you do, then target the faster Frecce trains, they won't cost you any more than the slower Frecce trains and will save you around a further 20-25 mins.
How to book the rail pass reservations online is included on our guide to using rail passes in Italy.
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