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Saying this as a non-Italian, instead of focusing on (presumably) pricey train tickets targeting tourists, they should rather extend the common network which is

Saying this as a non-Italian, instead of focusing on (presumably) pricey train tickets targeting tourists, they should rather extend the common network which is also accessible and usable to the population without a tourism-adjusted overprice ...

kwhitefoot 3y ago
Also non-Italian here. In my experience of a few years ago local trains in Italy are quite cheap, certainly much cheaper than the UK.
thefz 3y ago
Saying this as an Italian, we never had so much choice and fast, reliable trains.
- jaclaz 3y ago
  Saying this as an Italian, your statement misses a [1]. In the last 20-30 years there have been huge improvements on a handful of (highly trafficated) routes, and a corresponding amount of worsening in all the rest. Besides the so-called "digital divide" (widely different possibilities of access to the internet depending on your location), there is a clear "railroad divide", the biggest/main cities are well connected, all the rest is at the same level as (or worse than) the '60's (or even earlier). There is a way to draw maps abstracting from geometrical projections (anamorphic), based on some given parameters, if you choose "travel time by train" what you will get will be a "time cartogram" where Italy is very short (north-south) but very, vey thick (west-east). [1] on selected routes
Iulioh 3y ago
As an Italian lving in the northern part of the country: The trains are used pretty extensively and they works. The Trenitalia has fixed fares on the low speed lines (so no need to buy them weeks before) and are resonably priced. I the south...EH. Would use them only for an extensive trip (from a big city to another big city) But by nature Italy HAS to use a lot of air travel as the country is very long and that's problematic. (don't forget than Sicily has 5M people and the 2 main airports see 9M people transit a year)
- senkora 3y ago
  I just played around with https://thetruesize.com https://thetruesize.com overlaying Italy on the United States. In America-terms, it looks like most North Italy trips would be analogous to NYC <-> DC trips, which are often taken by train in the US. North Italy to South Italy would be like SF <-> San Diego and North Italy to Sicily would be like Chicago <-> Atlanta, and both of those would almost certainly be plane trips in the US. So makes sense to me!

kwhitefoot 3y ago

Also non-Italian here. In my experience of a few years ago local trains in Italy are quite cheap, certainly much cheaper than the UK.

thefz 3y ago

Saying this as an Italian, we never had so much choice and fast, reliable trains.

jaclaz 3y ago
Saying this as an Italian, your statement misses a [1]. In the last 20-30 years there have been huge improvements on a handful of (highly trafficated) routes, and a corresponding amount of worsening in all the rest. Besides the so-called "digital divide" (widely different possibilities of access to the internet depending on your location), there is a clear "railroad divide", the biggest/main cities are well connected, all the rest is at the same level as (or worse than) the '60's (or even earlier). There is a way to draw maps abstracting from geometrical projections (anamorphic), based on some given parameters, if you choose "travel time by train" what you will get will be a "time cartogram" where Italy is very short (north-south) but very, vey thick (west-east). [1] on selected routes

Iulioh 3y ago

As an Italian lving in the northern part of the country: The trains are used pretty extensively and they works. The Trenitalia has fixed fares on the low speed lines (so no need to buy them weeks before) and are resonably priced. I the south...EH. Would use them only for an extensive trip (from a big city to another big city) But by nature Italy HAS to use a lot of air travel as the country is very long and that's problematic. (don't forget than Sicily has 5M people and the 2 main airports see 9M people transit a year)

senkora 3y ago
I just played around with https://thetruesize.com https://thetruesize.com overlaying Italy on the United States. In America-terms, it looks like most North Italy trips would be analogous to NYC <-> DC trips, which are often taken by train in the US. North Italy to South Italy would be like SF <-> San Diego and North Italy to Sicily would be like Chicago <-> Atlanta, and both of those would almost certainly be plane trips in the US. So makes sense to me!