All Aboard Italy's Majestic Old-Timey Train Rides

Like the Hogwarts Express, but make it Italian.

Throughout the earth , the last few pandemic - strewn year have revived the allurement of train ride — and more so of journeying along old tracks that thrust us to unplug from technology . Italy is n’t exactly a mecca as far as suped - up mellow - speed railway are relate , but if you ’re look for some very , very slow — not to cite epically scenic — travelling options , the country ’s beautiful honest-to-goodness - timey geartrain surely wo n’t let down .

Snag a ticket and train to experience the thrill of give away unknown shepherd trails , sleepyheaded villages , give up underground mines , mountain once roamed by outlaws , and plush Alpine valley rife with fairy tale lore . Some course date back to the final stage of the 1800s , cover by caravan still rolling on steam and offering the chance to get little - known areas you ’re bound to miss by car .

Up until after World War II , when many roadstead still had yet to be work up , these railways were the only means of transport for many Italians . Kids lined up to take the morning train to go to school at a nearby village , which might have take on them hours to achieve . If time is of no essence and you ’re okay with running belatedly , start boxing and hop on one of these diachronic locomotive . Sitting back in your vintage seat , you ’ll feel like you ’re traveling back in time .

train over bridge

Watch the Italian countryside fly by in true style.|Fondazione FS Italiane

Italy’s Trans-Siberian Railroad

When this renowned track debut , travelers thought the wintery diorama out their windows looked like a recess of Siberia , a connection of fields covered in fluffy coke and crisscross by frozen streams . Hence its curious name : the Trans - Siberian Railroad . This steam engine connects two of the rural area ’s wildest , most distant central area — Abruzzo and Molise — crossing the Apennine mountain range and cruising through a maze of ghost town lined with crumbling cathedrals . take off from the town of Sulmona , renowned for its artisan confetti , it feed all the way to Isernia with stops in various villages , offering stunning views of snow - capped peaks and pristine vale dotted with grazing sheep and forests . It passes by hayfield and canyons once roamed by pilgrims and outlaws who make refuge here in the 1800s , monasteries set up by wandering hermits , and intimate skiing resorts . Last but not least ? You ’ll get a peep at the shimmering Adriatic coast , too .

The Rome-Viterbo ‘Little Train’

Each morning , local commuter each hop aboard this storied line to get to Rome ’s nerve center , unmindful of the treasures along the way . Built in the early 1900s , there remains just one single racetrack and a few wooden rig with large benches . It leaves from Piazzale Flaminio in Rome and runs northward across the Roman countryside all the direction to the sensational Etruscan city of Viterbo , passing by site of ancient Roman battles , mausoleums , catacombs , chestnut forests , lavish nut farms , and medieval castle still own by the heirs of once - powerful lords . The ancient village of Civita Castellana , geld from the erose rock and suspended above a precipice , is among the road ’s most spectacular plosive consonant .

The Archeo Train

Fans of archaeology ca n’t miss this drive . The Archeo geartrain takes in the best of the Campania region . It connect vibrant Naples , packed with street vendor and wild driver , to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Pompeii , Herculaneum , and Paestum , all buried in ash when Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted near 2,000 years ago . The geartrain , sporting wagon dating back to the thirties , then roll south through Cilento National Park with its woolgathering beaches , arrive in the picturesque villages of Ascea and Sapri . luxuriant lemon groves and cliff - hang fishing villages turn heads along the elbow room .

The Sila Railway

pitch up to live the thrill of move across what used to be Italy ’s top den for illicit bandits on the campaign . This old steam locomotor cut through the Sila National Park late in Calabria , uprise to an altitude of 1,400 beat . The ragged hills and apart caves were once the perfect spots for kidnaper to hide their victims while waiting for a ransom money . Today , you ’ll get across places where time stands still , like the honest-to-goodness shepherding town of Moccone , Camigliatello , and San Nicola Silvana — places that many Italians have never even heard of , have alone seen . Do n’t forget to pick up traditional delicacies like gamey Calabrian ‘ Nduja sausage balloon and a bit of Sanguinaccio cake , made with cocoa and pigs parentage .

The D’Orcia Valley ‘Nature Train’

We all bed Tuscany is one of Italy ’s most popular tourer destinations , but here ’s a agency to escape the crowds and savor the sight while you ’re at it . This diachronic train bunk through the most stunning , untouched part of the region : The D’Orcia Valley , with its fluorescent green knit , olive groves , and classic country roads lined with cypress Tree and bounty vineyard . Frescoed Renaissance - era chapels and medieval Hamlet overlook the rich valley , buttress by family - run farms and regal estates . The train departs from the town of Asciano in the province of Siena , and arrives near the coast in Monte Antico . If Tuscany is your favorite , this ride — which ensure quiet and peacefulness — is a must .

The Ritten Narrow-Gauge Train

It might be a unforesightful ride , but this selection is both very intense and extremely bird’s-eye — and belike not the best estimation if you ’re afraid of heights . The 1907 single - carriage wooden train carries riders from the northerly Ithiel Town of Bolzano in the German - talk Alto Adige region up to an high-flown snow-clad tableland on the Dolomites lot . Shuttle through lily-white , icy fields believed to be dwell by workaholic folkloric creatures who sprinkled crystals to cut through the pinnacle , make a snow-covered blanket . Charming Alpine town are among the few stops , though the respectable part of this journey is the view of the jumpy extremum that breathe a pink glow at sunrise and sunset .

Buggerru’s Mine Rail Track

Imagine descending into a labyrinth of mines onboard a tiny gear , just as the miners used to do . The Buggerru mine on the tropical island of Sardinia is a tunnel primed with panoramic clefts cut deep into the rock to showcase the sandy beach and tranquil intake below . The old railway track was build to haul raw mined materials to the harbors to be shipped . However , the underground journeying could give you goose - bumps — as with most mines in the orbit , this was a berth where many jack lose their life , or at the very least , were pull to endure terrible working conditions .

view out of train window