Between the big cities take a high-speed train — Trenitalia Frecciarossa or Italo; they’re similar in comfort, so compare time, price and fare conditions for your date (Rome–Florence about 1 h 25, Florence–Bologna 37 min, Rome–Naples 55 min). Smaller towns are served only by Trenitalia regional trains. Paper regional tickets must be validated in the station machines before departure; digital regional tickets validate automatically at your train’s scheduled departure. Without a valid ticket you pay the fare plus a fine.
Checked 2026-09-23 · Italy · Getting around
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| High-speed | Trenitalia Frecce and Italo on the main lines · book seats |
| Regional | Trenitalia only · to towns, lakes, coasts |
| Rome–Florence | ≈ 1 h 25 fastest |
| Florence–Bologna | 37 min fastest |
| Rome–Naples | 55 min fastest |
| Paper regional ticket | Validate at the station before departure · then 4 h to complete the trip |
| Digital regional ticket | Validates itself at the train’s scheduled departure · time changes allowed until then |
| Fine | No valid ticket = full fare + fine |
Trenitalia or Italo?
On the main high-speed lines
Italo · Rome–Florence ↗ · Italo · Florence–Bologna ↗ · Italo · Rome–Naples ↗ · Reddit · Trenitalia or Italo ↗
Everywhere else: regional trains
Check the station name
Validating regional tickets
Paper ticket: stamp it
Digital regional ticket: automatic
Trenitalia · travelling on regional trains ↗ · Trenitalia · digital regional ticket ↗
Confusing advice online
Practical
Landing and a same-day train
Luggage
Bikes on regional trains
Quick answers
Is Italo or Trenitalia better?
Neither is clearly better: on the main lines compare time, price and fare conditions for your date. Only Trenitalia runs regional trains.
Do I need to validate my train ticket in Italy?
Paper regional tickets — yes, in the station machine before departure. Digital regional tickets validate automatically; high-speed tickets are for a specific train.
How long is the train from Rome to Florence?
About 1 h 25 on the fastest high-speed trains.
What happens if I forget to validate?
Without a valid ticket you pay the full fare plus a fine.
Go deeper in our guides
Related answers
Sources: Trenitalia · travelling on regional trains ↗ · Trenitalia · digital regional ticket ↗ · Italo · Rome–Florence ↗ · Italo · Florence–Bologna ↗ · Italo · Rome–Naples ↗