Rome to Florence by train: Frecciarossa vs Italo, fares and times (2026)

By TrainsNews' International expert · Updated 27 October 2026

Rome to Florence by train takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on a high-speed train, city centre to city centre. Two companies compete on the route: Trenitalia with its Frecciarossa and the private operator Italo. On Tuesday 10 November 2026, Trenitalia's Frecciarossa from Roma Termini reached Firenze Santa Maria Novella in 1 h 36, with fares from €19.90. Italo says its fastest train takes 1 h 25 and that tickets start at €14.90.

Rome to Florence by train at a glance

Frecciarossa or Italo?

Both run modern high-speed trains on the same line, and both get you from Rome to Florence in roughly an hour and a half. The real differences are price, timing and stations:

• Trenitalia Frecciarossa is Italy's national operator. On our sample day, Frecciarossa trains left Roma Termini at 10:10, 10:25, 10:35, 10:50, 11:10 and 11:35, six trains in under 90 minutes.
• Italo is a private company. It serves both Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina, and arrives at Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Its classes are Smart, Prima and Club Executive.

Our advice: compare both for your exact time. A ticket bought from one company is not valid on the other's trains, so if you miss your train you cannot simply jump on the next one from the competitor.

Rome to Florence train times and fares

Here are the Frecciarossa trains offered by Trenitalia on a typical Tuesday morning:

Times and lowest fares checked on Trenitalia (lefrecce.it) on 26 October 2026 for Tuesday 10 November 2026, one adult. Fares change with demand and booking date.

Regional trains: the cheap, slow option

Trenitalia also runs regional trains between the two cities, but they are much slower. The fast regional train we found left Roma Termini at 17:20 and reached Firenze Santa Maria Novella at 21:01, a journey of 3 h 41, from €25.75. With high-speed fares starting below that when booked early, the regional train only makes sense if you want to stop in the towns along the way.

How to pay less

• Book early: both companies sell cheaper fares weeks ahead. On our sample day, the cheapest Frecciarossa was €19.90 and the most expensive was €44.90, for the same 1 h 36 journey.
• Be flexible by half an hour: trains leave every few minutes, and the price can more than double from one departure to the next.
• Check both operators: Italo advertises fares from €14.90 on this route.

Stations: Roma Termini, Tiburtina and Firenze Santa Maria Novella

Roma Termini is Rome's main station, served by both Trenitalia and Italo, with metro lines A and B. Roma Tiburtina, served by Italo on this route, is handy if you are staying in the north-east of Rome. In Florence, trains arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella, right in the historic centre, a short walk from the cathedral.

How to book

Buy Frecciarossa tickets on trenitalia.com and Italo tickets on italotreno.com, or compare both with the search box at the top of this page. High-speed tickets include a seat reservation and are tied to a specific train.

Expert view: the Direttissima, Europe's pioneer high-speed line

The Rome–Florence high-speed line, known in Italy as the "Direttissima", is a piece of railway history. According to Webuild, the company that built it, more than half of the line opened on 24 February 1977, making it the first high-speed railway line in Europe, four years before the first French TGV line. It is 254 km long and allows speeds of up to 250 km/h.

What makes it interesting today is its signalling. In December 2020, the infrastructure manager RFI switched on ERTMS, the European train control system, on the section between Firenze Rovezzano and Arezzo Sud. With ERTMS, the driver no longer relies on lineside signals: the train receives its movement authority and speed limits by radio and displays them in the cab. Upgrading an old high-speed line, still busy with dozens of trains a day, is much harder than equipping a new one, and the Direttissima is a good example of how Europe is bringing its first-generation lines up to the same standard.

Rome to Florence by train: FAQ

How long is the train from Rome to Florence?

About 1 h 30 on a high-speed train. Trenitalia's Frecciarossa took 1 h 36 on the trains we checked for 10 November 2026; Italo says its fastest train takes 1 h 25.

How much is the train from Rome to Florence?

On 10 November 2026, Frecciarossa fares started between €19.90 and €44.90 depending on the departure time. Italo advertises fares from €14.90.

Is Italo or Trenitalia better from Rome to Florence?

Both take around an hour and a half. Choose on price and timing for your day, and remember that tickets are not interchangeable between the two companies.

Which station do trains leave from in Rome?

Roma Termini for both companies; Italo also stops at Roma Tiburtina. All trains arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella.

Is there a cheaper regional train?

Yes, but it takes about 3 h 40. The fast regional we found cost €25.75, so an early-booked high-speed ticket is often cheaper.

Key takeaways

• About 1 h 30 by high-speed train, Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
• Two competing operators, Trenitalia and Italo, with several trains an hour.
• Frecciarossa from €19.90 on our sample day; Italo from €14.90.
• Tickets are tied to one company and one train.

Read more

• Lisbon to Porto by train: Alfa Pendular, fares and times
• London to Edinburgh by train: LNER, Lumo, sleeper, fares and times
• All our train travel guides

For train lovers

Mugs, notebooks and bags for rail enthusiasts: visit the TrainsNews Store.

Sources: Trenitalia, journey search Roma Termini → Firenze S. M. Novella (times and fares checked on 26 October 2026 for Tuesday 10 November 2026); Italo, Rome to Florence page (journey time, fares from, distance, daily trains, stations, classes); FS Italiane, RFI activates the first ERTMS section on the Direttissima Firenze–Roma (28 December 2020); Webuild, the Direttissima Rome–Florence railway line. Information checked on 26 October 2026.

Photo: A high-speed platform at Firenze Santa Maria Novella (2009). Coclea, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Written with AI assistance from the official sources cited, reviewed by the TrainsNews editorial team. Real photo, credited below the image. Spotted an error? contact@trainsnews.com — Our AI policy