Taking the High-Speed Train in Italy: Between Rome and Milan
Traveling between Rome and Milan is one of the most popular train journeys in Italy, and taking the Frecciarossa, Italy’s high-speed train, is in my opinion the best way to travel between the two cities.
The journey with the high-speed train in Italy between Rome and Milan is just a few hours and offers speed, comfort, and convenience without the stress of flying or driving yourself.
I wrote this post to help you travel within Italy using the high-speed train. I’ll go over how we purchased train tickets, how to navigate the stations, and what to expect on Italy’s high-speed trains between Rome and Milan. 
** This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or widgets throughout the page, whether it be Viator, Booking.com, Agoda, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support!
There are two websites that are most popular to book tickets, they are ItaliaRail and italotreno.
Personally, I found the ItaliaRail website to be much more user friendly and easier to navigate.
When accessing the ItaliaRail website, you can search for train tickets by entering in your From and To locations, number of passengers, and date.
You can filter by the classes (2nd Class, Premium, 1st Class, etc.) and Features (High-Speed Direct, Overnight, etc.).
Afterwards, you can choose the best time that works for your travel schedule. For my personal trip between Rome and Milan, the travel time was around 3 hours on the Frecciarossa.
You can then choose your class, flexibility, enter in your passenger details, select your seat, before purchasing tickets.
Once the tickets are purchased, IntraRail will send a confirmation email with the train tickets information and e-Tickets with a QR Code.
Why Take the Frecciarossa High-Speed Train in Italy
Taking the Frecciarossa high-speed train in Italy is by far one of the most efficient, relaxing, and enjoyable ways to travel within Italy and between major cities like Rome and Milan.
The Frecciarossa can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h and has an extensive network that connects to major cities and towns throughout Italy.
If you are traveling within Italy, taking the high-speed rail is much more convenient and cheaper then flying and more relaxing then driving a car.
The cabins are modern, the seats are comfortable, and there is Wi-Fi on board.
The Frecciarossa high-speed rail offers a smooth, reliable, and stress-free travel experience. It’s the perfect mode of transportation in Italy to save time, avoid traffic, and just relax and look out the window at the Italian countryside, stress free.
Rome to Milan by Frecciarossa: Our Experience
Our Italy itinerary included a week in Rome and another week in northern Italy to include Milan. We booked our train-tickets from Rome to Milan then Milan back to Rome, a few months before our trip to Italy via the ItaliaRail website.
Based on the length of the train ride (around 3-hours) from Rome to Milan and the price we decided to purchase 1st class tickets. Honestly, it was only about $100 extra, so well worth it.
Honestly, the most and only frustrating aspect of our journey was at the beginning of our trip at the Rome Main Train Station (Roma Termini).
We arrived at the train station early and could not figure out which platform our train was on. Of course, no one was very helpful, even the information staff wasn’t much help.
We found out, there are electronic signs placed throughout the gates that update with the train number and platform about 15-20 minutes before the train arrival. So, it’s actually pointless to arrive at the Roma Termini early.
When we finally boarded the Frecciarossa we had a train cart practically to ourselves. The first-class cabin was spacious, quiet, comfortable, and there was even a small meal service.
The seats were spacious, comfortable, and reclined. There was an outlet at each chair, we were able to charge all our devices.
There was a complimentary food and drink service in first-class. It included a sandwich, coffee, and water.
Overall, I felt the high-speed Frecciarossa in Italy was an amazing journey, I highly recommend booking 1st class. It was such a relaxing journey. I can’t wait to explore more of Italy by train.
Frecciarossa First Class: Is it Worth it and What to Expect
The 1st class experience on Italy’s high-speed train, the Frecciarossa is well worth the extra cost. It’s not as expensive as booking first class on an airline, in fact it’s quite affordable.
In my opinion, first-class on Italy’s high-speed train is 100% worth it. It’s worth spending a little more for extra comfort and being able to relax the entire journey.
Expect comfort, decent service, and of course Wi-Fi on board. In 1st class, there is assigned seats and the environment is quieter, less crowded, and more peaceful.
Travel Tips for Taking the High-Speed Trains in Italy
For someone who took rode on the trains in Italy for the very first time, I made mistakes. So that you can learn from my mistakes and have a smoother ride, here are some travel tips for taking Italy’s high-speed train.
✅ Book your train tickets early. You might get a better deal on your train ticket.
✅ Don’t arrive at the train station to early, especially at Roma Termini.
✅ Do pay attention to how long security lines and crowds are though at Roma Termini or Milan Main Station. We had to run a bit to our gate in Milan, mainly because it was late at night and the only open gate was a few platforms away.
✅Choose the right class for your trip. We went with 1st class just to experience it and relax. But price out the classes to see what is right for you.
✅ There was plenty of luggage storage on board the Frecciarossa.
✅ There is Wi-Fi on board the Frecciarossa.
✅ The bathrooms on board the Frecciarossa were as expected. They were spacious and clean.
✅ Power Sockets and USB Ports were also included with every seat/table.
✅Choose a window seat if possible. The scenery between Rome and Milan was beautiful.
Conclusion
Prior to our trip to Italy, we were unaware of how easy, convenient, and quick the high-speed train was. Taking the Frecciarossa between Rome and Milan was easily the best way to travel between the two cities.
Booking train tickets through the IntraRail website was easy and in my opinion cheap for what you get. I was surprised by the first class cabins and thoroughly enjoyed the journey throughout Italy on the Frecciarossa high-speed rail.
Think about this, with so much to see and do in Italy, why waste your time navigating around taking the long route to get somewhere, when you could just hop on the Frecciarossa train and maximize your sightseeing opportunities in places like Rome.
Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 📸
Plan Your Trip: 🗺 ✈️ 🇮🇹
Booking Accommodations ⛺️ 🛖
For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com
Activities and Tours 🏖 🚁
Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.
In need of a car rental? 🚗 🚘
I recommend checking with Rental Cars.
You May Also Like
Scaligero Castle, Sirmione: One of Lake Garda’s Must-See Sights
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology: Visiting Ötzi the Iceman
