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Take the train from Nice to Italy
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Cote d'Azur to Italy by train
Direct trains linked Nice, Genoa & Milan for decades, run jointly by the French & Italian railways. However, these ended in 2009 when SNCF (French Railways) pulled out of the partnership, forcing passengers to change at the border. In 2014, Trenitalia formed a subsidiary called Thello to run 3 daily Nice-Milan trains, entering France on a fully-commercial basis, but these were badly hit by the pandemic and were discontinued in 2021.
So a journey from Nice to Italy currently means taking a French regional TER train from Nice to Ventimiglia on the Italian border, then an Italian Intercity train from Ventimiglia to Genoa & Milan. Change in Genoa for La Spezia, Cinque Terre & Pisa, change in Milan for Venice, Florence & Rome. Two trains, two bookings, two separate tickets. But it's still a comfortable & scenic ride, this page will help you plan your trip & buy tickets.
How long to
allow between trains in Ventimiglia?
Travel tips: Luggage, WiFi,
food & drink...
Changing trains in Ventimiglia
Timetable eastbound 2024
Timetable westbound 2024
Notes for the timetable
How much does it cost?
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Nice to Ventimiglia by TER local train costs €9.20 normal tariff.
Fixed price, cannot sell out, you can buy on the day at this price, good for any train. Children under 4 free, under 12 half price.
You are sometimes offered a promotional fare of €5 or €7.50.
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Ventimiglia to Milan by InterCity train starts at €19.90 in 2nd class, €26.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead. Tickets are only good for the specific train you book, seat reservation included. Children under 4 free, under 14 child rate.
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Milan to Venice or Florence by Frecciarossa starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.
Milan to Rome or Naples by Frecciarossa starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices. Tickets are only valid for the specific train you book, a seat reservation is included. Children under 4 free, under 14 child rate.
How to buy tickets
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Easy way
Go to www.raileurope.com and buy tickets from any French station to any Italian station or vice versa, for example Cannes to Venice or Florence to Marseille. It can do this because it connects to both the French SNCF and Italian Trenitalia ticketing systems.
It's easy to use, in £, € or $, international credit cards no problem. There's a small booking fee. More about Raileurope.
Booking usually opens 4 months ahead. More about when European train bookings open.
For Nice, you should normally specify Nice Ville which is the main station. If you select Nice (any station) it brings up Nice Riquier which is a local station in eastern Nice, although marginally closer to the old town and Vieux Port.
Westbound from Italy to Nice you can book as one transaction, for example Venice or Rome to Nice Ville. If a delay means you miss the TER from Ventimiglia to Nice it doesn't matter, tickets are good for any train and there'll be another in half an hour.
Eastbound from Nice to Italy, this is the most important tip: Before running the enquiry, click More options, enter Ventimiglia (any station) as a via station and select a 45 minute stopover time.
Incidentally, selecting plain Ventimiglia doesn't work due to a coding error, you have to select the any station version. Doing this gets you a robust 50-60 minute connection in Ventimiglia, rather than the default 20-30 minute connection which I consider inadequate given that you have no passenger rights if you miss the Trenitalia train due to a delay and these TER trains can easily run 20 minutes late. True, the Agreement on Journey Continuation may apply if there's a missed connection, but this is an agreement between operators, not a passenger right.
For the French TER you print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
For the Trenitalia train it's ticketless, you print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
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Another easy way
You can also buy tickets between any French station and any Italian station at www.thetrainline.com, which also connects to both SNCF & Trenitalia. It's easy to use, in £, € or $, international credit cards no problem. More about Thetrainline. Unlike Raileurope, Trainline lets you choose your seats from a seat map on the Italian Intercity train. But you can't specify a stopover duration, so book like this:
Westbound from Italy to Nice, you can book as one transaction, for example Venice to Nice Ville. If a delay means you miss the TER from Ventimiglia to Nice it doesn't matter as tickets are good for any train and there'll be another in half an hour.
Eastbound from Nice to Italy, book like this to avoid tight connections in Ventimiglia:
Step 1, book from Ventimiglia to any Italian destination and add to basket. Look for journeys with the fewest changes, ideally 0 changes to Genoa or Milan, only 1 change to Venice, Florence or Rome.
