Trenitalia Reviews

I came to Italy for my erasmus program and was so excited about the trains because it seemed so easy to go from one city yo another and I thought I was going to visit so much and really experience the country’s soul.
With just one week I already realised that this dream is not going to be possible.
I went to the cinque terre, a trip that requires the train and my experience was terrible. The employees were terrible and super rude. There was a strike so there were almost no trains (but this is understandable) I bought the ticket online but the scan was not working so the ticket guy started literally yelling at me saying he was going to call the police without letting me talk and explain that I had the tickets just the app was not working properly (which is not my fault). At the end I had to pay 60€ for a ticket I already had.
The other day I was trying to go from La Spezia to Milan Centrale , I bought the tickets the day before and I was supposed to take 3 trains (4 hours). The second train got cancelled 2 minutes before it was supposed to leave, the ticket lady was, again, super rude and the solution she gave me I would take 8 hours to get to milan. She didn’t even offer to give me my money back I just spent a lot of money for a service I did not get.
Terrible company, terrible staff, terrible experience. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
I travelled a lot and I haven’t had such a bad experience anywhere.

Date of experience: 09 September 2024

This is a must-read for anybody planning a trip to Italy.
I travelled to several cities in Italy in August and September 2024. It’s no exaggeration to say that on every single day that I used the Italian railways the service was an utter, contemptible, barely functional farce.
Every intercity train I travelled on was at least half an hour late with the result that I missed a connection to Genoa in Milan. As this was the last service to Genoa of the day, and I didn’t have roaming activated on my phone on that particular day, I was forced to wander Milan until I found a hotel for the night- at considerable extra expense.
Air conditioning on their junk boxes seems to be dysfunctional or barely functional in summer. The booking web site is extremely unhelpful with booking connections. When trains are delayed, nobody explains what is happening or what is causing the delay. There are no customer service staff in sight in several of their major stations. On one particular Monday in September 2024 the Rome Metro staff went on strike and left people stranded in the heat, with no instructions on where to find a taxi.
Overcrowding is extremely common and the regional trains on the Milan to Genoa line have hardly any luggage space- with the result that you often find yourself drawn into arguments over space with obnoxious (although understandably dissatisfied) customers.
I personally work in the passenger rail industry in Australia and have worked for three different rail operators; as well as travelling to multiple countries in Europe.
I want to appeal to anybody planning a trip to Italy to avoid their rail network at all costs. If you aren’t able to use taxis or private transport- be prepared for a lot of stress.
Don’t trust anything to arrive at its destination on time. Book any connections with at least an hour and a half in between services- as I can predict with near certainty that frustration will result if you book a short connection time.
Finally- the only remotely decent train service in Italy is the intercity FrecciaRossa. These are relatively comfortable, modern and have pre-booked seating. But if you ever use Metro, local or regional train services in Italy other than the FrecciaRossa- expect a dysfunctional mess.

Date of experience: 09 September 2024

We were offered a snack, that was very average on business class. Apparently we get free coffee and tea, I had to walk to the end of the train with the worker, and we got these tiny cups for coffee, no lids, I almost fell over and spilt the hot coffee as the train was turning.

Date of experience: 27 August 2024

I am travelling from Lamezia Terme to Naples with IC 724, on Saturday August 24th
In the first class the seating is comfortable, there is enough leg room and air conditioning system works very well.
I am giving 3 stars to this experience and to Trenitalia because it is unacceptable that nobody came to check if we have a valid ticket to travel. A train assistant passed by 3 times without asking anything. This is crazy!
The second aspect to improve is to communicate or include in the digital ticket via App the train composition to understand where to board on the platform. In Lamezia was the caos to understand which coach to board and where.

Date of experience: 24 August 2024

"I recently took a train from Paris to Lyon, and I couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. The journey was incredibly comfortable, stress-free, and smooth from start to finish. The onboard staff were professional and attentive, making the trip even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this train service to anyone looking for a reliable and pleasant way to travel

Date of experience: 28 August 2024

I'm extremely disappointed with my experience on the Frecciargento 1st class train last summer from Lecce to Rome. I was expecting a high level of comfort and service, but unfortunately, the reality was far from it.

Firstly, I was shocked to discover that there was no storage space for big luggage in the 1st class carriage. I had to awkwardly lug my bags to the 2nd class carriage to store them. To make matters worse, the WiFi didn’t work, the air conditioning was barely functional, leaving us feeling hot and uncomfortable throughout the whole journey.

But what really took the cake was the unwelcoming service from the train staff who seemed completely uninterested and made me feel like I was bothering them.

And if all that wasn't enough, I discovered that the second toilet in the 1st class carriage was broken.

Overall, my experience on the Frecciargento 1st class train was a disaster. I would not recommend it to anyone, especially considering the high prices they charge. Unless they seriously revamp their service and amenities, I would advise against wasting your money on this train.

Date of experience: 27 August 2024

Awful trains, old and not equipped with air conditioning between Milan and Bergamo.
Strongly recommend to avoid.

