TGV train from Paris to Turin & Milan at Paris Gare de Lyon
 

Italy here we come!  The afternoon TGV from Paris to Turin & Milan waits to leave the Gare de Lyon

Buy train tickets from Paris to Italy

Seat on a Paris-Milan TGV train

Italy the civilised way.  A face-to-face table for two in 1st class on the TGV to Milan.

Scenery from the train from Paris to Milan

Italy the scenic way.  A 300 km/h dash on the high-speed line, then a slow meander through the French Alps into Italy.  See the photos.  Watch the video!

Paris to Italy from €29

Every day, three TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) high-speed trains link Paris with Turin & Milan, run by SNCF (French Railways).  Since December 2021 they've faced competition from two Frecciarossa high-speed trains run by Trenitalia (Italian Railways).

Whichever operator you choose, it's an exhilarating high-speed dash from Paris to Lyon at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) followed by a leisurely meander through the scenic French Alps on the classic line into Italy.

Change in Turin or Milan for Venice, Florence & Rome:  The civilised, relaxing & scenic way from Paris to Italy, without the pain of the plane.  Watch the TGV video!

IMPORTANT UPDATE:  On 27 August 2023, the Paris-Milan line was blocked by a landslide in the French Alps and is likely to remain blocked until at least the end of 2024, possibly longer.  All Paris-Turin-Milan TGV & Frecciarossa services are cancelled until further notice See the landslide on video.  Alternative routes via Geneva, Basel or Zurich are open, see alternative Paris-Milan train services.

Latest update early 2024:  A temporary Paris-Turin-Milan TGV service will resume once a day from 10 January with bus replacement around the landslide, see below.

small bullet point  Train times

small bullet point  How much does it cost?

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  Which train to choose?

small bullet point  What's the TGV like?

small bullet point  What's the Frecciarossa like?

small bullet point  What is the journey like?

small bullet point  See the video guide

small bullet point  Travel tips

 

Temporary TGV service from 10 January

From 10 January 2024 one 'direct' Paris-Turin-Milan TGV will resume every day in both directions on the direct route via Modane.

Paris Gare de Lyon depart 14:48, Turin Porta Susa 21:46, Milan Porta Garibaldi 23:10.

Milan Porta Garibaldi depart 14:10, Turin Porta Susa depart 15:41, Paris Gare de Lyon 23:14.

However, although this TGV is shown as direct, it incorporates a bus replacement from Saint-Jean de Maurienne to Oulx around the section affected by the landslide.  It'll be cheaper than the all-train route via Switzerland shown in the timetable below, but (as I say) involves a bus.

Timetable southboundCancelled

 Paris ► Turin & Milan (all trains cancelled)

 

TGV

Frecciarossa

daily

Sat, Sun

Mon-Fri*

daily

**

daily

daily

 Paris Gare de Lyon depart:

06:39

09:43

12:46

14:45

06:35

07:25

15:12

 Lyon Part Dieu depart:

|

|

|

|

08:51

09:30

17:20

 Turin Porta Susa arrive:

12:23

15:23

18:15

20:23

12:45

13:18

21:18

 Milan Porta Garibaldi arrive:

13:49

16:50

19:49

21:49

|

|

|

 Milan Centrale arrive:

-

-

-

-

13:50

14:07

22:07

Timetable northbound:  Cancelled

 Milan & Turin ► Paris (all trains cancelled)

 

TGV

Frecciarossa

daily

Sat & Sun

Mon-Fri***

daily

daily

daily

 Milan Centrale depart:

-

-

-

-

06:25

15:53

 Milan Porta Garibaldi dep.

06:00

12:10

14:10

16:10

|

|

 Turin Porta Susa depart

07:36

13:38

15:41

17:38

07:11

16:41

 Lyon Part Dieu arrive:

|

|

|

|

11:10

20:23

 Paris Gare de Lyon arrive

13:16

19:16

21:14

23:19

13:22

22:34

Notes for the timetable

* The 12:46 Paris-Milan TGV is randomly replaced by the 09:43 on weekdays on various dates, it's a mess.

** The 06:35 Frecciarossa runs on a few dates instead of the 07:25, check times when you book.

*** The 14:10 Milan-Paris TGV is randomly replaced by the 12:10 on weekdays on various dates, it's a mess.

Times vary slightly on different dates, especially the French TGV, check times when you book.

