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- Venice to Naples by train
Italian escape: Venice to Naples by train via Florence, Rome & more
Italy has an awesome train network – fast, reliable and, best of all, cheap! And since train travel is making a comeback, we've decided to go on a rail journey from Venice to Naples and take in five other amazing cities along the way.
Train travel is a major trend of 2023. With people increasingly mindful of their environmental impact and seeking more profound connections with the places they visit, rail journeys hit all the right notes.
Greener than planes, trains also let you enjoy the landscape. It’s a different style of travel: no bus or taxi to an airport 45 minutes outside of town. The stations are often in the heart of the cities. Plus, trains are super convenient when you plan a multi-stop journey.
Italy is a perfect country for a train adventure. It has a superb high-speed rail network operated by ItaloTreno that connects many of the country’s amazing cities. And unlike the UK, tickets are a bargain.
We’ve built an itinerary taking you from Venice to Naples via Verona, Milan, Bologna, Florence and Rome — and tickets came to less than 55€ per person!
Venice
What can we say about the Floating City that hasn’t been said before? Venice is one of a kind. Yes, St Mark’s Square (pictured) and the Rialto Bridge are must-sees. And, even though it’s a tourist cliché, a gondola ride is worth its price. But make sure to spend some time getting lost in Venice’s alleyways and exploring the smaller canals. And don’t forget to visit the nearby islands of Murano and Burano.
The next leg of our journey starts at Venezia St Lucia station for our train to Verona.
Verona
Journey time from Venice: 73 minutes
Arrival station: Verona Porta Nueva
Ticket price: from 5.90€ per person
The city of Romeo and Juliet is not always on people’s must-see list, which is a shame as there’s a lot to love about it, from pretty Medieval buildings to its numerous Roman sites. And obviously, there's the balcony (pictured) from that little-known play from a certain William Shakespeare. Another plus of Verona: while you’ll see tourists there, the crowds are much thinner than in Venice.
Milan
Journey time from Verona: 73 minutes
Arrival station: Milano Centrale
Ticket price: from 5.90€ per person
The home of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and the fashion capital of Italy. That's not a bad calling card for any city. But, Milan is also a social city, a place where the aperitivo is serious business. Find yourself a welcoming bar and while away an evening with a few drinks and nibbles. We recommend Bar Basso where the Negroni sbagliato is said to have been invented.
Bologna
Journey time from Milan: 74 minutes
Arrival station: Bologna Centrale
Ticket price: from 9.90€ per person
The city is called la Rossa, la Dotta e la Grassa. La Rossa (the red one) for the striking red-brick buildings peppering the town. La Dotta (the educated one) for its renowned university. La Grassa (the fat one) for its rich cuisine. If you’re a foodie, don’t miss it. Bologna is considered the culinary capital of Italy.
Florence
Journey time from Bologna: 38 minutes
Arrival station: Firenze Santa Maria Novella
Ticket price: from 9.90€ per person
The Renaissance city is the place to see some of the era's most famous works of art: Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Medusa, and many others. But if museums aren’t your thing, there is a lot else you can do in the city. Whatever you do, just end the day with a Negroni (said to have been first mixed there) at a riverside bar.
Rome
Journey time from Florence: 92 minutes
Arrival station: Roma Termini
Ticket price: from 9.90€ per person
If you’re in doubt about why Rome is called the Eternal City, just take a minute to consider its history stretching back nearly 3000 years. We could talk about the Spanish Steps or the Colosseum, but you know about these. The beauty of Rome is that it’s also a thoroughly modern city with great bars, restaurants and clubs. The perfect mix of culture and fun.
Naples
Journey time from Rome: 72 minutes
Arrival station: Napoli Centrale
Ticket price: from 9.90€ per person
The southern city doesn’t have the polish or world-famous artworks of some of the other Italian cities. But what it lacks in some areas, it more than makes up in character – people just fall in love with Naples. The city has many aces up its sleeve: world-famous archaeological sites (Pompeii and Herculaneum), delicious pizza, a towering volcano (Mount Vesuvius), and the beautiful Bay of Naples (pictured).
Planning your trip
We’ve picked this itinerary as it covers many amazing Italian cities. But it only represents a small portion of the ItaloTreno network. Check out the network map to build your own journey.
The prices are for ItaloTreno’s eXtra MAGIC tickets, which are the cheapest but are non-changeable and non-refundable. We found plenty of availability at the lowest prices. But you might need to be flexible with the day and time of travel to get the best prices.
ItaloTreno also offers discounts of up to 70% to young people, families, friends and senior travellers. These discounts apply to Flex tickets, which are more expensive than the eXtra MAGIC ones. Flex tickets can be changed up to three minutes before departures and are partially refundable. If you like flexibility, these might be a better option.
You can join the Italo Più loyalty program for 5% off your first ticket.