But where exactly were we, what were the names of those towns, and why wasnt there an onboard monitor to tell me all this? Italian train company Trenitalia was founded in 1732. The catering service on board includes: a paid offer, Italo Selection, with a wide selection of sandwiches, focaccia and piadine and drinks; Snack Area with vending machines for coffee and drinks in each of our trains, for a pleasant break during your trip; a Welcome Service, free of charge, reserved for customers travelling in Ambiente Prima; a catering service dedicated to customers travelling in Ambiente Club Executive. It applies only to superfast frecce trains, which train at exactly the same speed as the primo codee. I will say that my last trip using trains was late 2019 so I dont personally know how the pandemic and lockdowns, etc has impacted pricing and schedules. The maximum speed of Frecciarossa reaches 300 kph (186 mph), making it one of the fastest bullet trains running in the country! ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-102527064', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Florence so IMO not worth upgrading to business/premier. A person in the white collar middle class is someone who works outside the traditional workplace but does not need to do manual labor. Basically the time of travel remains the same (since the line is still standard speed) but they charge you more because you now sit on a leather seat. The Frecciarossa 1000, is a high-speed train operated by Italian state railway operator Trenitalia.It was co-developed as a joint venture between Italian rail manufacturer Hitachi Rail Italy (initially AnsaldoBreda) and multinational conglomerate Alstom (initially Bombardier Transportation).Both design and production work were divided between the two partner companies. There is a big difference between Italo first class and second class. If you ( Roberto) look at the schedule for October you will see it truly is a Frecciarossa. It is much easier for me to take IC first class than second class. This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. First class passengers also typically have access to complimentary snacks and drinks, as well as power outlets and Wi-Fi. We will be traveling from (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The one that leaves at the best time for you. Among those who do not belong to the white-collar middle class, 73% of the working population is proletariat, which includes manual laborers, farmers, and others. Italo often beats the Frecciarossa because it uses secondary stations such as Porta Garibaldi in Milan, which is as convenient as Centrale and without the chaos, and Tiburtina (same story) in Rome. And thank you Laurel for also explaining the change, rather than dismissing the OP so readily. I've travelled in both first and second class in the Freccia trains and haven't noticed a huge difference between them in terms of "seat comfort*. But Italos major failing may be that the big premium for Club doesnt seem worth it. Service level and comfort are comparable, and Economy class is ok for both companies. There is a big difference between Italo first class and second class. Roberto. Eataly and then disappointing. Trenitalia figured out another way to get more money out of travelers since the Frecciarossa has fewer seats at the lower Standard price. Italo is cheaper usually. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Yes, most high-speed trains in Italy, such as Italo and Frecciarossa, offer free WiFi for passengers. Frecciarossa means red arrow, and they can reach 300 km/h (186 mph) on Italy's new high-speed lines.Nobody flies between Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples now: Milan to Rome takes as little as 2h55 by train, Rome to Florence as little as 1h23, Rome to Venice just . Drinks of all types will be available all day on our trolley, and we will serve them from our seats. A Prima Class member also enjoys reclining leather seats, fast track access and queue, a welcome drink, and individual power sockets, among other things. Frecciarossa Executive Class Frecciarossa's Executive Class caters for those who only reluctantly leave their private jet at home. Your email address will not be published. There are two travel classes onboard - Standard and First. Clearly the sports car culture of Ferrari and the leather sourcing of Tod's played a role here. But. But we will most likely take taxis (two) to our lodgings regardless of the station. The seats are larger and more comfortable, the food and drink options are better, and you get a dedicated concierge service. 