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Milano / Milan / Mailand to Venezia / Venice / Venedig by train
How to take a rail journey from Milan/Milano to Venice/Venezia
Now that the first stage of the Milano to Venezia high speed line has opened to Brescia, the rail service between Milan/Milano and Venice/Venezia is provided by
- high speed 'Frecce' trains operated by the national rail company, Trenitalia
- high speed Italo trains
- EuroCity (EC) trains which have travelled from Switzerland (these trains don't use the high speed line).
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Routes
Option 1: taking the Frecce and EC trains
Journey Summary
2hr 25min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Venezia S.L.
All trains also call at: Verona, Padova and Venezia Mestre.
Take care not to leave the train at Venezia Mestre when travelling to Venezia S. Lucia
The service of high speed (AV) trains between Milano and Venezia/Venice is split between these 'Frecce' trains operated by Trenitalia and other, less frequent departures, by Italo trains.
See the 'Ticket Information' below for details of how you can compare these services, when looking up this journey on the ticket agents.
In addition to these Frecce trains which depart from Milano Centrale, there are two Frecciarossa 100 trains per day which depart from Milano Porta Garibaldi station daily at 16:13 and 18:13.
The trains
Virtually all of these departures from Milano Centrale will be handled by the newer 700 trains.
There are also 2 x EC trains per day from Milano Centrale to Venezia. S Lucia that are usually scheduled to depart daily at 10:05 and 12:05.
They're around 10 mins slower than these Frecce trains because they don't use the high-speed line between Milano and Brescia,
Frecce trains from Milano Centrale:
Monday to Friday 12 x trains per day
Saturday 10 x trains
Sunday 12 x trains
EC trains from Milano Centrale:
2 x trains per day
Frecce trains from Milano Porta Garibaldi:
3 x trains per day
Tickets
If you're heading to the historic heart of Venice/Venezia, then take care to select Venezia S. Lucia as the the Arrival station.
If you will be using an agent check that they are making a booking to Venezia S. Lucia and NOT to Venezia Mestre station.
*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 train service between Milano Centrale and Venezia/Venice is provided by:
(1) these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia and the EC trains, which have travelled from Switzerland
(2) alternative Italo 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.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale 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.
So, 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 with Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
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.
Note that rail passes are not valid on the alternative Italo trains.
If you want to avoid paying rail reservations at all on this route from Milano to Venezia, then the only option is to take a Regionale train from Milano to Verona - and then another Regionale Veloce train on from Verona to Venezia.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trenitalia | from €29.90 | |
| Trainline | from €29.90 | |
| Italia rail | from €29.90 | |
| Save A Train | from €29.90 approx | |
| Omio | from €29.90 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
There is not a Frecce train departing from Milano Centrale station for Venezia / Venice in every hour.
Daily there are no departures from Milano Centrale scheduled between 09:45 and 11:45 and on Monday to Friday and Sunday there are no departures between 16:45 and 19:15.
However, on Saturday there is typically a gap between 14:45 and 19:15.
Though there are usually daily departures from Milano Porta Garibaldi at 16:10 and 18:10.
Journey description:
The high speed part of the journey is the first stage to Brescia, on which the train will travel at more than 250 km/h, but only for around 15 minutes
If you're on the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) keep a look out before Desenzano for a fleeting, but incredible view of Lake Garda - though you'll have to hope for good weather.
But this is a journey that saves the best to last as the train heads across the waters of the lagoon to reach the heart of historic Venice/Venezia.
Option 2: taking the Italo trains
Journey Summary
2hr 25min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Venezia S.L.
All trains also call at: Verona, Padova and Venezia Mestre.
Take care not to leave the train at Venezia Mestre when travelling to Venezia S. Lucia
The service of high speed (AV) trains between Milano and Venezia/Venice is split between 'Frecce' trains operated by Trenitalia and these Italo trains.
See the 'Ticket Information' below for details of how you can compare these services, when looking up this journey on the ticket agents.
5 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
**Online bookings open: around 3 months ahead of the travel date
The train service between Milano and Venezia/Venice 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.
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 with 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.
Eurail and InterRail passes can't be used on Italo trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Italo | from €9 approx | |
| Trainline | from €9 approx | |
| Happy rail | from €9 approx | |
| Omio | from €9 approx |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The final direct Frecce train of the day to Venezia S. Lucia is usually scheduled to depart from Milano Centrale, but there are Italo departures at 16:35 and 18:35.
These Italo trains take the same route as the Frecce trains
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