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TRANSPORT

The train routes connecting Italy to the rest of Europe in 2023

Here are some of the main direct international train services you can use for travel between Italy and other European countries this year.

A train from Limone in Italy pulls into the station in Tende, France on December 31, 2021.
A train from Limone in Italy pulls into the station in Tende, France on December 31, 2021. Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP.

A number of airlines have recently announced new routes to and from Italy – but given the dramatic effect climate change is already having on Europe’s weather patterns, many people are looking to less carbon-heavy alternatives for their summer holiday plans this year.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a (non-exhaustive) primer that covers the major direct train routes from Italy to adjoining France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia, as well as to Germany.

If you are considering taking any of these routes, Show Me The Journey provides a very detailed guide to international train travel from Italy that lays out exactly what services are available when.

Without further ado, here’s where you can travel in Europe by direct train from Italy in 2023:

Night trains from major cities

From Rome or Florence, you can travel direct to Villach, Salzburg, Vienna or Munich via the Nightjet network, run by Austrian operator ÖBB. This night train is currently the only direct international rail service to and from these two major Italian cities.

You can also go direct to Vienna or Munich from any of Bologna, Milan, Venice, Genoa, La Spezia, Verona, Ancona, and a few other smaller Italian towns and cities along the route, via the same service. 

READ ALSO: Yes, train travel across Europe is far better than flying – even with kids

The route from Venice, stopping at Vicenza and Udine, can take you deeper into Germany – all the way to Stuttgart – via Munich.

Nightjet's train routes.
Nightjet’s train routes. Source: ÖBB/Nightjet

France:

There are multiple daily trains from Milan to Paris via Turin, leaving either from Milano Centrale or Milano Porta Garibaldi station, depending on which operator you go with. You can also travel direct from Milan to Lyon via Turin.

From the Italian border town of Ventimiglia, you can travel to Nice, Cannes and Grasse via Menton, Monte Carlo and Antibes. There are multiple daily express trains to Ventimiglia from Milan and regional trains from Genoa.

Austria (and Germany):

Travellers can take a EuroCity train from Bologna that goes through Verona, Trento, Bolzano, Brennero (as the final Italy stop) and on to Innsbruck and Munich. There’s also one EuroCity train a day from Venice to these destinations Mon-Fri, stopping at Padua and Vicenza, and two on weekends.

There are twice-daily Railjet trains from Venice to Vienna via Villach, stopping at other Italian and Austrian towns along the route.

READ ALSO: Five easy day trips to make from Rome by train

A daily train service from Bolzano takes passengers to Vienna via Innsbruck, Salzburg and Linz.

There are also hourly S-Bahn trains to Innsbruck from Brennero, and regular trains from Fortezza to Lienz.

A picture taken on June 8, 2018 shows the train station at the Brenner Pass (Brennerpass), the mountain pass through the Alps between Austria and Italy.

A picture taken on June 8, 2018 shows the train station at the Brenner Pass (Brennerpass), the mountain pass through the Alps between Austria and Italy. Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP.

Switzerland (and Germany):

A large number of EuroCity trains leave every day from Milan to Lugano and Zurich, stopping at Como and several Swiss towns and cities.

One of these trains to Zurich each day starts in Venice, stopping at Padua, Vicenza, and Verona, among other towns; one starts in Genoa; and one in Bologna.

There’s also a twice-daily EuroCity service that goes from Milan to Basel via Como, Lusern and Lugano, and regular regional train services from Milan to Locarno via Como and Lugano.

A daily train service from the Milan central train station ferries passengers all the way to Frankfurt, stopping at Bern, Basel, and various other Italian, Swiss and German towns and cities along the way.

READ ALSO: Six delightful day trips within easy reach of Milan

If your destination is more westerly, there are multiple daily trains from Milan to Geneva via Domodossola, Brig and Lausanne, one of which starts in Venice.

There are also multiple daily services from Milan to Basel via Domodossola, Brig and Bern.

Finally, the Rhaetian Railway network connects Tirano to St Moritz, with a large number of trains departing every day; while the Bernina Express connects Tirano to Chur.

Slovenia:

A daily EuroCity train service from Trieste goes to Ljubljana, Maribor and Graz before moving on to Vienna.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Why are flight prices higher in Italy than the rest of Europe this summer?

A recent analysis found that fares for flights between European countries have decreased on average this summer - but mysteriously, Italy is bucking the trend.

Why are flight prices higher in Italy than the rest of Europe this summer?

Italy may be at the start of a summer tourism boom, but that’s no thanks to the cost of its airline tickets, which are higher than ever this year.

According to a recent analysis in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, intra-Europe fares from June to September 2024 are down three percent on average compared to the same period last year – but Italy’s flight costs have risen.

The average price of a summer flight between Italy and the rest of Europe has increased by seven percent since 2023, data shows, while domestic flights cost as much as 21 percent more.

Corriere doesn’t offer much of an explanation for the hikes, though says industry sources say it could be down to demand being higher than anticipated.

READ ALSO: How Europe’s new EES border checks will impact flight passengers

It’s true that supply chain issues have reduced the available fleet of global aircraft at a time when the appetite for international travel is as high as ever – but this is an industry-wide problem that shouldn’t disproportionately affect Italy.

Carmelo Calì, the vice president of consumer rights watchdog Confconsumatori, suggested in a recent interview that the main culprit is a lack of healthy competition in the Italian market.

“Despite what is said to the contrary, in our country companies often find themselves operating at airports practically alone,” Calì told consumer publication Il Salvagente (The Lifejacket).

“Even when there is competition, prices remain high, because the race is upwards and not downwards.”

The high price of Italy’s domestic flights have been a point of contention for years, with consumer unions long complaining that fares for tickets between mainland Italy and the major islands are exorbitant.

Italy’s Price Surveillance Guarantor Benedetto Mineo, who officially goes by Mister Prezzi (‘Mr. Prices’), last summer called on the seven main airlines operating in Italy to account for a 40 percent annual increase in the cost of some key domestic routes.

READ ALSO: Why two Swiss to Italy flight routes are ‘the most turbulent’ in Europe

This was followed by the government announcing a price cap on flights connecting Sardinia and Sicily to the Italian mainland – that it promptly shelved just one month later, after budget carrier Ryanair led a furious pushback by low cost airlines.

“Here companies believe they have freedom that they don’t have elsewhere, convinced they can get away with it, while in the rest of Europe they fear being punished,” said Calì.

That may explain why the EU’s competition watchdog has been so slow to approve a proposed partial takeover of Italy’s national flag carrier ITA by Germany airline Lufthansa.

The Commission has repeatedly insisted that Lufthansa must give away a certain number of its slots at Milan’s Linate airport in compliance with EU competition rules in order for the deal to go ahead.

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