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Milano / Milan / Mailand to Bari by train
How to make the journey by rail from Milan to Bari
When travelling from Milano to Bari by train during the day the express train service is provided by a mix of different Frecce services with the Frecciarossa trains being faster, as they whizz down the high speed line between Milano and Bologna.
The Frecciargento and Frecciabianca trains take the conventional route between those two cities and therefore make more station calls.
Travelling by day has two ticks in the box over taking the overnight train:
(1) the night train is usually scheduled to arrive in Bari before 06:00
(2) South of Rimini, this is one of Europe's most lovely coastal rail journeys.
Italo trains do not operate on this route
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Routes
Option 1: taking the faster Fecciarossa trains
Journey Summary
6hr 57min - 7hr 14 min
Daily
Travel Information
The only direct Frecciarossa train from Milano Centrale station to Bari is usually scheduled to depart at 13:45.
The morning train at 10:23 now leaves from Milano Porta Garibaldi station.
Final Destination:
Bari - the train from Milano Centrale
Lecce - the train Milano Porta Garibaldi
1 x train per day from Milano Centrale
1 x train per day from Milano. P. Garibaldi
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months* ahead of the travel date
*Bookings generally open 4 months ahead for Frecce train services, but tickets for this service MAY only be available around 6 weeks ahead
These Frecciarossa trains are usually scheduled to depart from Milano Centrale at 15:35 and from Milano Porta Garibaldi station at 10:13.
If you enter 'Milano ( Tutte Le Stazioni )' as the starting parting of your journey on the Trenitalia website, the search results will also include both of these journey optioms
On the ticket booking websites you can also compare these trains with the prices of the slower, but more frequent Frecce services
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.
Though the rail pass reservation fees will be the same price on the alternative slower trains; so if the timings suit, target these Frecciarossa trains, if you will be travelling with a rail pass.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trenitalia | from €49 approx | |
| Trainline | from €49 approx | |
| Saveatrain | from €49 approx | |
| Italiarail | from €49 approx | |
| Omio | from €49 approx |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
There is another daily Frecciarossa train from Milano to Bari, but it takes an entirely different route via Roma/Rome, so it's journey time is around an hour longer than any other daytime train.
It also tends to be more expensive, so is best avoided, but if you'll need to arrive in Bari around 14:30, you'll need to take this train.
When taking the Frecciarossa trains from Milano to Bari it is a journey of contrasts.
Once the outskirts of Milan have been reached train will move on to Italy's fastest railway and travel at up to 290 km/h for an hour until arrival in Bologna
The remainder of the journey is on a conventional railway
However, if you:
- take that first train of the day from Porta Garibaldi station.
- have a seat reservation on the on the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel)
then there are some fabulous views of the Adriatic Coast to be enjoyed, particularly between Rimini and Pescara.
Option 2: taking the slower Frecce trains
Journey Summary
7hr 25 min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination:
Bari or Lecce or Taranto
These trains also call at: Ancona and Pescara
The type of Frecciargento train used on this route, is the latest type of train, which SMTJ has yet to experience, so they are not the trains pictured on the 'train guide'.
Note that on this route, despite being Frecciargento services they don't travel at high speed at all, hence the daily Frecciabianca train having the same journey time.
5 x Frecciargento trains per day
1 x Frecciabianca train per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
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.
On the ticket booking websites you can compare these trains with the prices of the faster Frecciarossa trains, which also take this route.
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.
Though the rail pass reservation fees will be the same price on the alternative, faster Frecciarossa trains, so if the timings suit, target those trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Italiarail | from €29 approx | |
| Trenitalia | from €29 approx | |
| Trainline | from €29 approx | |
| Saveatrain | from €29 approx | |
| Omio | from €29 approx |
On this journey
Journey Features
Good to Know
Connecting to the ferries to Grecce:
The first of these Frecciargento trains of the day from Milan, which is usually scheduled to depart from Milano Centrale at 08:05 is due to arrive in Bari around 15:30.
So if you are booked on a ferry to Patras that departs at 18:00 or 19:30, you should have time to make a stress-free transfer between Bari Centrale station and the ferry port.
Click on the 'Bari Centrale' station guide a, to access the details of how to make the transfer.
Between Milano and Rimini the train travels across flat farm land, with nothing much to see.
Though these trains don't take he high speed line between Milan and Bologna, so pass through a string of towns, including Parma and Modena.
If your reserved seat is on the left the train (when facing the direction of travel) you'll be able to fully appreciate the highlights of the journey - which kick in after the train has departed from Rimini.
(If your seat isn't on the left, temporarily move over to one which is).
Once the train has travelled around 20 mins south of Rimini, you'll be able to revel in one of the best coastal train journeys in all of Europe.
For much of this part of the trip, the beach is all that separates The Adriatic from the train - a particular highlight is the part of the journey to the north of Ancona.
The sea views then continue, with the train travelling by the coast for around an hour in total either side of Pescara.
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