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Frecciarossa 500 (Italy)
If you will be taking a journey by these Frecciarossa 500 trains our guide will tell you all you need to know, from boarding, to making the most of the journey experience.
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Compulsory
Time of Day
Day
Catering
Food services available
Bar (sandwiches, snacks, salads)
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
High Speed (partial journey)
High Speed (total journey)
Travel Comforts
Power Socket
WiFi
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
Italy
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
Trenitalia Pass
On Board
Executive
Perks
At Seat Catering
According to the time of day of travel, passengers will be able to choose from a menu of catering options, which will then be served at their seats.
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket
The power sockets in Frecciarossa trains are compatible only with Italian 3-pin plugs and NOT standard E.U. plugs.
Welcome drinks:
Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served, choices will include coffee, orange juice and prosecco.
The travel experience:
Executive Class on Frecciarossa train services lives up to its name and was evidently inspired by what airlines offer First Class travellers on long-haul flights.
All the seats are armchair style, so passengers won't be sat next to each other, but some seats are opposite others to make for easy conversation if so desired.
Seats can also be rotated so that they are facing the direction of travel
A catering attendant will also serve food and drinks.
Executive ticket holders can access the Frecciaclub travel lounges at stations and will be welcomed on board and shown to their seats.
Business
Perks
Welcome drinks:
Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served, choices will include coffee, orange juice and prosecco.
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket
The power sockets in Frecciarossa trains are compatible only with Italian 3-pin plugs and NOT standard E.U. plugs.
At Seat Catering
According to the time of day of travel, passengers will be able to choose from a menu of catering options, which will then be served at their seats.
The travel experience:
The ambience of the Business Class on Frecciarossa trains is similar to the travelling experience in First Class on Europe's other premium express train services, as the exceptionally comfortable seats are arranged 2 + 1 across the aisle.
Some of the table seats (groups of 4 seats) are partially enclosed, similar to compartment seats, so offer greater privacy and are recommended for group / family travel.
Quiet Zone seats are available, so if travelling in these coaches would be your preference, look out for 'Business Area Silenzio' when booking tickets.
In addition to a complimentary welcome drink and snacks (not served on Saturdays), the catering staff can also serve a selection of sandwiches and light meals on request, those these additional food and drink items have to be paid for prior to leaving the train.
The luggage accommodation is particularly generous in Business Class, medium to large suitcases can be stowed under and between the seats, plus luggage racks are also available.
Quiet Zones are available in Business
If you will be travelling with a First Class InterRail or Eurail pass and make a reservation to travel on a Frecciarossa train service, your allocated seats will be in Business Class.
Premium
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket
The power sockets in Frecciarossa trains are compatible only with Italian 3-pin plugs and NOT standard E.U. plugs.
Welcome drinks:
Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served, choices will include coffee, orange juice and prosecco.
At Seat Catering
According to the time of day of travel, passengers will be able to choose from a menu of catering options, which will then be served at their seats.
The travel experience:
The seats in Premium Class are mainly grouped around tables (4 seats per table) as the leather clad seats are arranged 2+2 across the aisle, so the majority of seats line up with windows.
In addition to a complimentary welcome drink and snacks (not served on Saturdays), the catering staff can also serve a selection of sandwiches and light meals on request, those these additional food and drink items have to be paid for prior to leaving the train.
The luggage accommodation is more generous than in Standard Class. medium sized suitcases can be stowed under and between the seats. Luggage racks are also available at one end of the coach.
Standard
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket
The power sockets in Frecciarossa trains are compatible only with Italian 3-pin plugs and NOT standard E.U. plugs.
The travel experience
On Frecciarossa trains Standard Class lives up to its name, as would be expected with three other classes of accommodation available, the ambience in these coaches can feel comparatively cramped.
Though it has a similar legroom and seat heights to the 2nd class / Standard Class on other European express trains.
However, the luggage storage space is comparatively limited in Standard Class on a Frecciarossa train, if you will have large items of luggage with you, traveling in Premium or Business can make for a much easier journey.