Date of experience: 01 September 2024

Helpful Tips for trains regional/FrecciaRossa/FrecciaBianca
- do not buy vouchers or gift cards, don't work.
- expect a 15 minute delay per train, so 40 minute connection interval for each station
- don't buy flexibility, too many rules don't allow you to use it, you will lost money
- don't bring your bike on the train, there's no space, you can't recharge it, you have to pay an additional ticket for every trip
- don't even think about bringing an electric scooter on the train, you'd be mad
- don't think about bringing one or two large suitcases, Trenitalia travellers must travel without luggage, suitcases don't exist, they're an illusion
- don't think about going to pee on the train, the bathrooms are often out of order, and only 2 for hundred
- obviously you'll have to suffer the warm in the summer because the A/C is out of order, and the humidity in the winter
- remember that the former CEO Roberto Testore received 2,354,925.85 euros when exit (source: IlGiornale.it 2005)

Did you understand or do I have to explain it??

Date of experience: 21 August 2024

Ignorant arrogant staff. paid for first class everybody and litterly their dog in the cabin.

No accountablity awful bunch of scum bags who on their complaints form have removed UK as a country as they must get so many complaints .

A/C switched off so boiling in the booth.

They obviously don’t care about their reputation as they per their very low ratings. What a buch of money grabbing bandits. My advice just pay for the extra flights .

Date of experience: 12 August 2024

night train from Udine to Rome-NIGHTMARE.
lights turned on all the time (at home i usually turn them off when i go sleep ) ,crowded,stinky ,the most uncomfortable seats i ever seen ,noise ,a looot of people.
i travel really alot across Poland and Europe but thats somethin i wouldn't repeat.

Date of experience: 18 August 2024

Absolutely awful services. I had paid ticket on a commuter train to Florens and didn't noticed I went on an earlier train so I had to pay a fine of 60€. Ridiculous!

Date of experience: 26 August 2024

Normally I not do this, but I had a terrible situation and I wanted to told about my disappointment.
I wanted to take a bus from Polignano A Mare to Alberobello. The driver of Bus number 8013 at
16:05 behaved terribly. There was no information anywhere that tickets could not be avaliable to buy from the driver or that the address of the bus stop had changed.
And the driver did not speak English, ignored us, was rude and wanted to throw us (me and a whole group of other tourists) off the bus. He did not care about anything at all. I saw that he treated others like that too.
Being a kind person is sometimes too much, as you can see.
Fortunately, there was a very lovely and nice woman there who helped us.
P.S The driver did not take care of the safety of the journey because he was constantly talking and looking at his phone.

Date of experience: 24 August 2024

The train no. IC727 from Rome to Siracusa has no toilette accessibile. They are out of orders, without water and flushes. I don't know how possibile is to use trains in such non human conditions. Families, children not allowed to use WC until the end of this very long trip.

Date of experience: 18 August 2024

the worst trains i've ever travelled by, every information is last minute, and the tickets CHECKED IN AND VALIDATED DISSAPEARED we had an over 5 hour trip and suddenly the tickets are just gone and theyve told us to buy new ones. Terrible.

Date of experience: 03 August 2024

This time like most times people are unbelieveably sweaty, smell like garbage and invade your privacy. No people are hygenic, italians are disgusting and not well behaved or have respect for others. Feet on seats and smelling like a dead body.

Date of experience: 28 July 2024

This is the sh****est Railway company in the entire fuc***g world. They have unannounced strikes which they call Sciopero. I've been stuck in random ass towns because of these unwanted strikes. I'm not even mentioning the fuc**** delays. Don't ever expect to reach your destination on time with their IC (INTERCITY) trains.

Date of experience: 19 July 2024

Can you give 0 for customer service?
The bus today to and from Alberobello, the staff at either end gave tourists, like myself, no help whatsoever.
They preferred to check their Facebook or talk to friends.
As there are no signs anywhere, a little help and smile would go a long way.
The staff I came into contact today were the most unprofessional I’ve come across in all of Europe.

Date of experience: 30 July 2024

One of the worst train experiences ever! More than one hour in stuck and still waiting! They said its gonna be a 10 minutes delay we are here waiting for more than one hour!
Avoid at all cost!
Train Bologna Centrale to Milano Centrale

Date of experience: 20 August 2024

Who is the operational manager of trenitalia? The boss and all the management should all be fired . Its outragous . I made 2 jorneys with trenitalia within 48 hours and both the times trains were 1 hour and more than 1 hour 15 minutes delayed .
What do u do for the fat salary you get ? Why will people suffer in everyday basis . Its hot like hell and ppl have other plans .
You all need to resign or get fired immediately !!!!

Date of experience: 03 August 2024

I’m from the UK and we were struggling to purchase tickets but as we were going home, we needed to board that train in hopes we can purchase it. We were charged 50€ penalty each. The card machine kept declining and made me believe it was my card. It wasn’t. We were forced to get off the next station (Termini) I was like I know my card is going to work and it did. I was able to make many purchases after. I even showed the Iady I had sufficent funds. If anyone needs to pay for the whole ticket/penalty please do it at the ticket office and not at home. It cost me 100€ per person. The lady didn’t even give my husband an invoice but did for me. I hope there is no problem.

Date of experience: 09 August 2024