Should I use Italo Treno or Trenitalia? We compare both.
Yes, it’s true the Frugal Fliers don’t fly everywhere. Sometimes the train is most convenient, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less frug...
Yes, it’s true the Frugal Fliers don’t fly everywhere. Sometimes the train is most convenient, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less frugal.After flying into Rome we wanted to branch out to see more of Italy’s amazing cities. We knew we’d need to take at least four trains and it gave us the chance to compare Italy’s two high-speed rail operators. Trenitalia is the legacy, state-run operator. Italo Treno is the new kid on the block, starting service in 2012.
Background
Italo puts tickets on sale about five months in advance, while Italo waits to sell until four months. I noticed Trenitalia offers few sales and fares generally rise over time. Italo’s base fares rise slower, but they offer weekly promo codes on Facebook that can save money (read: never pay full price).
Trip #1 Rome to Naples
Both companies operate out of Roma Termini, which was closer to our hotel. I knew I wanted a train that didn’t depart too early, but would also get us to Naples so we could see Pompeii.
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| Departing Roma Termini Station |
Trenitalia offered fares as cheap as €9.90-€19.90, but they were for slow, regional trains or times that didn’t work for our trip.
Italo seemed like the better option with tickets starting around €24. Fares were higher than that by the time we even thought about this trip. I waited for Italo to offer a 50 percent off coupon code and snapped up tickets for the hour-long ride at €16.10 each in “Comfort” class.
Comfort is Italo’s version of Premium Economy. Seats are 1x2 instead of 2x2 in Economy. This allowed us both to have a window seat with a table between us. It also worked out only a few cents higher than economy.
Verdict: Italo (better price, schedule and seating class)
Trip #2 Naples to Rome
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| Looking out the window from our "Comfort" seats in Naples |
Again, Trenitalia’s fares were significantly higher for its high-speed Le Frecce service. Regional trains were cheaper, but much slower.
Instead, we again turned to Italo. Tickets, again, start at €24, but the fare was higher when we went to book. I was able to use the same 50 percent promo code to bring the price down to €16.10 each in “Comfort” class.
The train was waiting for us when we got to Naples, left on time and got us to Rome early.
Verdict: Italo Treno (better price, schedule and seating class)
Trip #3 Rome to Venice
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| Outside Venezia Santa Lucia station |
Italo fares start at €9.90 for this route, but we booked late so the cheapest fares were long gone. Instead we used a 60 percent off promo code to get the price down to €23.70 each in Economy class.
It’s certainly not the best price, but it was less than half what Trenitalia was charging at €59.90.
The train left on time and arrived early. The economy seats were comfortable and we slept most of the way.
Verdict: Italo Treno (cheaper)
Trip #4 Venice to Lucerne (via Milan)
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| Milano Centrale station |
At first, we planned to take an early Le Frecce train to Milan and connect to another train to Lucerne. We were pleasantly surprised to find Trenitalia offering fares around €30 for the entire journey, but we decided to keep digging.
We then found a fare the evening before we planned to leave Venice to Milan for €9.90. It was too good to pass up so we snagged it and used a corporate discount to get an affordable rate at a hotel near Milano Centrale station. It gave us the chance to see a bit of Milan and sleep in before leaving for Switzerland.
Within the same booking we also added the train from Milan to Lucerne the following day for €9.90. It’s important to group as much as you can within the same reservation. This way, in the event of a strike or delay you can ensure you end up at your intended destination.
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| A Trenitalia overnight train |
Seating was a bit odd to Milan. We used the seat map to select seats 86 and 88 that were displayed next to each other. When we boarded, we found seat 86 next to 82 and 88 next to 84. The train was pretty empty so we just sat next to each other and hoped nobody complained. They didn’t. In fact, it took an hour for anyone to check our tickets. The other seat remained empty the entire ride.
We tried to confirm our seats were next to each other to Lucerne, but the Trenitalia ticket office in Milan was packed. After waiting 10 minutes and seeing no movement in the line we decided to just take our chances. Thankfully those seats were listed correctly.
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| A view of a mountain in Switzerland |
Verdict: Trenitalia (only choice, cheaper prices than SBB)
Final Thoughts
Italo offered the better pricing, especially if you look on their Facebook page for the discount codes.
Both operators provide comparable service. Italo’s trains seemed newer and offered a fresher look. I also felt more confident in Italo’s operation after seeing the chaos in Trenitalia’s customer service office.
