After spending a few days in Tuscany as part of your Italy itinerary, you can take the train from Florence to Rome to prepare for the next leg of your trip. Our easy guide covers everything you need to know to go from Florence to Rome by train so that you can sit and relax, and enjoy the countryside landscape in between.
Just like the train from Rome to Florence, also taking the train from Florence to Rome is a very popular option because the two cities are not far from each other, there are several high-speed train connections per day and the trip is pretty affordable if booked following a few tips we are going to give you soon.
Being quite efficient and capillary, train travel in Italy is a great option for those who chose public transport over car rental. For more information on public transportation and what to know before and during your trip, don’t forget to check out our comprehensive Italy travel guide.
Why you should take the train from Florence to Rome
There are many reasons I suggest taking the train if you are going to Rome from Florence instead of using other means of transportation.
- It’s the fastest option. The bullet train is the fastest way to get from Florence to Rome, so the best one if you are on a day trip. It’s faster than driving, than the bus and also than the regional or Intercity trains.
- You arrive in the city center. Traveling by train from Florence to Rome is very handy because you are going to board from central Florence and get off in central Rome. Rome’s Stazione Termini is very well served by Rome public transport and connected to any area of the city. You can just take a bus, the metro, or walk to the major landmarks.
- Travel is comfortable. The seats of the bullet trains are comfortable, the ride is short and you can just sit and relax, read your book, listen to your music. Unlike when you rent a car, you don’t have to drive, and unlike a bus ride, the train is more comfortable and faster.
- Bullet trains are on time. Both Trenitalia and Italo Treno are pretty much always on time, or at least most of the time. Plus, if you have a delay between 60 to 119 minutes, you will get 25% refund of your ticket, and if you have a delay from 120 minutes up, Trenitalia will refund you 50% of your ticket.
Train From Florence To Rome: Train Companies To Choose From
The train companies in Italy are the state-run Trenitalia and the private-owned Italo Treno. While Italo only runs high-speed trains, Trenitalia also has regional, local, and Intercity trains, which are slower than their Freccia trains and stop in more stations, which makes their trips longer.
With Trenitalia, the train from Florence to Rome can be a Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, and Frecciargento. On board of the Freccia trains, you have a snack bar, toilets, and WiFi. Some Frecciabianca trains don’t have WiFi, usually the old ones. Trenitalia also includes regional and local trains and reaches all the Italian regions also stopping in small stations.
Italo Treno has only bullet trains and doesn’t stop at many stations. Sometimes their price is cheaper than Trenitalia but not always. Actually most of the time they equal each other.
I tried both and although Italo Treno was welcomed with plenty of enthusiasm, I myself, prefer Trenitalia. I found Trenitalia trains are more comfortable, seats have more legroom, and the bathrooms were more spacious.
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Florence To Rome Train: Stations Of Departure And Arrival
To go to Rome from Florence by train, your departure point will likely be Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the city’s main station. You can get to Santa Maria Novella train station from everywhere in Florence using local buses or a taxi.
The station is in the very city center so if you arrive early and still have a couple of hours in Florence, you can leave your luggage in the deposit you will find near McDonald’s after platform 16. To collect it, you need to get out of the station to the other entrance of the deposit shop. The price is 6 euros for the first five hours and then 1 euro for each additional hour.
Firenze Santa Maria Novella also features some shops and restaurants so you can have lunch or order a meal takeaway for your trip.
In Rome, you will arrive at either Stazione Termini, the city’s main train station in Piazza dei Cinquecento, or Tiburtina.
Train Schedule Florence To Rome
There is almost a train every 15 minutes departing from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Roma Termini or Tiburtina every day with both Trenitalia and Italo.
The first Trenitalia Freccia train departs from Florence at 5.45 am, while Italo starts the day around 7.40 am and also lands at both Termini and Tiburtina stations.
The train schedule from Florence to Rome depends a lot on the season and the day of the week. On weekdays, there are more trains than at the weekend. Planning in advance can get you a wider choice of timetables and cheaper rates.
How much does a train ride from Florence to Rome cost?
The cost of your train from Florence to Rome depends on a few factors. By booking far in advance, you can find cheaper rates, but also the time of your trip matters. Often booking the first trains of the morning or those late at night is cheaper than picking the busiest time of the day.
Both Trenitalia and Italo fares depend also on the service (Standard, Premium, Silence areas, Executive, Working area with Trenitalia, Smart, Comfort, Prima, Club Executive with Italo) and the offer.
The service options with Trenitalia are Standard, Standard Silence Area, Premium, Business, Business Silence Area, Executive, and Working Area, while with Italo they are Smart, Comfort, Prima, and Club Executive. The offers are Base, Economy, Super Economy, Senior 60+ and Young up to 30 with Trenitalia, and Flex, Economy, and Low Cost with Italo.
Sometimes you can find Trenitalia has slightly higher prices, but also a wider range of services and options. However, if it’s only an hour and a half train ride from Florence to Rome, you probably won’t mind about the services and you’ll prefer cheaper fares.
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Train Tickets From Florence To Rome: Where to Book and Where to Buy Them
The easiest way to book your train tickets from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Rome is online. The website Omio (former GoEuro) shows prices and schedules for both Trenitalia and Italo. This way, you can book your train when you are still planning your trip to Italy and before arriving.
You won’t find these tickets on sale at kiosks or newsstands, but at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station, you can buy them at the ticket office or the vending machines operating all day.
Your Florence To Rome Train Journey
During your trip from Florence to Rome by train you can buy snacks, drinks, and light meals on board. They are quite expensive, so if you can, either bring your food from home or buy it in the city or at the station before taking the train. At Firenze Santa Maria Novella there is Sapori & Dintorni Store with a nice section of ready meals from where you can buy a rich salad, roasted chicken, grilled veggies, fish, and more.
Obviously, if you are not traveling on eating time, you can always wait to arrive in Rome and have lunch or dinner on the fantastic terrace of Termini station, in one of the lovely restaurants of Tiburtina station, or any of the delicious restaurants in Rome.
On the train, you can place your luggage either on the space above your head, between seats if you carry a small trolley that can fit, or at the ends of your carriages if you have larger suitcases. The latter is unsupervised, so you might not want to leave your laptop inside, although it’s pretty safe.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is there a high-speed train from Florence to Rome?
Yes, both Trenitalia and Italo Trento provide high-speed trains from Florence to Rome. They are very frequent and prices depend on the day, the time, and the railway company.
Is a day trip from Florence to Rome worth it?
While I suggest staying at least four days in Rome, if you are short on time, on a day trip from Florence to Rome, there is plenty you can see and do. Try to arrive bright and early in the morning and plan to get off at Termini station so that the city center and the most famous landmarks are easy and fast to reach. One day in Rome is hardly enough, but if that’s all you can do, with a proper planning, you can have an exciting trip.
What is the cheapest way to get from Florence to Rome?
The cheapest way to travel from Rome to Florence is by bus and costs between 7 to 14€. There are several coaches departing Rome for Florence every day. While this is the cheapest way, it’s also the longest as the average journey time ranges between 4 to 4 and a half hours.
Do I need to buy Florence to Rome train tickets in advance?
If you are traveling to Rome from Florence on a high-speed train like Trenitalia’s Freccia, you should buy your tickets in advance because you will have your own seat. If you are traveling with a regional or an Intercity, cheaper and slower, you don’t need to buy your tickets ahead. You can buy them at the ticket office of the station, at the newsagent’s kiosk, or from the ticket vending machines.
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