When I pictured getting a train journey from London to Naples, I imagined myself dressed in a three-piece Savile Row suit, sipping a glass of champagne in an elegant carriage hurtling through the Italian countryside.
Sadly, my budget doesn’t stretch to a tailored-made suit – it’s jeans and polo instead – but my lack of sartorial grace is the only letdown on a wonderful trip across the continent.
I know what you are thinking, why get the train when a plane is quicker and cheaper?
Well I hope by the end of this article you’ll understand why I swapped a two-hour flight for a nearly 11-hour journey across two days.
I begin my voyage at London St Pancras where I relax with a delicious breakfast in Eurostar’s Premier Class lounge, a welcome change from the pandemonium of my daily traipse through its hordes of commuter cattle.
Once in Paris, it’s a frantic dash across from Gare Du Nord to the absolute chaos of Gare de Lyon where my journey really begins.
I’m here to board TrenItalia’s rapid Frecciarossa 1000 from Paris to Naples, with an over-night stay in Milan in between.
I have a seat in the Executive carriage, the service’s premium first class compartment, at a cost of €305 (£264) one way.
The view from Alex Matthews’s carriage as he travelled towards Naples on Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa 1000 service
Alex had a seat in the Executive carriage, the service’s premium first class compartment, at a cost of €305 (£264) one way
The carriage only has 10 reclining leather loungers that swivel around to face forward or backwards if you want to chat to (or ignore) your partners, spouses or other passengers
The carriage has only 10 reclining leather loungers that swivel around 360 degrees if you want to chat to (or ignore) your partners, spouses or other passengers.
Inside the carriage, a very polite and dedicated steward attends to your every whim – with a seemingly never ending service of drinks and snacks, as well as answering questions.
They even help you adjust your seat, if you are the type of idiot who manages to get it locked the wrong way round TWICE.
The menu, curated by Italian chef Carlo Cracco, is full of actual food, on proper plates with cutlery, rather than bland sandwiches and salty microwaveable meals.
I recommend the braised agnolotti pasta with thick meat sauce – washed down with one of the many Italian IPAs on offer.
The service in the Executive carriage is so spot-on that even when I say I’m not hungry the waiter still brings me out a fresh beer with a bowl of crisps to nibble on.
The six-hour and 50 minute journey from Paris to Milan may seem daunting but it beats traipsing through an airport, queuing for security, fighting for a seat in departures and waiting for your gate.
I recline on my comfy chair, with a chilled beer in hand, and all notion of time slips away – let alone the tedium of Gatwick Airport.
Alex enjoyed braised agnolotti pasta with thick meat sauce – washed down with one of the Italian IPAs on offer
Weaving through Apline villages is undoubtedly the highlight of the journey
There is no toddler screaming, overexcited stag do kicking-off or other stressed-out passengers nudging my elbow off the hand rest.
It is calm, quiet and comfortable.
I whizz through the suburbs of Paris, into the countryside and it feels like no time before we got to the highlight of our journey – the Alps.
Weaving through the mountains, passing by tiny villages and quaint towns like Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, really is a treat.
Drinks are plonked down and phones are thrust against the glass to get the perfect pictures of majestic ridges and pristine alpine lakes.
Although, really there is no need to panic because we are spoilt rotten for stunning views for much of our journey through the mountains.
Once in Milan, I jump in a cab outside Milano Centrale and stay at the Vico Milano.
A stylish hotel that oozes so much Milianese cool that I feel like even the walls are eyeing me up and down as I walk in.
Weaving through the mountains, passing by tiny villages and quaint towns like Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, really was a treat
I sleep like a log in their comfy apartment-style rooms, and after a delicious breakfast, it’s onto the final leg of the journey and Naples.
TrenItalia, thankfully, has a lounge in Milano Centrale station, so you can chill there while you wait for your train to arrive.
My journey from Milan to Naples is not as long – a mere four hours – so this may be why the service is not quite as attentive.
But the Executive carriage is still pleasant as we speed towards our destination via Rome.
Getting the train from London to Italy may take a little longer and cost a few extra quid than a budget flight, but it means you can start your holiday as soon as you set foot on board.
If you have the time it’s worth every minute.
TRAVEL FACTS
Alex stayed at the Vico Milano. Prices start at £490 per night. To book, visit: Booking.com.
He was hosted by Trenitalia.
For the Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 service, prices start at €174.90 (£151.50) for return tickets from Paris to Naples. For more information, visit italiarail.com.
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