Italy's Private High Speed Operator, Italo!

[@nervun8097]

quick note: the dirty windows aren't a result of Italo's maintenance but rather the result of rain clouds coming from the south carrying along dust from the sharan dessert. They are an issue all over the mediteranean these days.

[@ChetNotJet]

Good point Also first

[@raymondmuench3266]

The ever-popular scirocco

[@WildWildWeasel]

Oh hello Spyro, didn't know you also liked trains xD

[@modelrailpaulcee]

Over the Mediterranean? They landed on us, here in Norfolk, UK!

[@xr6lad]

Yes. I'm in Australia and we have the same problems. I'm in Melbourne about as far away from the desert as you can get here and if you have just washed your car and it rains it's often in summer 'dirty rain' picking up dust from the West and you get dust on it when it dries

[@timbounds7190]

Wow....that was one helluva walk from one platform to another! Bologna Station seems like a real life Tardis - looks tiny on the outside, but huge once you'd got inside!

[@lo8393]

Yeah, the 4 new high speed platforms (16 to 19) have been built underground and it takes ages to get there...if you don't get lost ;)

[@xr6lad]

I know. At one moment.i thought 'surely you're pi**ING me' and going round in circles deliberately. It's a really poorly designed station.

[@drdewott9154]

Yeah Bologna is a real "Don't judge the book by its cover" situation, it stretches so far and so vastly deep undergrund its pretty insane really. I used the station myself last fall while on holiday in Bologna for a day trip to Florence. Also with Italo. It only cost us 14 euros each way in smart class and took 40 minutes each way! Excellent value. And even though the ride was a bit shaky, my mom was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was, especially compared to back home. We used an EVO set to Florence and an AGV on the way back. The trains back home in Denmark, or more specifically the underinvested in railways are known for a fairly rough ride quality, especially when trains get up to 180km/h, which is the max here.

[@jacopomainoldi9025]

@@xr6lad You only need to look at the panels and you'll be fine, as in any other station..

[@princesspeach915]

That's also what big railway stations are about lol

[@dsdonovan]

In my head I heard the Benny Hill theme music as you sprinted through Bologna Centrale...

[@williamjones7163]

The dirty window was annoying but everything else was spot on!

[@shirleynitka5030]

I agree with you totally. I watched on TV this morning when you posted. Being disabled I could have missed the platform switch & not made it in time. Travel is for the young & healthy. Lovely journey except for those windows. That really put a spanner in the works. I'd love to watch it again with clean windows. Congrats on such a fabulous, priced ticket. That was a deal of a lifetime.

[@Andrewjg_89]

The Italo trains are very elegant, smooth and quiet. Your channel has expanded with over 100k subscribers. Keep up the good work as always. 😁

[@spark_6710]

I know ,right !!? Dylan's got 105K now !! Amazing !!! 👏 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈💞

[@Andrewjg_89]

True

[@blagger101]

Another very enjoyable video ….thank you! A while ago I did the same journey, Bologna - Bari, but travelled on the line that hugged the Adriatic coast, stopping at (amongst others) Rimini, Pesaro, Ancona, Pescara, and Foggia. It was great to see the journey being completed by an entirely different route!

[@trainlagged]

This is high speed done well in my opinion! The train looks very stylish, perfect to get people out of their cars. And excellent value for 46€. Cannot wait to try!

[@jecko980]

Italo really improved the train situation in Italy becoming a direct competitor for Trenitalia: before Italo they had a monopoly and could do everything they wanted, non with Italo lower prices and better services, Trenitalia is becoming a real good company too

[@trainlagged]

@@jecko980 and that’s why competition is only a good thing!

[@spark_6710]

@@jecko980 Dylan said € 28.10 for the cost !? In the description ! And that's even a 1st class ticket !! 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈💞

[@jecko980]

@@spark_6710 if you buy it with enough time span, and usually in non festive or tourism season, you can also find one at 22/23 euros for first

[@spark_6710]

@@jecko980 Nice !! But,we're going there in summer ...,so guess not ,then. But,that's really nice of 'em doing that !! Thanks so much for telling me this !! Thank you very much for your reply !!! 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈💕💞

[@il_dalla]

On the first leg of the trip, on the Bologna-Florence "historic line", you have passed in the longest railway tunnel in Italy, the "Grande Galleria dell'Appennino" (literally "Appennino's big tunnel"). This tunnel is quite unusual because, exactly in the middle of it, from 1934 to the 60's, there was a railway station called "Precedenze" which was accessible after 1800 steps

[@marcodamasio]

Actually the "Vaglia" tunnel, on the Bologna-Firenze HSL is just 200 meters longer (out of 18 km), but yes, the "Grande Galleria dell'Appennino" is way more interesting

[@spark_6710]

Humm ,you two are obviously locals ...Italians !! From your names ,I can tell that ,too !! How's your Spring in Italy !! A couple I know ( my sister's friends ) are going to Italy this week ,or already in there !! I am SUPER JEALOUS !!! LOL.Italy & Wales are my No.1 favourite countries in the world 🌎!!! I am currently planning our trip to Wales and England & trying very hard to squeeze Italy in !!! Bit very hard as our budgets & mom's mobility issues occurred now !! Hungary & Austria were originally included there ,but gave up now on 'em as for those two reason & the war in Ukrain !! 💜🥁🐉🎤🚈💞

[@spark_6710]

Lorenzo is Spanish name ,but can be Italian's ,too ,right ? 💜🥁🐉🎤🚈💞

[@il_dalla]

@@spark_6710 yess

[@spark_6710]

@@il_dalla Yay !! Lol. I admire you guys so much !! I love Italian foods,fashion,architecture ,music ,all !!! The gorgeous scenery 😍 You're very lucky to be Italian !!! Lol. Thank you so much for your reply !! 😊 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💞

[@castlehighschool]

I used them in 2020 and I was stunned how good they are. Unfortunately it was only Venice to Bologna so not to long but all I expired on board was great. Great toilets, nice interior, friendly staff and everything was totally clean. One thing I hated about bologna was that their is no luggage storage at the station

[@davidaarthur]

11.11 That's the palace they used in the Star Wars prequels. I'd no idea the railway came so close!

[@jacopomainoldi9025]

It is worth a visit both for its interiors and its enormous gardens. Plus it's a Unesco site.

