Operated by Italian State Railways (Ferrovie dello Stato, or FS), there are seven types of train in Italy.

At the top of the range are the " Pendolino " (CiS) and "Eurostar Italia" (ES), an Intercity service; in first class your ticket includes newspapers and a meal; reservations are included in the ticket price. Eurocity trains connect the major Italian cities with centres such as Paris, Vienna, Hamburg and Barcelona, while Intercity trains link the major Italian centers; reservations are advised on both of these services (and are sometimes compulsory anyway) and a supplement in the region of thirty percent of the ordinary fare is payable.

(Make sure you pay your supplement before getting on board; otherwise you'll have to cough up a far bigger surcharge to the conductor.) Diretto, Espresso and Interregionale trains are the common-or-garden long-distance expresses, calling only at larger stations; and lastly there are the Regionale services, which stop at every place with a population higher than zero (and on which smoking is not allowed). For information on trains call 1478.88.088.

In addition to the routes operated by FS, there are a number of privately run lines, using separate stations though charging similar fares. Where they're worth using, these are detailed in the text.

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