The 'Frecce' trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed section of the route between Bologna and Roma, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between the two services 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 Venice/Venezia to Rome/Roma take an entirely different and much longer cross-country route.
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.
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.
3 hr 45 min (approx)
Daily
14 x trains per day
There is usually at least one departure in every hour, but there is a gap between 07:26 and 09:26.
There are an additional two daily departures from Venezia Mestre station
Is the journey from Venice to Rome direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.
Is the journey scenic?
A highlight comes at the start of the trip, when the train crosses the lagoon directly after departing Santa Lucia station - then 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 Venice to Rome?
These trains also call at Padua and Rovigo and Ferrara (connect for Ravenna) and Bologna and Firenze / Florence.
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Roma Termini on this journey option?
Before 09:30 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to travel on from the station in Rome?
Roma Termini 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 Venezia S. Lucia to Rome on this journey option
Before 19:30 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to get to the station in Venice?
Santa Lucia station has a fantastic location on the Grand Canal and multiple boat bus routes arrive at the piers directly in front of the station - see the Station Guide for more information and easy access to booking accommodation in its neighbourhood..
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Venice to 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.
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Venice to 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 Venice to 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 Venice to 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 Venice to Rome trains?
Yes - See the rail pass guide for Italy for info on the multiple booking options.
Is catering available on the Venice to 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.
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.
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:
OBB is the national rail operator and its booking service offers journeys by express trains within Austria, as well as international journeys which don't involve making a connection outside of Austria.
It pays off to book online, as the discounted 'Sparscheine' tickets are only ever made available on the website, and when making international journeys to and from Austria, these Sparscheine tickets tend to be cheaper.
OBB can offer particularly good value for money when travelling with children on international rail journeys, but something to watch out for when travelling between Austria and Germany on daytime trains, is that reservations are an optional extra; but if you book 1st class tickets with the Germany railways website DB, the reservations are complimentary.
OBB often takes a unique approach to its booking path, but a key thing to keep in mind is that the first price you will see for any journey is that of a Second Class seat.
The costs of upgrading to first class, a reservation, or a sleeping cabin etc, is then added to this price.
Final Destination: Roma or Napoli or Reggio di Calabria
The departure typically scheduled to leave at 09:26 usually carries on beyond Roma Termini to terminate at Roma Fiumicino Airport/Leonardo Da Vinci airport.
All trains also call at: Venezia Mestre and Firenze S.M.N. and Roma Tiburtina
Heading to Roma Tiburtina can be a good option if the location of your final destination in the city has convenient access from a station served by Line B of the Roma Metro.
The alternative train journey options:
(1) High speed Italo trains compete with these Frecce trains on the Venice to Rome route.
They're less frequent than the Frecce trains, but they match them for speed and can be cheaper.
(2) There also two Intercity trains per day from 'Venice' to Rome.
They're (much) cheaper than taking either of the high speed train services (Frecce or Italo) but they depart from Venezia Mestre station - so you'll need to take a connecting train from Santa Lucia station, in order to catch these trains.
They're also much slower than the Frecce and Italo trains, as they don't use high speed lines and now take a much longer between Bologna and Rome via Rimini on the Adriatic Coast.
These trains will reverse direction when departing from Firenze S.M.Novella station.
The Venice to Roma journey by high speed trains has four distinct phases:
(1) It's not a scenic journey, but it starts with a flourish as the trains head out over the lagoon from the heart of historical Venice/Venezia.
The best of the views are from the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
(2) Between Padova and Bologna the train will travel across a flat landscape, with nothing of note to see
There is no high speed line between and Venezia/Venice and Bologna.
(3) Then from Bologna to Firenze the train will travel at more than 275 km/h on a high speed line, but virtually all of this part of the route is contained within a series of tunnels
(4) The high speed line between Florence and Rome is more scenic than most, it's not a beautiful journey, but there is a wow factor of travelling across the rolling landscape at more than 240 km/h*.
*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.
These videos showcase the journey experience on this part of the trip.
Note that trains will reverse direction when departing from Firenze S.M.Novella station.
If you're heading from historical Venezia/Venice make sure to select Venezia S. Lucia as the 'Departure' station and NOT Venezia Mestre.
If you will be using an agent, confirm that they have booked tickets from Venezia S. Lucia.
A choice of stations in Roma:
Virtually all of these Frecce trains will call at Roma Tiburtina station, before going on Roma Termini.
