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Times
5 days ago
- Times
I've found Europe's best sleeper train — and at just £62 you'll need to be quick
What does 'dolce vita' mean to you? Maybe it's the film — Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg giving 1960s glamour in the Trevi Fountain. Maybe it's a state of mind — effortless elegance with a side of excellent food. Or maybe it's slow travel through the bel paese — April marked the launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express, an overnight train as luxurious as it is expensive, from £3,605 for 24 hours. But I know another dolce vita train. It's significantly cheaper (from £62 for 18 hours) and a little less plush. Yet stepping on to it — my bags carried by a burgundy-jacketed carriage attendant — I still gasped with delight. As we trundled alongside Roman walls and emerged into the Lazio countryside, I found myself inexplicably emotional. Maybe it was watching eager travellers clink glasses in the scarlet-chaired restaurant as jazz tinkled in the background. Maybe it was nostalgia on this retro train, studded with vintage photos from the glory days of travel. Maybe it was listening to the multilingual announcements — Italian, French, then English — narrating our journey up the Mediterranean coastline. Or it could, I suppose, have been the prosecco. This time-travelling train, the Espresso Riviera, is a limited edition. It'll run weekly until the end of August from Rome to Marseille and back. It leaves Rome just before 8pm each Friday, proceeds up the Tyrrhenian coastline overnight and reaches Genoa at dawn. Then it continues along the Italian Riviera, before crossing the French border and sweeping along the Côte d'Azur, arriving at Marseille just before 2pm on Saturday. Turning straight around, it reaches Sanremo for sunset and is back in Rome at 6.48am on Sunday. Eighteen hours on a single train sounds like a lower circle of purgatory and — as a reluctant regular on the Rome-Palermo Intercity Notte — my general opinion of sleepers is to avoid them whenever possible. But this? This is different. It's an unabashed wallow in the golden era of train travel, so is railway heaven. The operator, FS Treni Turistici Italiani, launched in 2023 as the luxury, leisure-focused arm of FS Italiane, the Italian state railway organisation. It runs a handful of routes a year and, until now, hadn't appealed to me — a Rome-Dolomites weekend jaunt (nice for Romans); Milan-Nice (beautiful but short). But Rome to Marseille? Waking up on the Italian Riviera? Chugging along the Cote d'Azur? Count me in — especially if I could build it into a no-fly journey from Italy to the UK. At Termini, the gargantuan station in Rome, the departures board glowed with extra joie de vivre. Salerno, Venezia, Milano … Marseille! On platform 22 stood a hulking diesel locomotive — so far, so Intercity. But the carriages attached to it were more Orient Express — striped navy and jade; those burgundy-blazered attendants (one for each carriage) welcoming passengers aboard. These are 1990s Intercity carriages, rescued from retirement and refurbished, with five classes pairing 21st-century standards with mid-century style. I took these trains in my youth — they were horrid, even to a penniless student; but horrid no more. Second class alone makes a mockery of first class on UK trains — individual compartments of six plush armchairs, upholstered in royal blue (get one to yourself, raise the arms and sleep across them, as one couple did). • Discover our full guide to France The first-class compartments are great for daytime — four velvet armchairs separated by elegant tables, with magazine racks and USB points (regular first class is a velvety version of second). The couchettes are six-seaters that fold down into beds, while the private cabins (sold out at present, but keep checking) are just gorgeous — a wide, blue-velvet armchair, foldout desk, basin and bunkbeds that unfurl into yet more armchairs in the morning. At the end of each carriage is a unisex toilet with art deco-like ribbing on the ceiling (a cheerful cleaning team kept things spotless). The carriages are carpeted in scarlet. • Discover our full guide to Italy But back to the journey. From Termini we crossed Rome underground, emerging into rural Lazio to chase the sun as it set over the Ostia coast. As we turned north, flashing past golden beaches and marinas twinkling in the dusk, I hit the restaurant. How brilliantly old-school to be seated opposite a stranger and served ragu-swirled pasta, pepper-doused chicken and lashings of Ligurian red as we put the world to rights. By the time we staggered out we were rattling round the Maremma coast; in bed — a real mattress and topper, no less, though it's still a rickety, noisy sleeper — I watched on Google Maps as the train inched towards Livorno. Later I opened the curtains to find us slipping through Cinque Terre, the moon reflecting in the sea like a torch, spotlighting the sleeping villages. By 6.30am we were rumbling into Genoa. An hour later, a white-jacketed waiter was serving me a cappuccino and croissant in the restaurant as the Italian Riviera raced past — all never-ending beach and 8am swimmers. Accordion music filled the restaurant car, the onboard musician signalling that we were approaching France. Ah yes, the border. Ventimiglia stands just east of it but is a world away in rail terms. France and Italy use different voltages for their railways, which meant that our carriages would have to be detached from the Italian locomotive and hitched to a French one. This was a project of cross-border co-operation. For an hour I watched as the locomotives waltzed around each other. Off came the