Reopening of the Paris-Milan line: everything you need to know
It's the news many people have been waiting for. After a year and a half's closure (due to the landslides in Savoy in August 2023), the Paris-Lyon-Milan rail line is finally making a comeback. From March 31, 2025, you'll once again be able to reach Lombardy by direct train from France. In practice, this Franco-Italian line - operated by the SNCF's TGV Inoui and the Italian company Trenitalia's Frecciarossa - will take you from Paris to Milan in 6h30 to 7h, via Lyon and Turin. Prices, timetables, frequency, reservations... We've got it all!
Italy just a train ride away
With the reopening of this line, the whole France-Italy connection has been greatly facilitated! Not only is this great news if you're planning a long weekend in Lombardy, but it's also the perfect opportunity to follow up a stay in Italy with 24 Intercity Notte night train connections (which we tell you all about in this article), allowing you to travel the country from north to south in just one night.
You can also take advantage of this opportunity to travel to Sicily and follow up with a 100% train tour of the island to discover the wonders of Catania, Enna and its incredible train around the Etna volcano, or Palermo. From Milan, all you have to do is take an overnight train that will be loaded onto a ferry! An experience that's an integral part of the trip.
Which cities are served?
From Paris (Paris Gare de Lyon), you can get to Milan via several French and Italian cities:
- Lyon (Lyon Part-Dieu)
- Chambéry
- Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (weekend service since December 2024)
- Modane
- Turin
What are the timetables and frequency of this route?
Depending on the operating company, you'll find 2 to 3 daily round trips.
- Trenitalia: 2 round trips per day
- Departures from Paris: 7:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m.
- Departures from Milan: 6.25 a.m. and 3.53 p.m.
- SNCF: 3 round trips per day
How long is the journey?
- Paris-Milan journey: approx. 6.30 to 7 hours
- Paris-Lyon: approx. 2 hours
How much do tickets cost?
In practice, you'll be able to find tickets starting at around €35 in second class!
Is the Interrail Pass valid for this line?
Yes, if you have an Interrail Global Pass, the journey is valid, but you still need to book in advance. You can book your train via the official Interrail website. Please note that Interrail booking fees are €2 per person per train, with an additional €9 per order for paper tickets.
How do I book tickets?
Reservations can be made :
- Via the official Trenitalia website
- Via SNCF Connect
- Via third-party platforms such as Trainline, to compare prices.
When to book for the best prices?
Trains often sell out quickly (especially during the summer season), and ticket prices rise in line with train capacity. The golden rule applies here: book as soon as possible! Ideally, you should also opt for off-season and weekday travel (and avoid school vacations and weekends).
Paris-Milan: train vs. plane
Cost and time
The train departs from and arrives in the city center, so you can avoid the travel time and hidden costs of getting to and from the airport! The journey time itself is longer, but unlike the plane, it's useful time that you can use to work, read a book or watch the scenery go by (rather than going through security and checking in two hours early).
Discover Italy
If you travel to Milan by train, you can take advantage of the opportunity to discover Turin on the way, or, after a break to discover the sublime “Duomo de Milano”, take an Italian train to Rome, Venice or Sicily!
Budget
Not only is the fare very affordable, but you won't have to pay any hidden costs (such as extra luggage or transportation to and from the airport if you fly)! To get an idea, take a look at this detailed comparison of door-to-door TGV vs. air travel to several major European cities.
Carbon footprint
And of course, one of the great advantages of rail over air travel is that it emits far fewer greenhouse gases. According to our comparator (which is one of the most accurate, since it takes into account the impact of infrastructure and equipment manufacture, as well as the specificities of electricity production in the countries crossed), the Paris-Milan journey emits 16 times less equivalent CO2 than by plane! A more than welcome reduction, given that we need to divide our current carbon footprint by 5 by 2050 to achieve our climate objectives.
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