Step 2, now book from Nice Ville to Ventimiglia, selecting a TER train from Nice Ville that gives you at least 45 minutes between trains in Ventimiglia, add to basket and check out.
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Advanced way with no booking fee
Alternatively, you can book the French TER to/from Ventimiglia at the official French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, in €, with no booking fee.
Then book Trenitalia trains between Ventimiglia and any Italian station at either www.italiarail.com (easiest, plain English, they'll refund their small booking fee if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com after you book) or Italian Railways' own site www.trenitalia.com (you'll need to use Italian city names even in the English version). Both these websites allow you to choose your seat from a seat map.
Tip: As there are lots of TER trains between Nice & Ventimiglia, but relatively few Intercity trains between Ventimiglia & Milan, book the Italian train between Ventimiglia & your Italian destination first, then add a suitable French TER connection.
Route map
How long to allow in Ventimiglia?
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Westbound from Italy to Nice, 10 minutes is fine
It only takes a few minutes to hop off one train, walk to another and step on. TERs run from Ventimiglia to Nice once or twice every hour (I only show the relevant ones in the timetable above) and TER tickets are good for any train. So a 10-minute connection is fine. If the Trenitalia Intercity train is late and you miss that TER to Nice, you simply catch the next one half an hour later!
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Eastbound from Nice to Italy, at least 45 minutes
There are no through tickets between Nice & Italy, you have to buy a separate ticket for the French TER and for the Italian Intercity train, so you've no passenger rights to later onward travel if the TER is late and you miss the connection. Tickets for Intercity trains are only good for a specific departure and become worthless if you miss it (but if it happens, ask staff, you may be helped out anyway). The TERs can easily run 15-20 minutes late and occasionally more, so I recommend at least 45 minutes in Ventimiglia between trains to be on the safe side. Given the way the timetable works, this usually means an hour.
Online booking systems only allow 15-30 minutes by default, by all means chance it if you like, but journey planners don't factor in the risk of having to buy a new onward ticket at the full-flex 'base' rate if you miss the connection.
Incidentally, if you're taking a Trenitalia regional train onwards from Ventimiglia (for example, to San Remo, Savona or Genoa), a 20 minute connection is fine, because Trenitalia regional tickets can be switched to the next departure if necessary. How do Trenitalia regional tickets work?
Travel tips
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Should you go 1st or 2nd class?
The TER trains in France are 2nd class only. On the Trenitalia Intercity trains, 2nd class is fine, there's no need to pay extra for 1st class unless you want to. 1st class simply means more leg & elbow room, with seats arranged 2+1 across the car width rather than 2+2 - although that means there are solo seats and tables-for-two on one side of the aisle in 1st class which are great if you're travelling alone or as a couple. 1st class is usually quieter, 2nd class is often busier with more families and kids. On the Trenitalia Intercity trains, all seats are either at a fixed table or have a drop-down table attached to the seatback in front, with a reading light & 2-pin power socket.
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Boarding your train
There's no check-in, just be on board the train at least a minute before departure time when the doors close. Seat reservation is compulsory on the Trenitalia Intercity trains and tickets for these trains come with a reserved seat automatically included.
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Which side of the train to sit?
On the TER trains, obviously sit on the right hand side for all the coastal views going east towards Italy, and on the left hand side going west.
On Trenitalia Intercity trains you can't pick a side when reserving as the reservation system doesn't know which way round the carriage will be.
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Luggage
Like any European train, you take your luggage onto the train with you. Nobody weighs it or measures it or worries about how many bags you have, as long as you can carry it it's fine. You either put it on the overhead racks above your seat which take anything up to back-pack size, or you can slide it in between the seat backs where the seats are back-to-back. On TER trains it can just go on the floor.
There is easy level access between the concourse and all platforms at Milan Centrale so you just pull your bags behind you on their wheels. At Nice Ville there's level access from street to concourse, then access by escalators or lifts to all platforms.
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Food & drink
There is no catering on the French TER trains and the Trenitalia Intercity trains only have vending machines. Feel free to bring your own food and drink along, even a beer or bottle of wine if you like. If you forget, you can buy something in the cafe at Ventimiglia station.
