Home to ski resorts, Christmas markets, and quaint little villages, Italy is preparing to receive a record number of international tourists this winter, with 25 million having visited one of Europe’s leading tourism destinations last year.
An extensive train network is at the centre of Italy’s tourism, and the most popular holiday destinations are increasingly easy to reach by train, says the Passenger Hub of the FS Group comprising train operators such as Trenitalia, Busitalia, Ferrovie del Sud Est and FS Treni Turistici Italiani. Ski Resorts New links to ski resorts and tourist destinations in the mountains, more travel solutions seamlessly integrated with train, bus and air connections, and tailor-made promotions for families and young people, are just some of the new features of the winter offer from the FS Group’s Passenger Hub which covers Italy and Europe with new services and door-to-door multimodal connections to encourage collective transport. Mountain Adventure For mountain lovers, Trenitalia now offers new services running from Friday to Sunday for Oulx and Bardonecchia from Naples, Rome, Florence, Bologna and Milan. Two new Frecciarossa trains a day will also serve Trento, Rovereto and Bolzano with departures from Rome, Florence and Bologna, making a total of 12 Freccia trains per day, plus two new Frecciarossa trains from running from Milan at weekends. Up to 32 trains a day will link Turin and Bardonecchia, 18 trains will whisk visitors up to the slopes of Limone from Tende station, and up to 32 regional trains will run between Turin and Oulx. Skiers can also reach the peaks of the Dolomites with Alleghe Link, a regional intermodal service that includes buses from Belluno to Agordo, Alleghe, Caprile and Arabba. Cortina Link, Trenitalia Regional and Dolomiti Bus allow travellers to reach Cortina d’Ampezzo with a single ticket, arriving into Calalzo station by train before continuing on to the town centre by bus. FrecciaLink trains round off the offer by providing weekend access to some of Italy’s best-loved mountain destinations: Aosta, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Courmayeur, Madonna Di Campiglio, Val Gardena, Val Di Fassa and Val Di Fiemme. Top Destinations Two direct IntercityNotte connections will once again be running over the weekend serving San Candido and the other major tourist destinations in Trentino-Alto Adige, on the Rome-Bolzano line which will also be extended to the stations of Bressanone, Fortezza, Brunico and Dobbiaco. With Intercity Giorno - also running over the weekend – the train from Genoa to Turin will continue its journey to serve the stations of Bussoleno, Sestriere and Bardonecchia. Christmas Markets Travellers from Milan can now hop aboard a Eurocity for an easy way to reach Switzerland, too, with all its characteristic Christmas markets in Zurich, Berne, Basel, Montreux, Lausanne and Geneva. Journey of Luxury For a journey of pure relaxation and luxury, as of 15 December, the new ‘Espresso Cadore’ from the newly-established FS company Treni Turisti Italiani will be connecting Rome with Cortina d’Ampezzo. The company’s very first overnight train will offer passengers exceptional levels of comfort: they can choose from single or double sleeper cabins, with dinner and breakfast included in the cost of the ticket, as well as 4- and 6-person couchettes which can even be booked for exclusive use, with special discounts for organised groups. Travellers can also opt to be waited on with a luxurious dinner in the dining car, which is accessible by reservation, along with an all-night bar. Luggage and sports equipment will all travel on a securely supervised baggage car and will be ready for collection at each station upon arrival. Ski Resorts Ski resorts are undoubtedly top of the list of most desirable holiday destinations. These include Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno, Bormio, Courmayeur and Bardonecchia. Locations with something to offer lovers of all winter sports, such as downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowshoeing and many more. Cultural Hub A cultural hub offers visitors the opportunity to travel in authentic Italian style, organising trips that take into account not only a healthy respect for the environment and local traditions, but also the needs and wishes of the travellers themselves. For those looking to immerse themselves in all the Christmassy magic of Italy, True Italian Experience offers comprehensive solutions, convenient travel and elegant flavours sure to give anyone a taste of the warmth of the Italian holiday season. And always with a focus on sustainability, in part thanks to its main partner, Trenitalia. – TradeArabia News Service
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Experiencing Italy’s winter destinations by train
