George Nugent Travels

Having spent the night in Rome and exploring the city, I needed to travel to Bologna so I could visit San Marino.

I was faced with the choice of travelling by air with ITA, or to take the high speed Trenitalia service. As you probably guessed by the title of this post I opted for the train.

Journey Details

Origin – Roma Termini

Operator – Trenitalia

Destination– Bologna Centrale

Price – €31.90 per person.

Class of Travel – Standard

Rome Station

This service departed from Roma Termini, the main station serving the city (it’s also where you catch the train to FCO airport.)

The station itself is large with a number of different retail options located within. However, there is a noticeable lack of seating available in the station, so do not arrive too early for your train.

As with all busy public spaces in Rome there is a visible police and military presence, and anti-social behaviour is not tolerated by them.

Staff are available at the entrance to the platforms should you require any assistance.

From this station you can find trains to most major Italian cities including, Milan, Rimini, Bari & Venice.

Other cities such as Florence and Bologna are served by trains to Venice.

Boarding

The platform for this train was announced 15 minutes before departure. In order to access the platforms you must scan your tickets at the barriers.

By the time we arrived at the platform the train had arrived from Naples and was ready for boarding.

At the time of travel FFP2 masks were compulsory on all trains within Italy, and this rule was enforced by the onboard staff.

Furthermore, a one way system for boarding trains was in place. This meant you boarded at one end of the carriage and exited at the other. This was not strongly enforced by the staff but was still followed.

I can understand why this system was introduced, but it can become frustrating when you are at the other end of the carriage and get stuck behind people sorting through their life possessions to get a phone charger out.

I found my seat and placed my bag under the seat in front. Despite this, the legroom was excellent and there was plenty of room to get comfortable.

The seats are relatively basic, but are far more comfortable than any economy class seat on the flights.

The Journey

After departing the main station there is another stop in the outskirts of the city.

Once this is completed you join the Italian high speed network and quickly reach the maximum speed of 250km/h (155 mph).

In order to reach these speeds the line was built to be as straight as possible through the countryside, meaning large swathes of the journey is tunnels.

Despite this, the views from the train outside of the tunnels are really nice. For views, the train will nearly always beat the plane, as it definitely did in this case.

We decided to check out the shop onboard the train and get some snacks and drinks.

There was a good selection of snacks available for purchase as well as some sandwiches if you wanted something more substantial.

The prices were on the higher side, but would be comparable to what is charged by budget airlines within Europe.

The staff were friendly, and spoke English, however, you should try and learn some key phrases to help communicate. Staff really appreciate you making an effort and will respond positively to you.

Arriving in Bologna

High speed services from Rome arrive in the lower levels of Bologna Centrale, you need to make your way upstairs to exit the station, or to connect with local services.

There are no ticket barriers to exit the station, however staff will carry out random checks.

Bologna Centrale, is perhaps unsurprisingly located in the centre of the city. Most hotels and tourist sites are easily reached by foot.

This is also where you will catch the dedicated airport shuttle.

My Final Thoughts

Having had time to reflect on the choice between flying and taking the train I have concluded that the train was the right choice.

It is convenient, cheap, fast and frequent and unlike the plane, it drops you in the city centre feeling relaxed.

Furthermore, there is no limits on liquids and no having to worry about arriving early to pass through security.

Should I find myself in Italy again I will definitely take the train rather than the plane.