Intercity head, revving off towards France before it switched tracks and slid into a siding; from that siding emerged an SNCF locomotive, which shimmied over the tracks and reversed into us, hitting the second-class carriage with a satisfying clunk. And then, stress in two languages. Nobody was sure what happened. Did that clunk break a brake? Did the French have an outdated manual? Official recollections vary, but one thing was certain, we left Italy two hours late. How passengers felt about this depended on their plans. Returning French holidaymakers gleefully made for the restaurant carriage for a long lunch as the Côte d'Azur unspooled. On a five-stage journey to Devon and about to miss parts two, three and four, I appreciated the views (the red cliffs around St Raphaël were particularly ravishing) but was most struck by the nonstop tunnels that stymied my increasingly desperate calls to my travel insurance company. Here is where cross-border travel is less fun — despite its staff having caused the delay, SNCF wouldn't reroute me because this was an Italian train. The upshot: about £750 on new trains, a hotel and a 6am taxi to make my ferry. Pretty hellish, sure, yet nothing can demote this train from railway heaven: real beds, a restaurant carriage, snapshots of summer at every stop, names that shiver with glamour — Cinque Terre, Monte Carlo, Nice, Menton. I've never been on a super-lux sleeper (I'd rather pay my mortgage than ride the Orient Express), but this is as glamorous as anyone needs a train to Buckley was a guest of FS Treni Turistici Italiani, which has shared couchettes from £62 ( The Espresso Riviera runs until August 30. Fly to Rome By Siobhan Grogan Le Train Rouge clatters along 100-year-old tracks over gravity-defying suspension bridges, through tunnels and across flower-filled French Pyrenean meadows on its 35-mile journey from Rivesaltes to the small town of Axat. This journey is one of the day trips in this weeklong break to Catalonia, travelling by rail from London and staying in the Costa Brava resort of Roses. Rail fans will also revel in the day on the Nuria Rack Railway, which travels eight miles to the Nuria Valley, where mountain pastures surround a blue-green lake. Visits to Girona and Figueres, for the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, provide a culture Seven nights' half-board from £1,299pp, including all rail and coach travel, excursions and wine with dinner ( Reach the French Alpine resort of Chambéry before gunning through the mountains to charming Turin, where sightseeing options include the old Fiat factory, which was immortalised in The Italian Job (1969) and now hosts the largest rooftop garden in Europe. A snaking run to the Adriatic deposits travellers in historic Bari, your base for catching a sleeper ferry to Albania, a land of eagles, hidden beaches and striking socialist architecture. The trip ends with a two-night stay in buzzy Four nights' B&B and two nights' room only from £1,436pp, including all rail travel ( Journey across wintry landscapes on the night train from Stockholm to Kiruna, the northernmost Swedish city, deep inside the Arctic Circle on the banks of frozen Lake Luossajarvi. Activities include snowshoe treks through forests, dog sledding, ice fishing and riding a snowmobile across the tundra, while keeping an eye on the sky for the northern lights. You have three days for Arctic adventures after travelling by train from London via the German city of Münster and Copenhagen, plus two days in Stockholm. Summertime adventures on the same tour take in the midnight sun. Details Eight nights' B&B from £1,149pp ( Fly from Kiruna It's easy and rewarding to explore Slovenia, a tiny land of glacial lakes, ice-capped mountains, vineyards, meadows and a sliver of Adriatic coast, by rail. Your journey takes you from Lake Bled, through a landscape of vineyards and cherry orchards to Bohinjska Bistrica, near the Italian border, before heading south to Ljubljana. After two nights exploring the markets, intriguing streets and riverside cafés of the leafy capital, you're off to the improbably picturesque coastal city of Piran, with its Venetian façades, pretty squares and seafood restaurants. Details Six nights' B&B from £1,080pp, including rail and transfers ( Fly to Ljubljana The graceful baroque heart of Vienna is easy to explore by bike, foot and tram. This eight-night holiday by rail gives you three nights each in the Austrian capital and dreamy Salzburg, with stops in Frankfurt and Zurich. While in Vienna check out the Hofburg Palace and the State Opera, get your art fix at the MuseumsQuartier and gorge on coffee topped with whipped cream in 19th-century cafés. In Salzburg, two hours and 20 minutes from the capital on the speedy Railjet service, there are the legacies of Mozart and the von Trapps to Eight nights' B&B from £1,495pp, including first-class rail travel (
Local Italy
24-06-2025
- Business
- Local Italy
Everything that changes about life in Italy in July 2025
