Manarola, Cinque Terre - train station in small village with colorful houses on cliff overlooking sea. Cinque Terre National Park with rugged coastline is famous tourist destination in Liguria, Italy

Italy by Rail

Why Citalia?

Here at Citalia we can offer you a trainload of opportunities due to our history and legacy in Italian rail travel. Did you know Citalia was originally founded in 1929 by the Italian State Railway? Known as Compagnia Italiana Turismo (CIT) at the time; the company was set up to give Italians living in the UK the opportunity to travel home for holidays.

“The atmosphere on those trains was amazing as most people were travelling home for holidays, so even if I was travelling alone, I was never alone – people chatted, laughed & joked, shared their food with you and after so many hours of travelling together you felt you were lifelong pals!” – Gennaro Contaldo, Brand Ambassador

Over 90 years later we remain the UK’s leading Italy travel specialist, bringing our guests the real Italy, personalised to their wants and needs, and remain the only UK tour operator that can book Italian train travel in advance.

Why

discover

Italy

rail?

Discover more of la Bella Italia

Why compromise? If you have more than one Italian city or region in mind, then visit a few. Want to relax on the beach and explore cities steeped in culture? You can! Italy’s modern high-speed rail network is very well-connected meaning you can see many of its sights in one trip.

If you’re looking to visit the major cities, you have so many options – if you are in Milan and fancy a change, Venice or Florence are easily and quickly accessible even for a day trip.

If you think adding multiple destinations to your trip is more hassle than its worth, think again. At Citalia, our history in rail travel and our experience as the UK’s Italy specialist means you can trust us to make the arrangements, so you get to visit all the areas of Italy you’ve dreamed of, hassle-free!

Timetables display in italian rail station with arrival and departure time

Quick, easy, and affordable

Did you know you can get from Milan to Rome in under 3 hours? By car, the journey would be much longer and more tiring, with parking being difficult in the popular areas. Instead, enjoy the impressive train links from centre to centre making getting around simpler and stress-free.

Train fares are very reasonable for a well maintained and spacious journey where food is often served. Even first-class tickets can be much more affordable than in the UK.

Amazing Italian landscape from the train window. Tourism and travel by Italy.

Make the journey part of your holiday

Italian rail provides a relaxed and scenic way to get around the country. Smaller Italian towns are reached by slower local trains which offer some of the most picturesque journeys. Taking an hour or 2 to your next destination doesn’t have to be wasted time as you can enjoy a unique view of the Italian landscapes from the comfort of your carriage.

Modern train moving from glass monorail station over sea. Venice, Italy

Save future time and money

Make the most of your time away by staying in multiple cities and regions in a single trip, maximising on flights, time-off and all those other arrangements you need to make to be able to jet off carefree.

If two cities you have always wanted to visit are just an hour or two apart, wouldn’t it be easier to hop on the train for a day trip than plan and pay for an entirely new trip? We offer an array of multicentre itineraries that combine the very best of Italy into one unforgettable Italian escape. Already have some destinations sitting on your bucket list? Then our Italy Experts are here to help personalise your own multicentre itinerary to get them ticked off for you.

Go further

The railway connects the two main islands of Sicily and Sardinia, by ferries departing from Civitavecchia in Rome and Villa San Giovanni in Calabria so you can discover the real Italy offshore.

You can even travel to Italy by train by taking the Eurostar to Paris, then on to Milan or Turin. For a truly stylish way to travel there’s always the luxurious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, where the journey from London to Venice makes for an opulent start to your holiday. Whether you travel all the way to Italy by train or use the railway to expand your trip, we can assure you, you will not regret it.

Italy by Rail: Holiday Itineraries

Citalia’s train experts can arrange a bespoke itinerary for you and ensure all your tickets are booked in advance, so you just need to start thinking about where you would like to visit, and we will make it happen.

For a taste of what’s possible, check out some of our suggested rail tours, whether it’s exploring the cultural highlights of Venice, Florence and Rome, or heading down south to the rugged beauty of Sorrento and Sicily.

Here are few of our favourite itineraries to get you dreaming…