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Firenze / Florence to Napoli / Naples by train
How to travel by train from Florence to Naples on the fastest Frecce services operated by Trenitalia
The Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia share the high-speed route between Firenze and Napoli, with Italo trains.
They have similar speeds, so the differences between them are to do with the on-board experiences, check out the 'Trains' guides below; and the fact that tickets for the Italo trains and Frecce trains can be purchased from different online booking agents - it's a route on which you can save by booking in advance.
However, the Intercity trains from Firenze to Napoli still take the older 'classic' route, so they're slower, because they don't travel at high speed and also make more station calls
If ticket price and not speed is your key criteria, you can usually save money by taking these trains and they're a cheaper option for rail pass users; but they are not as frequent as the high speed services
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Routes
Option 1: taking the high speed Freecce trains operated by Trenitalia
Journey Summary
2hr 54min - 2hr 57min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli or Salerno or Paola or Reggio di Calabria
These trains also call at: ** Roma Termini**
These trains reverse direction on departure from Roma Termini.
(There are currently no trains scheduled on the faster route that avoids Roma Termini station.
Some trains also call at: Napoli Afragola - if you're heading to Napoli/Naples city centre, book tickets to Napoli Centrale and then remain on the train until it arrives there.
1 - 3 x trains per hour
(1 or 2 x trains per hour is the norm)
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
The high speed train service between Firenze and Napoli is provided by:
(1) these Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia*
(2) Italo trains, which compete with the Frecce trains on this route.
*Trenitalia also operates slower Intercity train services between Firenze/Florence and Napoli/Naples.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale around 4 months in advance, but the Italo train tickets on this route are seemingly made available around 3 months ahead.
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you will need to reserve prior to boarding these trains, either at the station (using a Trenitalia ticket machine or ticket desk) OR by booking them online.
How to book the rail pass reservations online is included on our guide to using rail passes in Italy.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| ItaliaRail | from €29.90 | |
| Trenitalia | from €29.90 | |
| Trainline | from €29.90 | |
| SaveATrain | from €29.90 | |
| Omio | from €29.90 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The high speed route from Firenze to Napoli is more scenic than most, it's not a beautiful journey, but there is a wow factor of travelling across the rolling landscape at more than 240 km/h*.
*The direttissima between Florence and Rome was the first high speed railway line to be built in Italy, so it has a slower maximum speed than the other Italian high speed lines.
The fastest part of the journey is when the train travels more than 280 km/h on the high speed line between Roma and Napoli.
The train will reverse direction on departure from Roma Termini.
Option 2: taking the high speed Italo trains
Journey Summary
2hr 50min - 2hr 57min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli or Salerno or Reggio di Calabria
These trains also call at: Roma Termini
These trains reverse direction on departure from Roma Termini.
Most trains also call at: Napoli Afragola - if you're heading to Napoli/Naples city centre, book tickets to Napoli Centrale and then remain on the train until it arrives there.
7 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 - 4 months ahead of the travel date
The high speed (AV) train service between Firenze/Florence and Napoli is provided by:
(1) THESE Italo trains.
(2) Frecce trains operated by Trenitalia.
Tickets for the Trenitalia Frecce trains are placed on sale 4 months in advance, BUT the Italo train tickets are made available only 3 - 4 months ahead (on this particular route).
Trenitalia does not sell tickets for the Italo trains - and Italo does not sell tickets for the Trenitalia trains.
If you're booking no more than 4 months ahead and have no particular preference for the train that you will be taking, the price and departure times of the Frecce and Italo trains can be directly compared on Trainline or Omio, though look out for the fact that both of these services will charge a booking fee.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Rail passes cannot be used on Italo trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Italo | from €29 approx | |
| Omio | from €29 approx | |
| Trainline | from €29 approx | |
| Happyrail | from €29 approx |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
These trains take the same route as the Frecce trains.
Option 3: taking the Intercity trains
Journey Summary
5hr 15 min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Napoli
Note that these trains depart from Firenze Rifredi station and NOT from the city centre station - Firenze S.M.Novella.
So you'll need to take a connecting train from Firenze S.M. Novella to Firenze Rifredi in order to connect into these trains.
So these Intercity trains don't depart the main station in Florence and they're more than two hours slower than the high speed services provided by the Frecce and Italo trains.
But if you'll be booking tickets for a Florence to Naples train journey they should be much cheaper.
If you have a rail pass you can save up tp €10 by taking these IC trains and not the Frecce trains.
Though if you'll want the peace of mind of being able to remain in the same seat for the entire journey, paying the optional €3 reservation fee is virtually essential.
2 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date
These trains depart from Firenze Rifredi at around 08:30 (not Sunday) and 18:28 not Saturdays).
Note that these trains do not depart from the city centre station - Firenze S.M. Novella, there are no Intercity trains from Firenze S.M. Novella to Napoli.
Enter Firenze Rifredi as the 'Departure' station when looking up this journey on Trenitalia, but you will need to book from S.M.Novella, if you'll want to commence your journey at the closest station to the city centre.
If you want to compare the cost of taking these Intercity trains, with the alternative high speed services of Frecce AND Italo trains, you will need to look up this journey on Omio or Trainline.
If you have a rail pass you can save up to €10 by taking these IC trains and not the Frecce trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trenitalia | from €12.90 | |
| ItaliaRail | from €12.90 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
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