Quiet Zone seats are available, so if travelling in these coaches would be your preference, look out for 'Standard Area Silenzio' when booking tickets.
Good to know info
ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about travelling on Trenitalia's Frecciarossa 500 trains and answered them below.
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How fast does the train travel?
On the high speed lines, on which these trains spend most of their journeys, these trains travel at up to 300 kmh / 190mph. On the non-high speed lines they typically travel at up to 175kmh / 110mph.
Are seats allocated when booking tickets?
Seats are automatically allocated when booking any type of ticket online and at stations.
Can specific seats be selected from a seating plan?
Yes, this is possible when booking on the Trenitalia website, but there is a small additional charge for using this optional service.
How to access this service is explained on the step-by-step guide to using the Trenitalia website, in the 'Exploring the ticket options' section.
Can I choose forward facing seats?
It isn't possible to select forward facing seats, primarily because these trains reverse direction when making intermediate calls at the main stations in Florence, Rome, Naples and Milan.
Do Eurail / InterRail Pass users need to make reservations?
Yes, seat reservations are mandatory when travelling with rail passes on all Frecce services.
See the guide to using rail passes in Italy
Note that the same fees are payable by holders of both First and Second class rail passes, despite the fact that users of First class passes are allocated swanky seats in Business Class on these trains.
What catering is available on the train?
These trains have bar / bistro cars which can be accessed by all passengers, but Executive Class includes access to full at-seat meal service, with a menu which changes monthly.
Business Class travellers receive a complimentary box containing sweet and savory products.
More info is available on the Trenitalia guide.
Are power sockets available?
The power sockets on this train are compatible with standard E.U. two point plugs.
Individual sockets and USB ports are available in Business and Executive Class, but sockets are shared between seats in Premium and Standard Class.
Is Wi-Fi available?
Yes and it also connects to an on-board info and entertainment portal.
Is a Quiet Coach available?
There is a Quiet Zone in Business Class, and it can be accessed when booking with Trenitalia by choosing the 'Silence' ticket type.
Though it looks as though these Quiet Zones are now not available as a booking option when travelling Standard Class.
What is the luggage policy?
Trenitalia does not impose set criteria for either the size of luggage or the number of items which can be taken on board.
Are wheelchair spaces available?
Yes and they are located in a Business Class coach - see the Trenitalia guide to booking mobility services.
Can non-folding bicycles be taken on board?
These trains have no specific bicycle storage, so non-folding bicycles must be disassembled and placed in a bag / container no larger than 80x110x45 cm.
Can dogs be taken on board?
If you can take your dog in a container or basket measuring 70x30x50cm no ticket will be required
However, tickets are required for larger dogs which have a flat rate price of €5 when travelling on Monday to Friday and Sunday - and only €1 when travelling on a Saturday.
Frecciarossa 500 travel guide:
These rather fabulous high speed ‘Red Arrow’ AV* trains, which travel up to 300 km/h, were the pinnacle of the services provided by the Italian national rail operator, Trenitalia.
(*AV = 'Alta Velocita' - the English translation is 'high speed').
However, they have now been knocked off the top perch of Italian train services, by the newer Frecciarossa 1000 trains.
Note that the Frecciarossa and the Frecciarossa 1000 are different trains, though the travel experience by them is similar in terms of on board services and speed, but the Frecciarossa 100 have a sleeker design.
Routes:
These trains operate some services on the Torino - Salerno high speed line, mainly the slower Trenitalia high speed services that call at both Bologna Centrale AND Firenze S.M.Novella.