TGV = Train à Grande Vitesse, a high-speed train run by SNCF (French Railways).

Frecciarossa = High-speed Frecciarossa train run by Trenitalia (Italian Railways) starting 18 December 2021.

Paris to Turin by Frecciarossa is 739 km (459 miles).  Paris to Milan is 881 km (547 miles).

Check trains for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  For connections to or from London, see the London to Italy page.

Connections from Paris to Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples:  Paris to Venice, Paris to Florence, Paris to Rome, Paris to Naples

Connections from Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples to Paris:  Venice to ParisFlorence to Paris, Rome to Paris, Naples to Paris

How much does it cost?

 Fares

 

TGV

Frecciarossa

 

2nd class

1st class

Standard

Business

Executive

 Advance-purchase one-way:

From €29

From €46

From €29

From €36

From €165

 Railpass holder fare:

€31

€45

(Not covered by Interrail/Eurail)

 Pets (see here):

€35

€35

-

-

-

Return fares are twice the one-way.

Advance-purchase = book in advance, price varies like air fares, TGV advance fares mean limited/no refunds.

All Frecciarossa fares are refundable less 20%, so can be cancelled & changed.

Full-price = Refundable and flexible.  There are no senior or youth reductions.

Child fare = Child 4-11 years ( TGV) or 4-13 years (Frecciarossa).  Use an adult advance-purchase fare if cheaper. Children under 4 free.

Railpass fare:  What you pay is you have a Eurail or Interrail pass. Normal tickets can be cheaper!  The Frecciarossa isn't included in Interrail/Eurail.

How to buy tickets

Route map

TGV & Frecciarossa take the same route, with two variations:  (1) The Frecciarossa goes through central Lyon calling at Lyon Part Dieu.  The TGV by-passes Lyon on the high-speed line.  (2) The Frecciarossa uses the high-speed line between Turin & Milan, shown in red on the map.  The TGV uses the classic line, shown in black.

Paris to Milan train route map

 

Click for larger map

Red = high-speed lines.  Green = scenic routes

Black = classic lines.  Highlighted = Paris-Milan route.

Reproduced from the European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people.

I recommend buying the European Rail Map and a copy of the European Rail Timetable, they ship worldwide, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.

European Rail Timetable and map

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Which train to choose?

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What's the TGV like?

SNCF has equipped 6 TGVs with the Italian SCMT signalling system so they can enter Italy.  They've been running since 1996, originally operated jointly by SNCF (French Railways) and Trenitalia (Italian State Railways), but since 2011 they've been run entirely by SNCF, entering Italy as an 'open access' operator with no Trenitalia involvement.

The TGV is air-conditioned and carpeted with comfortable 1st & 2nd class seating.  2nd class has tables for 4 and 2-abreast unidirectional seating.  1st class offers wider seats with more leg-room, with a mix of face-to-face tables for two, tables for 4, and unidirectional seating with 2-abreast seats & 1-abreast 'solo' seats.  1st class TGV passengers can use the Grand Voyageurs 1st class lounge at Paris Gare de Lyon.  See the Paris-Milan video.

The TGV's interior is styled by designer Christian Lacroix, watered-down by recent refurbishment with the original random lime-green 1st class seats now all grey.  SNCF's experienced in-house designer still hasn't forgiven Christian Lacroix for breaking the unwritten rule and using warm colours in 2nd class, cooler colours in 1st class!  These trainsets are likely to remain in service until replaced by new-generation double-deck TGV Duplex trains in 2026.

Cafe-bar:  There's a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks & light meals, or feel free to bring your own food & wine along.  If catching the afternoon TGV from Paris, how about lunch first at the remarkable Train Bleu Restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

Power sockets:  There are power sockets at all seats.  There are baby-changing facilities and designated spaces for passengers in wheelchairs.

WiFi:  SNCF equipped these international TGVs with free WiFi in 2019, so you should find WiFi available with the network appearing as Le WiFi.  If you have a 3G or 4G mobile data package, that will work fine along the majority of this route.

Seat mapSee Paris-Milan TGV seat map.

TGV train from Paris to Milan about to leave Paris Gare de Lyon

The afternoon TGV to Turin & Milan at Paris Gare de Lyon.  There's no check-in, just be on board at departure.

