How to travel by train in Italy?

In Italy there are many companies operating trains. The biggest one is Trenitalia which is owned by the italian government and covers more than 2000 train stations, from the biggest cities to small villages in rural areas.
Italo is another important operator, but operates only high speed trains. The first route opened up in 2012, connecting big cities (Milan, Rome, Florence, etc…) using Trenitalia infrastructure (tracks, stations), but using Italo branded trains.
Many smaller operators cover regional lines and small villages. You can usually use Trenitalia tickets on these routes.

Thello is a train operator running international services between France and Italy. Founded in 2011, the company is owned by Trenitalia, so you can find Thello tickets on Trenitalia website too… Trains are the same as Trenitalia ones.

In Italy there are many kind of trains, but we can group them in four macrocategories:
Internation trains (their name starts with the word “Euro”: Eurocity, Euronight)
Regional trains (called regionali)
Intercity (also known as: Intercity, Intercity Notte, Freccia Argento, Freccia Bianca)
High speed trains (Frecciarossa, Italo, TGV for Italy-France routes)

In order to move from point A to point B you can choose the right train by using this simple method:
Do you need to move from Italy to a Foreign Country? Look for an “Euro” train
Are you going to move from one big city to another? Use Frecciarossa/Italo (faster, expensive), Intercity trains (cheaper, slower)
Are you going from one big city to a smaller one in the same region? Like going from Milano to Como? Use a Regionale.

The service level is quite similar, both operators use high speed trains that can reach 300 km/h (190 mph). Trenitalia covers more cities while Italo probably offers more services, especially in business class.

Ok, you figured out what kind of train you have to take. Now it’s time to buy your ticket! There are two websites you should use. Trenitalia for high speed, Intercity, regional trains and Italo for high speed trains are the only websites you need.
Both websites are localized in many languages, so you should not have any problems.
There are many other websites that sell italian train tickets, but if you want to find the best deals, use these two.
Usually you can find automatic vending machines inside train stations: automatic vending machines for tickets accept Euros and the major credit cards. Beware of pickpockets when you use vending machine!

In bigger stations you can find also a ticket office, called Biglietteria.

Yes. Let me state it clearly. You should buy train tickets in advance! Now that you know how to travel by train in Italy you should know that also italians love trains. Trains can be fully booked even if it’s not peak season, plus, buying them in advance is cheaper. In peak season consider to buy your tickets 2 months before the actual trip.
If you’re lucky enough you can score a “2 for the price of 1” on Trenitalia!

As a general rule, if your ticket as a reserved seat, you can avoid stamping them. If you don’t have a reserved seat (or a reservation for a specific train), you should stamp your ticket using the machines you can find on tracks. They are yellow, blue or green, depending on the region you are.

No. Your luggage will be with you, you can properly arrange it in carriages luggage compartments (at the beginning, in the middle and at the end) or above your seat.

On Trenitalia Trains the Children Free (Bimbi Gratis) offer is reserved for family groups of 2 to 5 people and allows under-15s to travel free of charge. The group must be composed of at least one adult and one young person under the age of 15. The other members of the group pay the Base price for the train and service used.
On Italo trains infants under 36 months of age travel free of charge.

It depends. If you bought them with a discount usually they’re not, you should check with a ticket office or the online support websites for Trenitalia or ItaloTreno. If you need to change your plans in most cases you can exchange dates with little to no expense.
If your highspeed train arrived to its destination with more than 30 minutes delay, you can ask for a refund. Trenitalia and Italo websites have sections stating their refund policies. You can’t ask for refunds on Regionali trains.

In order to take trains like locals, go to the train station on time, follow the instructions on displays, figure out where the track for your train is and take your seat! Please don’t be late!
Trains in Italy can be really an exciting experience: you can find people eating, singing and so on. On average a 20 minutes delay is “acceptable”, so plan your trip accordingly. While in bigger train stations, look around you, most of them are like monuments!