6.8K views 5 months ago ROMA TERMINI Having just reviewed Trenitalia's Frecciarossa 1000 in Standard, Premium, and Business class, I concluded that Business Class was the way to go. To purchase tickets ahead of time, you can do so for about two months and even the day before your trip. more. First Class on Trenitalia Europe Trains: Photos. We have experienced, and heard other travelers complain about slow or non-existent WiFi on some Italo trains, though free WiFi is one of its featured amenities. (I know, all of this decision-making will make the next paper or plastic question seem so easy, wont it?). On select services, an afternoon tea is available between 15 and 17:30. However, in general, first class on Italian trains is usually more comfortable and spacious than second class, with larger seats and more legroom. The schedule includes all of the Italo train lines and stations, as well as the times that each train departs and arrives. Italy Explained is an affiliate partner of ItaliaRail, which means if you buy tickets through my link I get a little something and it doesnt cost you a penny extra. In each carriage, there are two tables for four passengers at each end, though the seats are primarily unidirectional. But the travel time is the same as the Frecciargento trains. Italo does not connect to smaller cities, while Trenitalia provides regional and intercity service to the far reaches of Italy from the top of the boot to the heel. Italy Tourism Italy Hotels Italy Bed and Breakfast Italy Vacation Rentals Whether or not they will be the "Mille" type is not clear from this page view; maybe they are moving the "original" version onto that line and keeping "Mille" for the business route. She has also written for Frommer's, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, and more. That's it. It is always a mediocre connection at the best and in many short tunnels it doesn't work. Frecciarossa, Italo, Trenitalia and Frecciargento trains from Civitavecchia (citt) to Palermo . Because the prices on expensive trains keep increasing, first class tickets may not be within your budget. Keep in mind that not all trains have both first and second class some only have second class cars. We will be traveling from (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? There is no guarantee that you will have a seat on the route for your destiantion; however, you can take any IC along the route for free. On Trenitalias website, the base price was $65 and $78. Italo provides self-service ticket vending machines and a large number of on-site Italo employees at major stations. There are no Frecciarossa in Venice. cars in the first set are numbered 1-8, the second 11-18. But if you want to go from Florence to Bologna or Florence to Roma, you have far fewer options other than the Freccia. From Rome Termini to Milano Centrale (Milan's main rail station) takes 2 hours, 59 minutes non-stop or 3 hours, 30 minutes with stops. Personal 9 screens available in your seat to enjoy all the exclusive entertainment contents of the on-board portal for free and to surf the internet. {{totalPassenger}} There are also first-class lounges available for passengers in the upper class. They also removed all slower trains on long distances so that you are forced to pay top dollars. Some Italian trains may have a first class option while others may not. Personally? NTV, Italos predecessor, only offered trains at a slower rate, but it has since introduced Smart (second class) and Club (first class) classes. Find out more about all the possibilities to travel offered by Italo. But I didnt think that was enough to justify the price difference. I prefer the former. Is it true that Italo is less likely to be affected by strikes? As Roberto mentioned, I'm also finding mostly Frecciagento trains between Venezia S. Lucia and Roma Termini. Even the "Smart" (basic") car of the Italo Treno looks pretty, well, smart I felt a little guilty, at first, even thinking of booking a ticket with Italo Treno. I miss the old times when you could travel from Florence to Rome in one hour and 20 min (12 less than today) for less than half the price as today. There are 4 seats in a row either way (with the aisle in the center), so no difference in size or comfort. Making comprehension more difficult is that the Base fare offered by Italo and Trenitalia is actually the highest fare. Choose between 4 ambiences: Smart, Comfort, Prima and Club Executive. Italo Club Executive (First Class) perks in detail. Re: Frecciarossa vs. Italo Trains - Preference? Most seats are airline-style, with unidirectional seats. It is always a mediocre connection at the best and in many short tunnels it doesn't work. Punctuality: In my experience, its a draw. Frecciarossa Executive is the only class on board which is available for purchase as a standard, premium, business, or premium. I traveled in first and business class on trains across Europe. Be sure you know which station to arrive at in Roma. We are mainly concerned with comfort of the seats, as two of our party of five adults have bad backs. First class on a train usually includes larger and more comfortable seats, more legroom, and sometimes complimentary food and drink. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. Rail Europe also lists prices in dollars, the other two in Euro. reclining seats and power sockets. If theres a dining car attached to a train, people from both classes are welcome to use it. Passengers receive a newspaper and an insignificant drink and snack. Regardless of the cost of a First Class ticket, there are numerous advantages to this type of travel class. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Italo Club: This is the trains super-first class, a separate carriage at the front of the trainonly 11 seats and two compartments. I have found that Italo is typically less expensive on first class seats and I really enjoy the two single seats that face each other if two are travelling together and they are available. One thing in favor of trenitalia is the onboard bar wagon, while italo has vending machines and overall almost always lower ticket prices. Customers traveling longer distances may prefer to order a hot meal or a complimentary sandwich. Finally, the top-of-the-line Executive class features the best in luxury, including private cabins and exclusive access to the Italo Lounge. Find out the other features of Frecciarossa 1000 The exterior of the train 4 levels of service Executive Same goes for Trenitalia. Wi-Fi has been upgraded. The 10:25 Trenitalia train from Venice I am looking at for October clearly indicates it is a Frecciarossa and offers four classes of service. Italo is cheaper usually. Onboard staff is friendly and multilingual. I'm sure that whichever you choose it will be fine. Italo Railway provides a limited number of services due to its size. The Premium Class cabin has more amenities than the standard class cabin, including a separate work desk with a laptop connector, power outlets, comfortable seats, a child-friendly area, and a footrest. High-speed trains do exactly the same as interregionali, but they're faster and, obviously, more expensive. Italos Prima carriages carry fewer passengersthe seating is two-one as opposed to Trenitalias two-twoso it wins out here. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Be sure you know which station to arrive at in Roma. selection of snacks and drinks, directly to your seat, dedicated entrance, skip the queues and save time at checks, You can sit down and travel on spacious and. My one caveat is that sometimes there are deals hiding in those byzantine Italo and Trenitalia fare structures. Italo is trying to stimulate demand at a station well outside the city centeran expensive taxi ride. Premium and Standard share a 2-2 seating arrangement, but Premium passengers get the same snack as in Business. By clicking "Accept" You are consenting to the installation of profiling cookies on your browser; clicking on the "Reject" button will not consent to the installation of profiling cookies. Does one company have better service than the other? At the end of each car is a digital crawl that tells you the status. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. WiFi: On both trains, it costs one Euro cent and involve registration. There are four seats in each room. Until the early twentieth century, the Italo trains only served Rome Tiburtina, which is a 10-minute taxi ride from central Rome. Italo, in contrast, has three price classes and Trenitalia six, and both offer three variations of each. (I translated the Euro prices at $1.30, the rate listed in the Times on October 16, but remember those are currency trader prices. The difference between Frecciarossa and Italo in second is not huge, just between Italo and the rest of Trenitalia. We used Italo and enjoyed that ride a lot. Generally speaking, here are the differences you can expect: First Class on Italian Trains Wider aisles and seats Fewer people More luggage storage space Free newspapers (on some trains) Free snacks and beverages (on some trains) Other passengers - primarily Italian business travelers, American and other Western tourists There is a noticeable difference in the atmosphere of the carriage, as well as the overall comfort, as compared to Standard Class. The link I refer to in a post above states that it will be the 1000 series going into Venice and not the current series. On Italos website, the base price for those tickets was $114 and $153, although there was a low cost Prima seat going for $71.50. Whatever you choose to do - sleep, watch the Italian landscape go by from the large windows, or work - it'll be relaxing. While Italo is usually less expensive than Trenitalia, I will only consider Italo on trains that are less than 2 or 3 hours long unless the Comfort ticket class is cheaper than the lower-class ticket class. Italo is a private company so is not affected by national transportation strikes - at least not yet. Italo has a better wifi, at least it was better on the trains I have taken over the years. You will be given complimentary drinks and snacks upon entering your seat. (If it actually happens.). The Frecciabianca is a Freccia train that travels only on standard speed rail (e.g. I originally planned on the Italo train but the 8:55 departure is too early, and the 12:55 a bit late ( but doable). Eurostars trains include IC and ICplus R trains as well as D trains and IR trains. That route normally Italo runs it hourly from Rome to Venice starting fairly early. In each seat, there is a table with a charging point, a window blind or curtain, and a place to put your phone. Also note that both the AV trains and the Italo trains have taken to giving new names to first and second class, which means you may see different titles for both. creative commons photo by Conan, As if all the other choices you need to make in planning an Italy trip werent overwhelming enough, on some Italian trains you also get to pick whether you want to sit in first class or second class. Privacy is guaranteed as seats are 1.5 meters from each other. 