Train: Frecciarossa, Paris to Marseille
- The distance 775 kilometers
- Operator Trenitalia
- Class Business class
- Round Four times a day
In 2020, when the French national railway operator SNCF lost its monopoly on French train lines, Italy wasted no time getting in on the action, launching a high-speed service between Milan and Paris the following year. New routes including Paris-Lyon have been established.
In June 2025the first Frecciarossa high-speed rail service began on the regular capital to coastal route between Paris and Marseille. The move reflects Italy’s national carrier Trenitalia’s desire to provide tough competition to TGV on its home turf.
With a scheduled time of three hours and 21 minutes, the Frecciarossa journey is 15 minutes longer than the TGV inOui service departing a quarter of an hour earlier from the same station – Gare de Lyon. That’s probably down to top speed: the TGV has a speed of 320km/h, while the Frecciarossa (Italian for red arrow) has a speed of 300km/h.
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The journey passes through the mists of the French countryside shrouded in autumn colors and, where the aforementioned TGV service is delayed for 40 minutes, the Italians sneak into the Marseille Saint-Charles station on the dot.
A chair
This is where the Frecciarossa offer gets really interesting. Passengers can choose between three classes as opposed to the two levels of TGV inOui (ordinary and first) and the budget values of TGV Ouigo’s one-class-fits-all. The three classes are standard, business and executive. Standard and business class fares are about 10 to 20 percent cheaper than inOui prices in France (for example, $80 compared to $120 in economy, and $140 compared to $182 in business/first).
I’m doing business – what would be first class on the TGV – and I’ve found the holy grail of single passenger train seats: the individual window. Part of me wishes I could add to the “executive class”, a 10-seat sedan only ($322). Just like on the last leg of the flight, the door closes early for this last carriage. Behind him, the staff is preparing to serve a delicious menu created by chef Carlo Cracco, who heads the one Michelin star Ristorante. Cracco in Milan, paired with Italian wines.
Climbing
What do you get when you combine the transport infrastructure of France and Italy? Chaos, more often than not. Today is no different as a huge crowd of passengers flocks to the concourse waiting for the announcement of the stage which has not come true as the clock ticks towards our scheduled departure. Finally we are told where to go with 11 minutes to spare – and, with the electronic boarding gates not in use, there are only two conductors controlling each ticket. Despite this rough start, the train manages to pull out of the station on time.
Cargo
Passengers are allowed to bring two suitcases and one item of hand luggage on board. Sports equipment such as bicycles count as one piece of luggage. There are a few surprises on the storage front: a shelf above the seat and a shelf in the car door. There is a special area for storing large loads in two, three and four cars.
Food + drink
I may not be one of the lucky 10 in executive class, but a trolley service comes a few minutes into the journey offering a welcome snack, included in my business class fare. There’s more than a bag of nuts – I’m loaded with a glass of Italian wine, a bottle of water, a salami and cheese focaccia and something sweet for dessert. Train attendants pass twice more during the journey with coffee. Those in standard class do not get free treats, although carriage three is a bar car that sells snacks and hot food. There is no dining area, so everything needs to be returned to your seat.
One more thing
It would be too much to ask, really, to be able to put this book on SNCF Connect (sncf-connect.com), the default French train ticket website. Instead, you’ll have to book directly into the trenitalia.fr website or via Trainline (thetrainline.com)
Judgment
Although none of the advertisements are in Italian (instead they are in French and English), the Frecciarossa is a lovely touch of Italy without entering the country – and a worthy rival to the TGV. It is also another reminder of the quality of rail transport in France. If you’re traveling from Paris to the Mediterranean coast, why fly when you can get a fast train?
Our rating out of five
★★★★½
The author was a guest of Trenitalia.