Italy delays 'sugar tax' - again A contested tax on sugary drinks will not come into force on July 1st after the government postponed its implementation to December 31st. The levy was originally due to come into effect in early 2020, but a backlash from soft drinks producers persuaded successive Italian administrations to repeatedly delay its enforcement. The measure, intended to address health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, includes a €0.10 tax on every litre of sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, sweet teas and energy drinks. New flights to Italy Several international airlines are set to launch new seasonal routes to and from Italy this month. Spanish budget carrier Vueling will start twice-weekly flights between Rimini, Emilia Romagna, and Barcelona, Spain, on July 2nd. This will be followed by thrice-weekly flights between Salerno, Campania, and Barcelona starting on July 3rd. Irish budget airline Ryanair will offer weekly flights (on Wednesdays) between Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Stockholm, Sweden, starting on July 2nd. Find a full list of new summer flights to Italy here. Trenitalia launches new Italy-France night train After a popular train line linking Paris to the Italian cities of Turin and Milan reopened in early April, rail travel between Italy and France is set to expand further this summer with the launch of a new night train linking Rome to Marseille. Operated by Italy's Trenitalia, the Espresso Riviera will run once a week from July 4th to August 30th. Trains to Marseille will depart from Rome's Termini station at 7.57pm every Friday, while journeys in the opposite direction will leave the French city at 2.46pm every Saturday. You can find further details about the Espresso Riviera service here. Start of Italy's summer sales Retailers in Italy have two government-regulated sales seasons – one in the summer and one in the winter. For all Italian regions except the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, this year's summer sales will start on July 5th. The saldi estivi are by far the favourite time of year for shoppers as businesses around the country apply generous discounts to their merchandise (these usually start at around 20 to 30 percent of the original price but can climb as high as 70 percent). Though they run for at least one month in all parts of the country, the exact length of Italy's summer sales varies from region to region. You can find a full list of this year's start and end dates by region here. Transport strikes Transport strikes are frequent in Italy, with at least two to three nationwide walkouts and several regional protests called each month. July will be no exception as Italian trade unions have already announced multiple strikes affecting air, rail and local public transport services. Train passengers may face delays or cancellations on July 7th-8th as staff at rail operators including Trenitalia and Italo plan to strike for 21 hours (from 9pm on July 7th to 6pm on July 8th). Flights to, from and across Italy may experience disruption on July 10th due to multiple airport staff walkouts. You can find further details about these and other transport strikes in July here. American transport giant Uber is set to launch new helicopter services on Italy's Amalfi Coast this month, providing well-heeled visitors with speedy connections between the seaside town of Sorrento and the island of Capri. Uber Copter will operate every weekend from July 26th to August 23rd, with round trips coming in at €250 per passenger. Besides new helicopter rides, Uber will also offer new boat services between July 26th and August 24th, taking passengers from the port of Sorrento to the picturesque cliffside town of Positano. You can find more details about the upcoming Uber Copter and Uber Boat services here. 2025 trial of Venice entry fee scheme ends The 2025 trial of a contested ticketing system requiring visitors to pay an entry fee to access Venice's city centre is set to end on Sunday, July 27th. Venice's entry fee scheme for day-trippers was reintroduced on April 18th after undergoing a 29-day trial in 2024. The charge, which is part of broader plans to ease the strain of mass tourism on Venice's fragile infrastructure, has long faced strong opposition from residents' associations and grassroots groups, with critics arguing that it's done little to reduce tourist numbers and has turned the city into a 'theme park'. Youth Jubilee in Rome Around one million pilgrims are expected to travel to Rome in late July to attend the Youth Jubilee (Giubileo dei Giovani) – a major Catholic event inviting young people from around the globe to celebrate faith, unity, and hope through prayer. The event, which is part of celebrations for the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year, is set to unfold from July 28th to August 3rd. Summer festivals Whether you live in Italy or plan to visit in the coming weeks, July offers a wealth of cultural events. People in the central Umbria region can look forward to the Umbria Jazz Festival, held in Perugia from July 11th to July 20th, and Spoleto's Two Worlds Festival, running from June 27th to July 13th. Rome's famous Caracalla Festival, which features a mix of outdoor opera, dance and theatre performances, runs throughout July and into the start of August, while Verona's celebrated Arena Opera Festival runs until early September. Other cultural highlights in July include the Palio di Siena horse race on July 2nd, and Venice's Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer) on July 20th.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Euronews
Dreamy new night train to connect Rome and Marseille this summer
