ROME will soon be linked to another lesser-visited city in the south of Italy thanks to a new sleeper train.
The new route will make it easier for holidaymakers to travel the length of the country.
The sleeper service will run between the Italian capital and Lecce – a lesser-visited town in Puglia, in the south of the country.
FS Treni Turistici Italiani will operate the new route as part of its newly-launched vintage train routes.
The Espresso Salento will run between Rome and Lecce on four set dates in August, with four other departures already taking place in July.
Trains will travel between Rome and Lecce in the evening, making weekend breaks, or week-long adventures, between the two destinations much easier.
Services will leave Rome at 9.10pm before arriving in Lecce at 8.45am the following morning.
The sleeper service will stop at several stations along the route, including Foggia, Bari Centrale, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Ostuni and Brindisi.
Passengers will be able to book themselves into sleeper carriages and they’ll be able to enjoy both breakfast and dinner in the restaurant car.
Four or six-bed couchettes are also available to book for families who want to share a cabin space.
Journeys will take nearly 12 hours to complete, with ticket prices starting at €44 (£37).
Services are scheduled to depart from Rome on August 13 and August 22, with return journeys from Lecce taking place the following day.
TRAINS along the route are slated to run in August.
Rome to Lecce Timetable
Lecce – Rome Timetable
Earlier this year, another new sleeper service launched between Milan and Lecce, with the government-owned Trenitalia operating the route.
The new weekend service became the company’s first sleeper service between Milan and Lecce when it launched in June.
Since June, Frecciarossa trains have been travelling between Milan and Lecce during the evening.
The sleeper service will stop at several stations along the route, including Milano Rogoredo, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna Centrale.
Foggia will be the next calling point on the route – nearly five hours after the service leaves Bologna Centrale.
The train will then call at other stations like Barletta, Bari Centrale, Monopoli, Fasano, Ostuni and Brindisi before eventually arriving in Lecce.
The new sleeper trains aren’t the only new European trains that have launched in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, a new train route relaunched after being closed for more than 30 years.
The train line connects Italy to Croatia via Slovenia – allowing customers to visit three countries on just one train.
Passengers can board at Villa Opicina train station in Trieste at 7:50am.
The first stop is on the Slovenian border in Sežana, followed by Divača, Pivka and Ilirska Bistrica, the final stop in Slovenia, at 8:54am.
The train then enters Croatia, stopping at Šapjane, Opatija Matulji and Rijeka, the final stop.
The entire journey takes around two hours and runs both ways.
Back in March, a 15-hour night train journey launched connecting Brussels and Prague for the first time.
Operated by European Sleeper, the route stops in Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Berlin and Dresden before arriving in Prague.
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
Dutch train operator GoVolta hopes to launch train routes from Amsterdam to Berlin and Copenhagen in 2025.
And Czechia public transport operator Leo Express has revealed plans to connect Belgium to Slovakia via a 19-hour train journey.
