Paris to Rome by train: route, prices and connections

Paris to Rome by train at a glance

The distance is about 1,450 km. The standard journey uses two high-speed trains:

1. Paris Gare de Lyon → Milan Centrale, on a Frecciarossa (Trenitalia), via Lyon, Chambéry, Modane and Turin: allow about 7 hours (from 6 h 30 to 7 h 20 depending on the train);
2. Milan Centrale → Roma Termini, on a Frecciarossa or Italo: about 3 hours (2 h 55 for the fastest).

Counting the connection in Milan, about forty minutes on the morning departure, the journey takes about 11 hours: an early-morning departure from Paris gets you to Rome in the early evening. The trains have power sockets, a bar car and Wi-Fi. Check exact times on the companies' websites, which vary by season and day of the week.

Mont Cenis tunnel works in 2026

Work in the Mont Cenis tunnel cancels the direct Paris-Milan trains from 11 September to 9 October 2026. During this period you must go via Switzerland: TGV Lyria from Paris to Basel or Geneva, then a EuroCity train to Milan, then a train to Rome. The journey is longer and a little more expensive, with one more connection. From 10 October 2026 the direct link via Modane is supposed to resume: check before booking.

Prices and booking

Second-class tickets start at about €35 for Paris-Milan, depending on how early you book, and rise to more than €150 in a higher class or at the last minute. The Milan-Rome leg can cost ten to fifteen euros if you book early, and much more later. As usual, prices follow demand: book as soon as sales open, about four months ahead.

Buy on the Trenitalia site (or Trenitalia France), on Italo, on SNCF Connect or through a comparison site. For Paris-Milan then Milan-Rome, two separate tickets work well, but if the first train is late the second is not guaranteed: allow a comfortable margin or buy a single ticket if the option exists. Interrail and Eurail passes are accepted with a compulsory reservation.

The connection in Milan

Milano Centrale is a big station, on two levels, with long distances between platforms. If your connection is short, locate the platform of the second train as soon as you arrive. If you have more time, leave your bags in left luggage and see the Duomo, reachable by metro. If you prefer to split the journey over two days, a night in Turin is a pleasant option.

Arriving at Rome Termini

The train arrives at Termini, right in the centre; our guide to Termini station details left luggage, the metro and the Leonardo Express. From the station, the Colosseum is 25 minutes on foot or two metro stops away (line B). For your first visit, the Baths of Diocletian, Palazzo Massimo and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore are a few minutes' walk from the station, and the Mercato Centrale is a good place for dinner on the evening you arrive.

Train, plane or overnight: what to choose

The Paris-Rome flight takes about two hours in the air, but you must add transfers, check-in and security; the train is slower but goes from centre to centre, with room for luggage and a much lower carbon footprint. If you want to travel overnight, check whether a night train exists for your date: the offer changes from year to year.

Summary table

Durations and prices are indicative, consulted in October 2026.

Going further

To find out where to sleep on arrival, read where to stay in Rome; to plan your days, Rome in 3 days and a weekend in Rome; for the total budget, budget in Rome. For getting around once there, see transport in Rome.