With languid summer days around the corner, a long, leisurely train journey between two dreamy destinations is just the ticket. The good news for travellers is that Italy is about to restart a rail route that fulfils that desire to a tee. The blissfully named Espresso Riviera is returning to the rails after a successful summer season last year, with a slight change in route. The night train will link Rome to Marseille, offering passengers a slow, scenic connection between Italy's culture-rich capital and the French Riviera. The Espresso Riviera is part of Italy's tourist train initiative, which sees a relaunched vintage fleet ferrying visitors to some of the most picturesque spots within the country's borders and beyond. The service, operated by FS Treni Turistici, will run on weekends between 4 July and 30 August, with tickets already on sale. Passengers can choose to travel in a sleeping car with private compartments or a more affordable couchette. Trains depart from Roma Termini station on Friday evening, arriving in Marseille on Saturday morning. The return train leaves from Marseille on Saturday and arrives in the Italian capital on Sunday morning. The service travels along one of the most spectacular coastal routes in the Mediterranean - a good reason to wake up early in the morning to admire the view. There is also a daytime alternative from Genoa, with private lounges and seats in first class and second class, if you want a bit longer to gaze out at the sea. The company says it is planning a departure from Milan, too, that will run straight to Genoa and link northern Italy to France directly. There will be catering available on board for the entire route, offering dinner, breakfast and a bar service. The aim is to facilitate "not only holidaymakers departing from the capital, increasingly looking for a varied offer of service levels on board the train, but also tourist flows towards western Liguria, finally offering a service without changes from Genoa to Ventimiglia and France," said Luigi Cantamessa, CEO of FS Treni Turistici Italiani. On the way, the Espresso Riviera will stop at several tempting destinations. Sanremo is a smart coastal resort on Italy's Ligurian coast with a famous casino, while just over the border into France is Menton, a medieval town jutting out into the sea renowned for its prized lemons. After that, the train pulls in at the glamorous seaside resort towns of Monaco-Monte Carlo and Cannes. After departing from Rome, the full route will stop at Genoa, Savona, Alassia, Imperia, Sanremo, and Ventimiglia in Italy, and Menton, Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Saint-Raphaël–Valescure, Toulon and Marseille in France. While last year the route terminated in Nice, this year the extension to Marseille gives travellers the chance to explore a vibrant port city that has come under the spotlight in recent years.
Local Italy
23-05-2025
- Local Italy
New night train service will connect Marseille and Rome
Italian rail operator Trenitalia, which has recently moved into the French market for domestic and international trips, has announced a new overnight train from the southern French city of Marseille to the Italian capital, launching on July 4th. The Espresso Riviera service – the journey is scheduled to take a shade over 15 hours – will run every weekend from July 4th to August 30th. The train will depart Marseille and travel along the Côte d'Azur in the afternoon, then the Ligurian Riviera in the evening. It will arrive in Genoa at 10.38pm, and from there it will continue non-stop to Rome. It aims to revive 'the comfort of the great international trains that have now disappeared,' according to Luigi Cantamessa, head of Treni Turistici Italiani, the Trenitalia subsidiary that offers this service. On board, passengers will be able to enjoy a dining car serving local specialities. And there's the choice of sleeping cars for one or two people, or compartments with four berths, which are convertible into seats during the day. Tickets go on sale from Saturday, May 24th, according to the Treni Turistici Italiani website, with prices for the full journey starting from €71 – though single and double sleeping cars will be more expensive. Tickets from Marseille to Genoa on the same service cost from €54.90. In comparison, a flight between Marseille and Rome on Ryanair costs around €60. Faster, certainly, but not quite the same experience - the section of track between Marseille and Nice runs along the Mediterranean coast making for one of the world's most beautiful train rides. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Voyager en train (@
Local France
23-05-2025
- Local France
New night train service will connect Marseille and Rome
Italian rail operator Trenitalia, which has recently moved into the French market for domestic and international trips, has announced a new overnight train from the southern French city of Marseille to the Italian capital, launching on July 4th. The Espresso Riviera service – the journey is scheduled to take a shade over 15 hours – will run every weekend from July 4th to August 30th. The train will depart Marseille and travel along the Côte d'Azur in the afternoon, then the Ligurian Riviera in the evening. It will arrive in Genoa at 10.38pm, and from there it will continue non-stop to Rome. It aims to revive 'the comfort of the great international trains that have now disappeared,' according to Luigi Cantamessa, head of Treni Turistici Italiani, the Trenitalia subsidiary that offers this service. On board, passengers will be able to enjoy a dining car serving local specialities. And there's the choice of sleeping cars for one or two people, or compartments with four berths, which are convertible into seats during the day. Advertisement Tickets go on sale from Saturday, May 24th, according to the Treni Turistici Italiani website, with prices for the full journey starting from €71 – though single and double sleeping cars will be more expensive. Tickets from Marseille to Genoa on the same service cost from €54.90. In comparison, a flight between Marseille and Rome on Ryanair costs around €60. Faster, certainly, but not quite the same experience - the section of track between Marseille and Nice runs along the Mediterranean coast making for one of the world's most beautiful train rides. READ ALSO 8 French night trains to take this summer View this post on Instagram A post shared by Voyager en train (@