2nd class on a Paris-Milan TGV   Food on board the TGV from Milan to Paris

2nd class with mix of unidirectional seats & tables for 4.  Seats 2+2 across car width. Larger photo.

 

The cheese platter bought from the cafe-bar as the mountains swept by.

Cafe-bar on the Paris-Milan TGV   1st class on the Paris-Milan TGV

Cafe-bar selling tea, coffee, beer, wine, cold snacks & microwaved dishes.  Larger photo.

 

1st class with mix of unidirectional seats, solo seats, tables for 2 & for 4.  Seats 2+1 across car width.  Larger photo.

What's the Frecciarossa like?

Trenitalia's Frecciarossa 1000 has 3 classes, Standard, Business and Executive.  In Italy, Frecciarossas have 4 classes, but on the Paris-Milan route Premium class seats (identical to Standard but brown instead of grey) are sold as Standard.  There's a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Business class includes complimentary coffee, juice and snacks such as a morning croissant.  Executive class includes a more comprehensive food & drink service.  The Frecciarossa is capable of 360 km/h (223 mph) but in service it's limited to 30 0km/h (186 mph) on the French & Italian high-speed lines, shown in red on the route map below.

Seat map See Frecciarossa 1000 seat map

A Paris-Milan Frecciarossa at Paris Gare de Lyon

Frecciarossa 1000 at Paris Gare de Lyon.

Frecciarossa 1000 standard class   Frecciarossa 1000 premium class

Standard class.  Above right, Premium class seats, sold as Standard on the Paris route.

Frecciarossa 1000 Business class   Luggage rack on Frecciarossa 1000

Business class

 

There are luggage racks in all classes.

Frecciarossa 1000 cafe-bar   Room for bags between seat backs

Cafe-bar:  Wine, beer, tea, coffee, snacks & hot dishes.

 

Space for bags between the seats.

Frecciarossa 1000 executive class   Frecciarossa 1000 executive class meeting room

Executive class, 10 luxurious seats at one end of the train.

 

Executive class meeting room.

Frecciarossa 1000   Frecciarossa 1000 executive class

Frecciarossa 1000

 

Executive class, that's my seat with the prosecco...

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What's the journey like?   See the video

Paris Gare de Lyon

1.  Paris Gare de Lyon.  The trains to Italy leave from the magnificent Gare de Lyon in central Paris, a landmark in its own right.  See Gare de Lyon information page.

Paris Gare de Lyon Hall 1, platforms A to N

Hall 1 at the Gare de Lyon.  The TGV may leave from Hall 1 or Hall 2, the Frecciarossa usually leaves from Hall 1, see the Paris Gare de Lyon station page.

The Train Bleu restaurant, Paris Gare de Lyon   The Train Bleu restaurant's bar

How about lunch at the amazing Train Bleu restaurant in Hall 1 of the Gare de Lyon before catching the Italy Express?  Or have a coffee or beer in the bar (above right), which makes an excellent VIP waiting lounge.

The fields of rural France from the train to Italy   Rural France

The traiin accelerates through the Paris suburbs then speeds across rural France at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), past fields, woods and pretty villages.

Mountains from the TGV train to Italy

After south of Lyon the train slows right down and starts snaking through the Alpine foothills.

Mountain seen from the train   Scenery from Milan to Paris train

The train crosses the Alps, calling at Chambéry.

More snow-capped mountains from the TGV train to Italy

The train finally reaches Modane, the last station in France.  There's a chance to stretch your legs here.  Shortly after Modane, the train passes through the Fréjus Rail Tunnel, also known less accurately as the Mont Cénis tunnel, 13.6 km (8.5 mile) long.  Opened in 1871, this the oldest of the large tunnels through the Alps, and was the longest tunnel in the world from 1871 until 1882 when the Gotthard tunnel opened on the Zurich-Milan route.  During the 7 minute tunnel transit, the train enters Italy.

River seen from the train   Castle on mountain seen from the train

More mountain scenery.

 

At Bardonecchia in Italy, leaving the Alps behind.

Scenery from the train between Oulx and Turin   Scenery from the train between Oulx and Turin

Scenery between Oulx and Turin.  Photos courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com

Video guide: Paris to Milan by TGV

The video shows both the train & the scenery on a journey from Paris to Turin & Milan.

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Travel tips

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