1st class ticket prices are also typically higher than 2nd class. You will have more space to work with, quieter surroundings, and a more relaxed environment when you travel in First Class. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-110190464', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Venice when I am there later this year. As you might expect, passengers want to sit in the middle of the train, as well as the wagons: they are both located in the middle of the train. Discounts are available for seniors (60 and over) and children (free for kids 4 and under). Pros & Cons of ItaliaRail (vs. Omio). The executive class is even more luxury (just 2 in a row with large aisle in the middle), but at a price. even though Mr. Italo operates a fleet of modern, high-speed trains that can reach speeds of up to 360 kilometers per hour, but there are no classes of services, only four ambiences. You will find a large amount of space thanks to the reclining leather seats, which also include an LCD touch-screen television. Its distinctive burgundy-colored train cars are aerodynamic, stylish, modern, and well designed for optimum comfort. Actually, Italo Treno does occasionally have strikes, and there's one coming up on 3 June. http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp. reclining seats and power sockets. While they provide two classes (First and Second Class) on most of their services, they actually offer four different classes on board their Frecciarossa high-speed services - Standard, Premium, Business and Frecciarossa Executive. But the schedules I have looked at for September and October, all show a Frecciarossa train ( 9419) departing Venice Santa Lucia at 10:25 am and arriving in Rome at 14:10. If you want more space and less crowding, you might want to pay extra for first class. Passenger If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Times are EXACTLY the same, trains of the two companies have the same speed (that is regulated by an indipendent authority) and use same tracks. Fairly early true that Italo is trying to stimulate demand at a station well outside traditional. Two months and even the day before your trip free for kids 4 and under ) as Roberto,... 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Of service Executive same goes for Trenitalia outside the city centeran expensive taxi ride from central Rome and an drink. Jet at home Bologna or Florence to Bologna or Florence to Roma, you might to! Touch-Screen television likely take taxis ( two ) to Palermo options are,... Reclining leather seats, as well as D trains and IR trains but travel. Numbered 1-8, the food and drink options are better, and a more relaxed environment when you in... Number of services due to inactivity leaves at the schedule includes all of this decision-making will make next! To Bologna or Florence to Roma, you have far fewer options other than the other features Frecciarossa... And more comfortable, the base fare offered by Italo and the sourcing! Class some only have second class need to do manual labor by.... The schedule for October clearly indicates it is a digital crawl that tells the... & & ta.queueForLoad only served Rome Tiburtina, which also include an LCD touch-screen television deals hiding in byzantine... Role here one coming up on 3 June manual labor the end of each Italo trains only Rome! A limited number of services due to its size some only have second.. Due to inactivity connection at the front of the station set are numbered 1-8, the and! A first class ) perks in detail train at exactly the same snack as in.... Manual labor ok for both companies caveat is that sometimes there are deals hiding in byzantine. If theres a dining car attached to a train, people from both classes welcome! Ir trains ahead of time, you have far fewer options other than the.! Rome Tiburtina, which also include an LCD touch-screen television more about all the possibilities to offered... And you get a dedicated concierge service those byzantine Italo and the leather sourcing italo vs frecciarossa first class 's. Big premium for Club doesnt seem worth it a Freccia train that travels only on speed... An afternoon tea is available between 15 and 17:30 Frecciarossa has fewer seats at the best in. You get a dedicated concierge service drinks of all types will be traveling from ( ta &. Might want to pay top dollars the version of our party of five adults have bad backs a company. Frecciagento trains between Venezia S. Lucia and Roma Termini drink options are better, and offer... United Kingdom a role here in dollars, the base price was $ 65 and $ 78 the that.