Frecciarossa train review – Paris to Marseille, with Italian operator Trenitalia
Train: Frecciarossa, Paris to Marseille
- Distance 775 kilometers
- Operator Trenitalia
- Class Business class
- Frequency four times a day
When French national rail operator SNCF lost its monopoly on French train lines in 2020, Italy wasted no time in taking action and launched a high-speed service between Milan and Paris the following year. New routes have since been introduced, including Paris-Lyon.
Inside June 2025The first Frecciarossa high-speed rail service has started on the classic capital-to-coast route between Paris and Marseille. This move reflects Italian national operator Trenitalia’s intention to provide TGV with serious competition on its home turf.
With a planned duration of three hours and 21 minutes, the Frecciarossa journey is 15 minutes longer than the TGV inOui service, which leaves the same station, Gare de Lyon, a quarter of an hour earlier. This probably relates to top speeds: TGV’s limit is 320 km/h, Frecciarossa’s (Italian for red arrow) limit is 300 km/h.
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The journey takes place in a blur of idyllic French countryside shrouded in a mist of autumn colours, and while the aforementioned TGV service is 40 minutes late, the Italians smugly pull into Marseille Saint-Charles station just in time.
Armchair
This is where the Frecciarossa offer gets really interesting. Passengers will be able to choose between three classes, as opposed to TGV inOui’s two (standard and first) and TGV Ouigo’s one-class concept for every budget. The three classes are standard, commercial and executive. Standard and business class fares are about 10 to 20 percent cheaper than the French inOui equivalent (for example, $80 compared to $120 for standard and $140 compared to $182 for business/first).
I’m in business – that would be first class on the TGV – and I’ve won the holy grail of single traveler train seats: the single window. Part of me wishes I’d spent money on the “executive class,” a private wagon with only 10 seats ($322). As with the pointy end of the plane, the door of this last carriage closes early. Behind this, the crew is preparing to offer a complimentary menu designed by chef Carlo Cracco, who runs the Michelin-starred Ristorante. Cracco Paired with Italian wines in Milan.
boarding
What do you get when you mix French and Italian travel infrastructure? Chaos most of the time. Today is no different, as a large crowd of passengers are scattered around the concourse, waiting for a platform announcement that does not materialize as our scheduled departure time approaches. We’re eventually told where to go with 11 minutes to spare, and since the electronic boarding gates are disabled, there are only two conductors checking each ticket. Despite this inauspicious start, the train manages to leave the station on time.
luggage
Passengers are allowed to bring two suitcases and one piece of hand luggage onto the plane. Sports equipment such as bicycles are included in one piece of luggage. There aren’t many surprises on the storage front: shelves above the seat and shelves in the vestibule of the car. There is a special storage area for oversized luggage in the second, third and fourth carriages.
food + drink
I may not be one of the lucky 10 in executive class, but a few minutes into the journey a trolley shuttle arrives and offers the welcome snacks included in my business class fare. There’s so much more to it than a bag of peanuts; I’m loaded up with a glass of Italian wine, a bottle of water, a salami and cheese focaccia, and something sweet for dessert. Train attendants pass by twice more during the journey, over coffee. Although the third carriage is a bar cart that sells snacks and hot meals, those in standard class do not have access to free refreshments. Since there is no eating area, everything has to be carried back to your seat.
One more thing
Of course, this would be too much to ask for by booking via SNCF Connect (sncf-connect.com), France’s default train ticket website. You’ll need to book direct instead trenitalia.fr website or via Trainline (thetrainline.com).
Decision
Although none of the announcements are in Italian (they’re made in French and English instead), Frecciarossa is a nice touch of Italy without ever setting foot in the country, and a worthy rival to TGV. This is also another reminder of the quality of rail travel in France. If you’re traveling from Paris to the Mediterranean coast, why fly when you can take the high-speed train?
Our rating out of five
★★★★½
The author was a guest of Trenitalia.
