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Frecciargento (Frecce) (Italy)
If you will be taking a journey by these Frecciargento trains our guide will tell you all you need to know, from boarding, to making the most of the journey experience.
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Compulsory
Time of Day
Day
Catering
Food services available
Bar (sandwiches, snacks, salads)
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
High Speed (partial)
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
Business
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket
The power sockets on this train are compatible with standard E.U. two point plugs.
Welcome drinks:
Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served, choices will include coffee, orange juice and prosecco.
Good to know:
Unlike Frecciarossa trains, there is only one type of 1st class seating on Frecciargento trains.
On the ETR 600 trains the 1st class has a similar ambience to the business class on the Frecciarossa 1000 trains,. but on the ETR 485 trains used on the Roma to Reggio di Calabria route, the seating saloon is comparatively cramped - though is still more spacious than standard class.
The luggage space is also much more limited on the ETR 485 trains - be wary of taking large bags on those trains - you will have to be able to lift them into the luggage racks above the seats.
Power Sockets:
Standard E.U. two point plugs fit into the power sockets on the ETR 600 trains, but only Italian two point plugs can be used on the ETR 485 trains
Wi-fi:
The Wi-Fi can be temperamental.
Standard
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket
The power sockets on this train are compatible with standard E.U. two point plugs.
Good to know:
Power Sockets:
Standard E.U. two point plugs fit into the power sockets on the ETR 600 trains, but only Italian two point plugs can be used on the ETR 485 trains
Wi-fi:
The Wi-Fi can be temperamental.
Frecciargento travel guide:
In the family of high speed AV trains operated by Trenitalia, the Frecciargento trains occupy the bronze medal position behind the Frecciarossa 1000 and Frecciarossa trains.
When there is a choice of departures available at similar times and prices - the advice is to target either of the Frecciarossa train services - not because they can be slightly faster, but because they offer a better travel experience.
The older types of Frecciargento train are comparatively cramped, as they were originally designed to tilt when not travelling on the high speed lines.
Three different trains are used by Trenitalia on Its Frecciargento services.
(1) the ETR 600 trains are usually used on routes north of Roma/Rome and on the Roma <> Bari route.
(2) the ETR 485 trains are usually used on routes between Roma/Roma and destinations to the south.
(3) New (more comfortable) ETR 700 trains have been recently been introduced on services between Milano and destinations on the Adriatic Coast including Ancona, Bari and Pescara - and ShowMeTheJourney has yet to capture any images of these trains.
(These trains differ from the other Frecciargento services as they don't (yet) travel on high speed lines and they weren't designed to tilt when taking bends in the track).
Routes:
A distinguishing feature of Frecciargento trains is that they veer off the high speed network, to serve destinations such as Bari, Venice and Verona, that aren’t (yet) on the high speed lines.
As a result Frecciargento trains are the top tier of Trenitalia AV services on these two routes:
(1) Bolzano – Trento – Verona – Bologna – Firenze – Roma – (Napoli) by ETR 600 trains
(2) Roma – Bari – Lecce by ETR 600 trains
They also operate some of the services these four routes:
(1) Milano - Parma - Modena - Bologna - Rimini - Ancona - Pescara - Bari by ETR 700 trains
(2) Venezia – Padova – Bologna – Firenze – Roma - by ETR 600 trains
(3) Venezia – Padova –Verona - Milano by ETR 700 trains
(4) Roma - Salerno - Sapri - Lamezia Terme - Villa S. Giovanni - Reggio di Calabria by ETR 485 trains
Reservations (& Using rail passes)
Seats will be assigned when booking tickets.
Rail pass users will need to reserve prior to boarding - reservations can be booked at ticket counters or by using Trenitalia branded ticket machines OR online on the ItaliaRail website.
More info on how to book these rail pass reservations is available HERE n
Boarding:
Six things worth being aware of:
(1) Before boarding check the carrozza/coach number on your ticket, which will make getting on to the train less stressful.
(2) At some stations that Frecciargento trains call at, there will be information screens on the platform/binario - which will indicate where to wait for the doors to a specific coach.
Where there aren’t any such info screens, the best option can be wait in the middle of the binario and then locate your carrozza/coach when the train arrives.
If need be, board by the nearest door that you can get to before the train departs, and then walk through the train to find your seat.
(3) The carrozza/coach numbers (and the destination information) is shown on an electronic display, to the right of the door
(4) A number 2 on the side of the coach, which is some distance from the door, will indicate that the carrozza/coach is 2nd class, while a 1 indicates 1st class
(5) As all seats are reserved, there is no need to rush -particularly if you are waiting in the zone on the binari where your carrozza/coach will come to a halt.
(6) What you won’t see when entering the carrozza/coach is any indication of between which stations the seat is reserved for.
All you have to do is look for the seat numbers and match it to the seat number on your ticket.
Take your time as the seat numbers can lack logic - you will find them on the walls between the windows and the luggage racks.
Bicycles:
Folding bikes can be taken on board as hand luggage.
NON-folding bikes must be disassembled and placed in travel cases, that need to be shown to the conductor, or platform staff prior to boarding.
They need to be stowed in a specific part of the train and the conductor/platform staff will show you where.
Trenitalia's guide to travelling on its trains with bikes (It is in Italian so use Google Translate to make sense of it).
This is one of more than 150 train guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.