In addition to the services on the Torino – Salerno high speed line (some of which now extend to Reggio di Calabria via Villa San Giovanni), Frecciarossa trains now also operate on these routes;
- Venezia – Bologna – Firenze – Roma - Napoli
- Rome/Roma – Verona – Trento – Bolzano
- Torino - Milano – Bologna – Rimini – Ancona – Bari
- Milano - Parma - Modena - Bologna – Rimini – Ancona – Bari - Lecce (no part this route is high-speed)
- Trieste - Venezia – Padova - Vicenza - Verona - Brescia - Milano - Torino (the daily direct on this route to and from Trieste)
- Torino - Milano - Bologna - Firenze - Arezzo - Perugia
On board facilities:
These four things are particularly worth knowing:
(1) The on board announcements will be Italian followed by English.
(2) The power sockets in Frecciarossa trains are compatible only with Italian 3-pin plugs and NOT standard E.U. plugs.
(3) There are info screens in each coach with a rotating display of info, some of which show the next calling point and whether the train is on time
(4) The Wi-Fi isn't particularly reliable, though if you can log on, you can also access the Frecce entertainment portal.
Reservations:
Seats will be automatically assigned when booking tickets - but if you book on the Trenitalia website, it will give you an option for choosing a specific seat(s) from a seating plan.
However, there is now a €2 surcharge for using this facility, no matter which class of service you will be choosing to travel by.
Rail pass users will need to reserve prior to boarding - reservations can be booked at ticket counters or by using Trenitalia branded ticket machines OR online on the ItaliaRail website.
A booking fee of €2 will be charged when using a ticket desk at an Italian station.
More info on how to book these rail pass reservations is available HERE
Boarding:
Five things that are good to know:
(1) Before boarding, check the carrozza/coach number on your ticket, as this will make getting on to the train much easier.
At some stations that Frecciarossa trains call at, there will be information screens on the platform/binario - which indicate where to wait for the doors to a specific coach.
Where there aren’t any such info screens, the best option can be wait in the middle of the binario (platform) and then locate your carrozza/coach when the train arrives.
If need be, board by the nearest door that you can get to before the train departs, and then walk through the train to find your seat.
(2) On the outside of the trains, the carrozza/coach numbers (and the destination information) is displayed on an electronic display - on these Frecciarossa trains this screen is to the right of the door,.
(3) A number 2 on the door indicates a standard/2nd class coach, while all three classes of 1st class accommodation are indicated by a 1 on the door.
(4) As all seats are reserved, there is no need to rush to board (particularly if you are in the zone on the binari/platform where your carrozza/coach will come to a halt).
(5) When you enter the carrozza/coach, what you won’t see is any indication of between which stations the seat is reserved for.
All you have to do is look for the seat number - they have a combination of letters and numbers - seat 16A etc.
What can be confusing is that THE NUMBERS are on the wall of the coach, beneath the luggage racks, but the LETTERS are above the seats
Catering:
If you are travelling in anything but Standard class, there will be a trolley service of complimentary snacks and drinks – prosecco is one of the options.
If you ask for a coffee with milk, you will be served a shot of expresso with a drop of milk in it.
Frecciarossa trains have no restaurant cars, so the only food and drink sold on board is available from the bar coach.
Travel in anything but Standard Class and you can order a limited menu at your seat, but the full range of options is only available in the bar coach.
The selection of food (mainly sandwiches and salads) isn’t the best and queues can build up at the counter, so taking your own food/drink on board with you is recommended.
Comparison summary of Frecce services:
If you need or would prefer to depart and arrive at specific times, then it's best to choose the departure which suits you and not be concerned about the specific type of Frecce train you will be travelling by - these Frecciarossa trains offer a comparatively good travel experience.
When booking tickets online on Trenitalia, depending on the route you will be taking, you may see that some departures will ALSO be by Frecciarossa 1000 or Frecciargento trains.
The type of train won’t affect the ticket prices - it is demand per departure that will dictate whether the cheaper discounted tickets are still available.
For most travellers it won’t particularly matter what type of train you choose, though the Frecciargento trains can feel more cramped than Frecciarossa trains.
However, if you can be flexible with your departure time and you will be travelling Business or Executive Class and want to experience the ultimate in high speed train travel, then choose the Frecciarossa 1000 trains.
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