The Italian national railway company has announced the launch of a program aimed at developing high-quality train travel. The move will help to cope with the ever-increasing influx of tourists who come to Italy every year and enrich the holiday options in the country.
More than 56 million tourists visited Italy in 2022, and 2023 figures are already above pre-pandemic levels. In this context, the Italian tourism sector has decided to actively develop train travel.
Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), the Italian state railways company, recently announced the “FS Treni Turistici Italiani” program aimed at developing sustainable and quality rail travel.
Under this program, special routes will be created, including both known and hidden authentic places. Along these routes, travelers will be able to enjoy the beauties of Italian nature, covering the coast and mountainous areas. They will also be able to enjoy the variety of flavors of Italian cuisine from different regions.
It is planned to offer three categories of travel:
1. “Luxury Vacation”: Tourists will travel around Italy on the luxurious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train, considered the world’s finest train. It will be joined by the express train La Dolce Vita, which will connect Rome and Paris by the end of 2024.
2. Express and heritage trains: These will run on medium to long-haul routes. This category will also include night trains, where travelers can comfortably spend the night while traveling between cities.
3. Combined routes: Tourists will move around Italy using both regional trains and buses. This category includes travel to small towns and lesser-known destinations throughout the country.
The founder of Travel Italian Style travel company, Cassandra Santoro, emphasizes that most of her clients are looking for thrills and unforgettable emotions, and train travel has great potential to meet these needs.