If you will be travelling to Roma Termini, then use this specific station as the Arrival 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.
If your final destination is near a station on Line B of the Rome Metro, the best option can be to take these trains to Roma Tiburtina and connect into the Metro there.
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:
Travelling with Eurail or InterRail passes:
Rail pass users will need to pay a €13 reservation fee prior to boarding these trains, which can be comparatively good value for such a long journey.
There also typically two Intercity trains per day from Venice to Rome.
However, they leave from Venezia Mestre station over on the mainland and NOT from Santa Lucia station in the heart of historical Venice; which is where these Frecce trains depart from.
Target these IC trains if you want to save €13 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 on these trains is virtually essential (this €3 fee is now compulsory from May to September).
3 hr 45 min (Italo trains)
Daily
10 x trains per day
There are an additional two daily departures from Venezia Mestre station
Is the journey from Venice to Rome direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.
Is the journey scenic?
A highlight comes at the start of the trip, when the train crosses the lagoon directly after departing Santa Lucia station - then 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 Venice to Rome?
These trains also call at Padua and Rovigo and Ferrara (connect for Ravenna) and Bologna and Firenze / Florence.
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Roma Termini on this journey option?
Around 11:00 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to travel on from the station in Rome?
Roma Termini 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 Venezia S. Lucia to Rome on this journey option
Around 17:00 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to get to the station in Venice?
Santa Lucia station has a fantastic location on the Grand Canal and multiple boat bus routes arrive at the piers directly in front of the station - see the Station Guide for more information and easy access to booking accommodation in its neighbourhood..
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Venice to 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.
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Venice to 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 Venice to 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 13.
Does the ticket for these Venice to 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 Venice to Rome trains?
Rail passes are not valid on these trains.
Is catering available on the Venice to 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.
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 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.
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: Roma or Napoli
All trains also call at: Venezia Mestre and Firenze S.M.N. and Roma Tiburtina
Note that these trains will reverse direction when departing from Firenze S.M.Novella station,
These trains take the same route as the Frecce trains.
If you're heading from historical Venezia/Venice make sure to select Venezia S. Lucia as the 'Departure' station and NOT Venezia Mestre.
If you will be using an agent, confirm that they have booked tickets from Venezia S. Lucia.
A choice of stations in Roma:
All of these Italo trains will call at Roma Tiburtina station, before going on Roma Termini.
If you will be travelling to Roma Termini, then use this specific station as the Arrival station when looking up tickets and prices.
If your final destination is near a station on Line B of the Rome Metro, the best option can be to book these trains to Roma Tiburtina and connect into the Metro there.
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 Venezia / Venice and Napoli / Naples 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.
8hr 1min - 8hr 6min
Daily
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: Roma Termini
These trains also call at: Foligno (connect for Assisi)
Note that these Intercity (IC) trains depart from Venezia Mestre station on the mainland and NOT from Venezia S. Lucia station in the historic, tourist heart of Venezia.
The alternative high speed services, the Frecce and Italo trains, do depart from Venezia Santa Lucia.
These IC trains from Venice to Rome are also much slower than the Frecce or Italo trains, because unlike them, they don't use the high speed lines between Bologna and Rome.
Also they have recently been switched to an even longer route via Rimini, though fans of scenic rail journeys will appreciate the views of the coast and the Apennine Hills, available when taking the first departure of the day.
Take the morning InterCity train to see these views.
South of Rimini the train will travel by the shore of the Adriatic Sea for more than 40 minutes, the views are on the left, then the train will turn inland and spend more than an hour travelling through the foothills of the Apennine Mountains.
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
These Intercity (IC) trains are usually scheduled to depart from Venezia Mestre at 07:34 and 14:14.
If you will be commencing your journey at Venezia S. Lucia, you will need to take a connecting train to Venezia Mestre.
When making an online booking, if you select Venezia S.Lucia as the 'Departure station' your ticket will include both the connecting train AND the Intercity train.
Despite the need to take two trains, when commencing a journey at Santa Lucia station, these IC trains will be a cheaper option than either of the two high speed services; Frecce or Italo.
If you want to compare the ticket prices of these IC trains with both the Frecce AND Italo trains, you will need to look up this journey on Trainline, as Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains.
Rail pass users
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
(1) taking a R or RV train from Venezia S. Lucia to Venezia Mestre
(2) taking one of these IC trains from Venezia Mestre to Roma.
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