Spokesman Report
Islamabad:Every year, when summer comes around, it brings along the desire to set off to discover new places and live unforgettable experiences. With its extraordinary variety of coastlines, mountains, lakes, art cities and historic towns, Italy is firmly established as one of the most popular holiday destinations. Thanks to the offers organised by True Italian Experience, an organisation that promotes Italian tourism, travellers can explore countless unforgettable destinations.
This would not be possible without the contribution of the FS Group’s Passengers Division, the main partner of True Italian Experience, which guarantees comfortable, eco-friendly services, helping tourists explore the beauties of Italy in a sustainable way. Trenitalia’s Summer Experience 2024 program marks the arrival of the summer timetable with an extended offer of new destinations and intermodal connections. This year’s new developments include an advanced on-board portal for Frecciarossa passengers, the introduction of Hybrid Intercity services, the offer of the new FS company Treni Turistici Italiani, and an increased number of “train+bus”, “train+boat” and “train+plane” links, for an even greater choice of travel experiences.
The Trenitalia Freccia and Freccialink services have expanded their network for summer 2024, covering more than 150 destinations across Italy with a fleet of over 270 trains and 30 bus routes every day.
The Milan-Rome service continues to be one of the top business links, with 100 trains a day, including 9 non-stop journeys which take less than 3 hours to reach their destination. The summer timetable features new North-South services, including 8 daily trains from Milan to Reggio Calabria and 16 from Rome to Reggio Calabria, and an increase in services between Rome and the Puglia region with up to 13 trains a day. Meanwhile, more than 30 Frecciarossa trains will run daily between Milan, Venice, Turin, Bologna and the Adriatic coast.
Besides the daily services, new trains have been introduced for holidays on the Adriatic coast, including two new Frecciargento trains from Rome to Ravenna at weekends. Night services have been enhanced with two new Frecciarossa services between Milan and Lecce, for the days with the largest passenger numbers. At the same time, the special FrecciaLink intermodal bus links with the Frecciarossa trains facilitate travel to art cities and cultural locations like Matera, Assisi, Perugia, Potenza and Pompei.
For non-business travellers, the leisure destinations of the High-Speed network have been significantly expanded. In addition to coastal resorts like Latisana-Lignano Sabbiadoro, Riccione, and Cattolica, the Freccia network now serves new destinations in the province of Salerno’s Cilento area, including Acciaroli and Pioppi, as well as other coastal cities like Piombino and Sorrento. For mountain lovers, 10 daily Frecciarossa services link Rome, Florence and Bologna with stops in Trento and Bolzano, while new weekend services from Milan to Bolzano are available.
From 1 July, passengers on Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains will have access to FRECCIAPlay, a new entertainment platform offering movies, sport, news and tourist content, as well as a wide selection of daily newspapers and magazines. Executive-class passengers will also have parking facilities in the FS Parks of the main Italian stations.
Wider Intercity and Eurocity coverage and new international services
The Intercity services offer new opportunities with the new Hybrid models linking the regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia directly with important towns and cities like Bari, Lecce, Tropea and San Benedetto del Tronto. The Adriatic line also includes the extension of some services to Milan. For international destinations, thanks to the Eurocity trains run in cooperation with the Swiss railways, Italian and international travellers can use services from Milan or Venice to reach destinations like Zurich, Lugano and Bellinzona. The Euronight trains, operated in cooperation with the Austrian railways, also reach Germany and Austria from La Spezia, Genoa and Milan.
A nationwide network reaching the gems of Italy: the Trenitalia Regional trains
The Regional service plays a vital role, especially at this time of year, serving more than 1700 destinations, including 500 tourist localities. The summer routes of the Regional trains go to seaside towns including Camogli, Tropea, Maratea, Siracusa, Cefalù, Polignano a Mare. New intermodal services, such as Policastro Link and Costiera Link, are just some examples of the way the Regional network facilitates access to Italy’s natural beauty spots and art cities. New Line and Express trains provide direct links with the main ports and airports, for even easier access and convenience.
FS Treni Turistici Italiani for unforgettable adventures
The FS Treni Turistici Italiani summer season introduces new day-time and night-time routes. Day-time trains include the Espresso Versilia from Milan to Cinque Terre and continuing on to Pisa and the Tuscan beaches. Meanwhile, the Espresso Riviera will run between Milan and Ventimiglia, exploring localities on the Italian Riviera towards the Côte d’Azur. The Espresso Cadore resumes its night-time services from Rome, to take passengers to destinations in the Cadore mountain region, including Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Busitalia and the new intermodal travel options
With its train+bus and train+funicular solutions, Busitalia has faciiltated access to a range of picturesque Italian towns. The Assisi Link, Spoleto Link, Narni Link and Orvieto Link services make it easy for tourists to reach these destinations. For nature-lovers, services include the Marmore Link and the Piediluco Link, as well as the ferry service on Lake Trasimeno and its islands. In the Veneto region, the Chioggia Sottomarina Link provides 54 connections on Sundays and public holidays, and up to 62 on Saturdays, to the Sottomarina beaches or the town of Chioggia. In Campania, new Links improve services between Salerno and the Amalfi Coast. Travellers looking for a luxury shopping experience can use the frequent new service from Florence to The Mall Luxury Outlet in Reggello.
Intermodal opportunities don’t stop here: Trenitalia has expanded its coastal offer in collaboration with shipping companies, enabling travellers to purchase combined train+boat tickets directly through Trenitalia channels. This year, thanks to the partnership with Grimaldi Lines and Toremar–Moby, Civitavecchia is linked with destinations like Olbia, Cagliari and Porto Torres. The Elba Link service has been augmented, enabling passengers to continue from Orbetello and Porto Santo Stefano to the Isola del Giglio, and from Piombino Marittima to the island of Elba. Completing the offer, the Muggia Link and the Alilauro Link facilitate access to the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. For people travelling from Padua, a new direct line with 57 trains services to and from Venice Marco Polo Airport went into operation on 9 June, for even greater flexibility.
Promotions, sustainability and inclusivity
Trenitalia is committed to providing a service that not only respects the environment but is inclusive and attentive to the needs of all passengers. Its pet-friendly policies allow dogs, cats and other domestic animals to travel free on Freccia and Intercity trains during the summer season, and all year round on Regional trains for small animals, provided they are kept in carriers. Trenitalia also offers reduced rates to facilitate travel for families, children, young people under 30, the over-60s and groups.
For international tourists, special packages including up to 10 trips start from 139 euro, while people travelling with FS Treni Turistici Italiani can enjoy discounts up to 50%.