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For a coffee, beer or bite to eat in Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia (Vintimille in French) is a pleasant Italian border town. It takes a few minutes to walk from the station to the seafront. The station has a decent buffet, good for a coffee or light meal, see Google maps entry.
Alternatively, walk directly ahead of you out of the station and on the street leading from the station to the seafront you'll find the Gran Caffè Paris see Google maps entry for the Gran Caffè Paris. For a good meal, the Osteria Consani is near the seafront a few minutes' walk from the station, see Google map entry for the Osteria Constani.
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WiFi & power outlets: The Trenitalia Intercity trains have power outlets at all seats (Italian 2/3-pin type), but no WiFi.
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Children
Under 4s go free on both SNCF & Trenitalia, no ticket required, just bring them along. On SNCF, under 12s qualify for child rate which on TERs usually means half price. On Trenitalia, under 14s qualify for the child rate on Intercity, Frecciabianca & Frecciarossa trains, but only under 12s qualify for child rate on Trenitalia's regionale & regionale veloce trains. More about child age limits on European trains.
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Milan Centrale
Milan Centrale is an attraction in its own right, see the Milan Centrale station guide which explains the layout of the station and good places for a beer, coffee or meal. If you're travelling from, to or through Milan Centrale make sure you take time to look around you, it's a magnificent landmark, see if you can spot Mussolini.
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Nice Ville
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Interrail & Eurail passes
Eurail and Interrail passes can be used on all Trenitalia trains and the French TER trains, see the Eurail & Interrail reservation page for details. selecting either France or Italy. No reservation is necessary for the French TER trains or Trenitalia regional trains, just board & show your pass. A reservation is required for a small fee on the Trenitalia Intercity trains, you can easily make this online as shown in the Italy section on the Eurail & Interrail reservation page.
What are the trains like?
French TER trains: The TER trains which run along the Cote d'Azur between Cannes, Juan les Pins, Antibes, Nice, Monaco, Menton & Ventimiglia are double-deck, air-conditioned, 2nd class only. There are toilets, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. Luggage just goes on the floor or on the racks, it's not a problem. Sit upstairs for the best views as the train twists and turns along the wonderful Côte d'Azur.
A double-deck TER train from Nice to Ventimiglia, seen at Nice Ville station.
Trenitalia's Intercity trains are air-conditioned with comfortable seating in classic cars either hauled by a locomotive or sandwiched between two first-generation high-speed power cars. All tickets are for a specified departure and come with a specific reserved seat automatically included. There are power sockets at each seat (2/3-pin Italian type), but no catering other than vending machines so bring your own food & drink.
Above, an Intercity train at Ventimiglia platform 4. Most Ventimiglia-Milan Intercities are powered by up-cycled first-generation high-speed power cars, one each end.
A Trenitalia InterCity train at Milan Centrale.
Trenitalia's Frecciarossa trains run from Milan to Verona, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome & Naples. They can run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on Italy's high-speed lines and have 4 classes, Standard, Premium, Business and Executive, see the Frecciarossa page for more information. Most Milan-Florence-Rome-Naples trains arte now Frecciarossa 1000, most Milan-Verona-Venice trains are operated by the earlier Frecciarossa 500. Both types have air-conditioning, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Changing trains at Ventimiglia
Changing trains at Ventimiglia is easy. The photo below shows a TER from Cannes, Antibes, Nice & Monaco arrived at Ventimiglia platform 7. You go down the short flight of steps, through the pedestrian subway and up onto the platform where the Intercity train to Genoa & Milan is waiting, in this instance it left from platform 4. There are summary of departure screens in the subway and booking hall that will confirm the platform for your onward train.
Tip: TER trains from Ventimiglia to Monte Carlo, Nice & Cannes usually appear on departure screens as destination Grasse or Cannes-La Bocca.
Ventimiglia station.
What's the scenery like?
The railway from Nice to Milan runs along the French and then Italian Riviera, through Monte Carlo, Menton, San Remo, Diano Marina, Savona and Genoa. On the Italian side, the railway between San Remo & Alassio was rebuilt a little way inland a few years ago, but it's still a great trip. You'll pass bays, hillside villages, yacht-filled harbours and rocky headlands. Take a picnic and bottle of wine, sit back and enjoy the ride!
