This Brand-New Sleeper Train Connects Rome to the Italian Alps

The Espresso Cadore started operating on December 15, 2023, and will continue to do so until February 15, 2024. The train operates from Rome to the Calalzo-Pieve Cadore-Cortina station every Friday evening, and returns to Rome on Sunday evening, allowing travelers to leave the city behind for the weekend to hit the slopes. The journey takes 9.5 hours.

Because the Calalzo-Pieve Cadore-Cortina station is near the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, not in it, a coordinated bus service takes passengers for a 50-minute ride from one to the other, making the journey to and from the ski town as effortless as possible. The timetable for Espresso Cadore and the bus service is available on Trenitalia’s website. (Note that the bus service costs $11 and can be booked in advance.)

The Espresso Cadore, made up of beautifully refurbished 1980s and 1990s cars, offers a variety of accommodations, including single cabins, double cabins, and berths for two to six people. Breakfast is included for all travelers and dinner is included for those who opt for a single or double cabin.

Dinner on board is available until 10:30 PM, and the bar is open during the entire 9.5-hour journey.

The town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Photo: posztos/Shutterstock

But the Espresso Cadore has even more to offer travelers. The train pulls a car entirely dedicated to luggage where passengers can store their oversized cases and other equipment, including skis, tents, canoes, electric bikes, and more.

FS Treni Turistici Italiani (FS Italian Tourist Trains) is an initiative from Italy’s national railway company to promote slow travel and sustainable tourism in the country. It is also a way to integrate the train journey as part of travelers’ vacations rather than as a way get to their vacation destination.