Currently somewhere between Rome and Florence, I will have travelled around 1000km and crossed 5 different regions by the end of today, from central Rome to southern Pompeii, then finally up north to Venice.
A few years ago, such a thing would only have been possible by air, and perhaps not even then, considering the time it takes to drive from the airports to the city centers. High speed trains have revolutionised the way Italians and tourists are able to travel up and down the country, with numerous daily connections between the largest urban centers.
In just over an hour, Naples and Pompeii are now an easy day-trip from your hotel in Rome; that’s less time than it takes to drive across Rome most days! If you are more interested in the history of the region than spending leisurely days on the Amalfi Coast, why not consider taking a day from your Rome itinerary, enjoy a private tour of Pompeii or Naples and still have time to stop for a pizza before heading back to Rome and your hotel.
Florence is a comfortable 1.5hrs from the capital, and just over 2hrs from Venice,meaning you no longer have to choose between one or the other. Many travellers who aim to just see the cities, plan their itinerary down the high speed lines, beginning in Milan or Venice, hitting Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples, no longer losing a day with each journey, departing after breakfast and by lunchtime are checked into their hotel hundreds of miles away and ready for lunch.
And thanks to the competition between the state-owned Trenitalia and the private Italo,prices on the trains are kept reasonable, while the quality is high. Even the standard seats are better than first-class seating on regular trains, and the higher the level of carriage, the larger the seats and the fewer people there are in each carriage. Seating is assigned and must be booked in advance, meaning there’s never anyone standing in the aisle, hovering over you throughout the journey.
The main drawback of the high-speed network is that it is sadly limited, and much of the country is still only connected by regional trains which Italians themselves complain about. And yet, if you are taking the time to really explore the country, even these trains can offer you some wonderful day trips and easy of movement.
Fortunately, our network of drivers operates throughout the country, from the Dolomites to Sicily, to ensure your holiday will take you wherever you want to go. If you want to experience more of the country, driving will also allow you to stop along the way and add some extra stops. From Venice to Florence, both Modena and Parma are popular choices for their architecture and great gastronomic traditions; between Tuscany to Rome, Orvieto is a lovely place to have lunch, with an interesting history that is well-worth exploring, but the most popular is undoubtedly stopping for a tour of Pompeii on the way from Naples to Amalfi…or Venice!
Get planning your Italian vacation today!