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Italy is one of the most rail-friendly countries in the world with swift, comfortable and economic trains penetrating almost every corner of the bel paese (beautiful country).
Well-known for producing supersonic Ferraris and Lamborghinis, the Italians have also conceived some of Europe’s fastest trains. The bullet-like Frecce locomotives come in three different categories headed up by the high-velocity Frecciarossa 1000, which has a top cruising speed of 300km/h (186mph).
For those not in a hurry, one of Italy’s finest pleasures is chugging along a sun-dappled Mediterranean coastline on a medium-paced treno regionale (regional train) watching terraced hillsides, umbrella-lined beaches and pastel-colored towns float by.
If you thought Ferraris were fast, you’ve clearly never traveled on a Frecciarossa 1000, Italy’s arrow-headed high-velocity trains that reach a top cruising speed of 300km/h (186 mph). These streamlined rockets-on-wheels are not only faster than Italian sports cars, they’re also invitingly comfortable with leather seats, a complimentary glass of prosecco (in business and executive classes) and a pleasant on-board cafe where the view changes every few seconds.
Most Italian trains are operated by state-run subsidiary, Trenitalia, founded in its modern form in 2000. Trenitalia controls the lion’s share of the country’s rolling stock, presiding over a complex spiderweb of lines (over 16,000km/9940-miles worth) that penetrates all 20 of the country’s regions. Supplementing Trenitalia are a handful of shorter, privately-run railways used mostly for tourist purposes.
Under the Trenitalia umbrella, there are three main train categories:
Regionale: The slowest and cheapest trains that generally stop at all or most stations
Intercity (IC): Fast services that operate between major hubs while the Intercity Notte provides overnight services between the north and the south of the country, heading as far south as Syracuse in Sicily and Lecce in Puglia. Intercity Notte (overnight) trains offer one-, two- and three-berth sleepers or four-berth couchettes.
Alta Velocità (AV): Namely the Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca models that connect major cities reaching speeds of 300km/h, 250km/h and 200km/h (186/155/124 mph) respectively.
Providing a bit of healthy competition is privately-run Italo operated by NTV (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggitori). There are two types of Italo trains, AGVs and EVOs, roughly akin to Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa and Frecciargento models in terms of speed and service.
Competition between Frecce (AV) and Italo trains has kept standards high and prices low. Frecciarossas have on-board cafes and four different classes, while Italo trains have a slightly more deluxe
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