Trenitalia vs. Italo: Is Trenitalia better than Italo?

There are two major train companies in Italy, but which one is better?

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Headed away from Rome on Trenitalia.

When you're coming to Italy, or you're already here, you're probably thinking about public transportation as a way to get around. Believe it or not, one of Italy's train services often rank in the top 5 in Europe (usually taking the first position), though I won't give away which one just yet, no thanks to Mussolini who did not, in fact, get the trains to run on time.

And if you were to start your search on an aggregate website like Omio*, you might notice two distinct companies: Trenitalia and Italo*.

Both look pretty fast, both go from Point A to Point B, so what's the difference?

What is Italo, and is Italo a legitimate company?

Yes, Italo is a legitimate company! Italo is a privately-owned company operating high-speed trains in Italy. While they're partnered with bus companies like ItaBus and ferry companies like SNAV, they don't own their own fleet of buses or ferries (unlike Trenitalia, which owns its own buses, but not ferries).

Is Italo good?

Absolutely! Their high-speed trains typically run on time, they're clean, and in my experience, they're used by more tourists than Trenitalia, possibly because Trenitalia has a number of offerings whereas Italo is much simpler, or maybe because it took forever for Trenitalia to publish an English-language website.

However, there are some drawbacks. Because Italo only runs high-speed trains, and usually between larger cities (like Rome to Milan, or Rome to Florence), they're limited by the established rail system. So if you're going to a small town or small city (like Siena, for example) you won't be able to take Italo the whole way, instead having to change in Florence for an ItaBus. This can be a slight hassle, having to disembark, get your luggage, and then embark on a bus instead.

That said, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that no fast train goes to Siena, so even the Trenitalia train forces you to switch, but it's to another train.

Italo's seat configuration is also different. Half the seats face the front with the other half facing the rear, with the seats in the middle facing each other. The reason I mention this is because, for those of you who have stomachs that hate it when you look backwards while moving forward might not have a great time on Italo since there's no way to request a front-facing seat. Lastly, each of the seats has a little seatback table that you can use to place a laptop or snack.

So, what is Trenitalia?

TrenItalia is the national train company operating transportation on high-speed trains, regional trains, intercity trains, and buses (both inter- and intra-city) to either replace or connect travellers between trains.

Trenitalia has 3 main offerings, or lines.

The Regionale: This is the main "between cities" train that goes to every single stop along the way. While you can certainly take it over large distances (Rome to Venice, for example) it will take almost 3 times as long, but cost a fraction of the price. The trains themselves are clean and comfortable. Because of how the tickets work (paper tickets work for 24 hours once validated, e-tickets for 4 hours from validation) there are no assigned seats or tables, but there is more flexibility if you're running late and think you might miss the train—simply get the next one.

The Intercity: Faster than the Regionale. Not quite as fast as the "fast" train but it'll still get you from point A to point B in a respectable time. It's also the the quickest train for certain routes (like Florence to Siena, where there is no "fast" train). You do get an assigned seat and table. This table is shared among your "group" of four so you'll only get a portion of it to yourself—essentially enough for a laptop or lunch. The Intercity Notte (or Intercity Night) is the only "night" train in Italy. If you are planning on an overnight trip from a place like Naples to Venice, this would be your best option if you'd prefer a bed to a chair.

Business class of the Trenitalia. Seats are 2+2.

The Freccia line (including Frecciarossa): The Freccia line consists of three different trains, the Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, and Frecciaargento, or in English, Red Arrow, White Arrow, and Silver Arrow, with Red being the fastest. These are the most expensive trains in Italy, but they're also the best way to get around. They're rarely late, they often have a bar on board (or, if you're traveling in Business or First class, a few free drinks and snacks), and plenty of luggage space. While they are the most expensive, don't let the price throw you off! They have tons of sales and discounts such as for people under 30, people over 55, people traveling as a duo, people traveling as a family, people traveling on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday, and so much more, on top of occasional percentage discounts. Keep your eyes open for deals, but the best way to look for these is on the Italian-language website, not the English-language website. For whatever reason, they only display their discount codes on the Italian website (probably because the discount codes are actually graphics displayed in a photo "carousel" on the homepage and they didn't want to pay the graphic designers to make both an English-language and Italian-language version).

Summed up:

If this is your first time to Italy, I can clarify it. You'll want anything that has "Frecciarossa" in the same. As I previously mentioned, that's not entirely possible with some routes, and you'll have to switch to an Intercity. However, in general, you'll want the fast train with assigned seats to make everything as easy as possible.

So, is Trenitalia better than Italo?

It depends!

Italo* and Trenitalia both have points programs with American Express, both offer discounts on groups (usually meaning 2 or more people) though Trenitalia tends to offer bigger and better discounts on more than just groups (like going there and back in a single day, or traveling on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday, the so-called "Frecciadays").

In general, Trenitalia offers more times and more routes, but if you're going from Milan to Rome, there's an Italo train every 20 minutes, so that's certainly a contender.

If you've read through this entire article and you're still curious to know which train company often ranks among the Top 5 in Europe, if not the Top 1, it's Trenitalia! This is based on timeliness, cleanliness, and overall professionalism.

Which is better for me, Italo or Trenitalia?

Before I jump in, I want to first establish the different seat structures. With 2 seats side-by-side across a shared table from another 2 seats that are side-by-side, I'll write "2+2". For single seats that are facing each other, I'll write "1+1". And for 2 seats facing the back of 2 seats, I'll simply write "2 seats".

The Family Travelers: If you're traveling with a family (for the sake of argument, we'll assume it's four people total) then Trenitalia is probably the best way to go, strictly in terms of seating. There's a fantastic chance you'll get an entire "seat-group" of 2+2. This means you can put lunch or snacks on the shared table, or even whip out a card game.

The Introverted Solo Traveler: If you're excited about a trip to Italy and not thrilled with sitting next to three strangers and exchanging awkward eye contact for the entire trip, I recommend Italo as their seats are simply 2 seats, side by side, facing the backs of two other seats. While there's always a chance of sitting next to someone, no awkward eye contact in included! Or, if you prefer, the Business Class of Trenitalia which has 1+1 configuration. This means, if you're not lucky, you'll have to share the table, but you also won't have anyone sitting next to you, as there's an aisle there.

As Duo Travelers: This one depends entirely on whether or not you like meeting people on the train and if you're looking for discounts. If you're looking forward to quality time, just the two of you, I recommend Italo or Business Class of Trenitalia so you can sit next to (or across from) one another without being bothered. If you're the more outgoing type of duo travelers, you might enjoy the regular Trenitalia setup with their 2+2. In our experience, our seats will be across from one another (so no awkward eye contact with a stranger) and you might get a cool stranger next to you!

The Budget Backpacker: If you're on a tight budget—either as a shoestring traveler or someone who doesn't necessarily want to blow their budget on the transportation aspect—then I highly recommend the Regionale from Trenitalia. They run at set rates regardless of when they're booked (so, they don't go up in price the closer you get to leaving), and if you have a paper ticket, it's good for the entire day from when it's validated.

So, in truth, it's hard to know if Trenitalia is better than Italo. That said, we prefer Trenitalia simply because we usually use their buses, and they have more connections that suit our needs.