[@shelaghjackson9577]

Thanks Dylan. I’ve traveled many times on Trenitalia, but will try Italo on my next Italian adventure!

[@robbicu]

This was a fun trip. I love traveling in Italy! The trains are so much nicer than they were 35 years ago!

[@danielbum912]

God above that Bologna Station was a nightmare lol

[@anthonyholroyd5359]

Ive ridden with .italo twice in the last two weeks. A 4 hour jaunt from Venezia Santa-Lucia to Roma Termini And then an 1 1/4 hour run from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale Alstom 'Evo': Venice - Rome AGV: Rome - Naples. In 'Smart' class both times and have to say I still found that comfortable, clean and pleasant for the duration.

[@noahb3700]

Took the italo down to Napoli from Bologna last summer. Probably the best-looking train I've ever been on. They're a work of art! And the interior is just amazing with comfy seats and all the things you mentioned. Can't wait for my next ride with them

[@bradmack8953]

That looks like a great train experience, thanks Dylan. xx

[@lorenzo_contini_7]

The platform change would have made me happy ahaha You never see High speed trains in the open air in Bologna, unless there is a fault with the line that leads underground - This happens 3-4 times a year, and then all those trains are sent to the upper old station, you probably happened to be there during one of these disruptions :)

[@marcodamasio]

All the High speed trains on the Adriatic line (mainly ETR 500 and ETR 700) all stops at the higher levels of Bologna, since they wouldn't be able to continue towards the Adriatic from the deeper level

[@giumas1693]

@@marcodamasio Yes, but in this case that train was not supposed to reach Bari along the Adriatic line but along the high-speed line via Florence, Rome and Caserta. So I don't know why he traveled the historic Bologna-Florence line and above all how he managed to get to Bari with a few minutes in advance despite everything! Scheduled time stretched out of proportion?

[@marcodamasio]

@@giumas1693 they run along the historical Bologna-Florence line due to a signal fault on the high speed line. How they caught up from Bologna to Bari? Probably between Caserta and Foggia, where they might have longer timetables to eventually recover from delays on a single track line.

[@enricomonti156]

And aside from my previous comment, Italo is indeed an amazing company. I travelled a few times between Rome and Bologna and between Bologna and Milan and Turin. And once I found a first class ticket for Italo at just €15 on Easter day in 2018.

[@maxart3392]

Quite an achievement: after leaving Bologna with a 15 minute delay before entering the old line to Florence (at least 15 minutes more of the travel time than the new one, so it would be about a 1/2 hour late in Florence) it arrived to Bari ahead of schedule. One question: how would the travel time between Bologna and Bari on this longer route compare to the travel time on the (shorter but slower?) line along the Adriatic? Also worth mentioning that Italo offers very good discounts to the people over 60.

[@marcodamasio]

Trenitalia's Frecciarossa takes about 6h45 from Bologna to Bari via Florence, Rome, Caserta, Benevento and Foggia, while it's just 5h45 via the Adriatic line (mainly because of several sections upgraded to 200 km/h). Italo currently takes about 7h10 via Rome. They probably can't afford, at least until the pandemic is completely gone, to run services along the Adriatic axis, since there are already a lot of Frecciarossa and Frecciargento services, hence a lot of competition. Each summer the create new services connecting Naples, Rome, Florence and Bologna to Rimini and Pesaro, and from Milan to Ancona, but they are only worth running during summer.

[@Charlizzie]

@@marcodamasio so you mean Dylan got duped by dot-Italo?

[@marcodamasio]

@@Charlizzie well, the timetables are publicly available, so I wouldn't say so

[@spark_6710]

Oh really discount for 60+age people !? I wonder how much !? That's very good to know !! 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈💞

[@maxart3392]

@@spark_6710 Up to 60%

[@dieseljeanslad]

Best pack your window cleaning gear !!

[@WilliamDublin85]

As someone who spoke little Italian and used both the state operator and Italo quite a few times, the service of Italo always seemed to be far better to me. On Trenitalia the crews were less helpful and friendly and didn't really seem to like it if they were spoken to in broken Italian or English and generally seemed to have a less customer friendly attitude, whereas the younger crews on Italo seemed much more helpful and friendly to tourists in my experience.

[@trainmanbob]

Beautiful train, superb pricing and as always a 1st class video. Thanks Dylan.

[@AlexEwan1]

I like how in Italy trains have announcements and signs in Italian and English, very helpful although I am sure one could work things out if there was no English. As for the cost we couldn't even dream of that sort of pricing in the UK!

[@felicepompa1702]

These days most of the world is bilingual with english being everywhere (at least in cities)

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

@@felicepompa1702 I speak Spanish so I understand basic Italian

[@valerianocuomo996]

In England: high speed is a shit,LONDON is ok,2⁰city italian is Milan, England: biirmingham 🤣🤣🤣i M sorry for the your country....is in declin ,only finance,boutique, but the real economy? UK import all...is a suicide for England economy the brexit. Now the UK is only....johnson is a idiot,,,Russia is danger..no for USA, BUT FOR THE UK.

[@John_Fugazzi]

That was a very smart looking train, inside and out. The scenery was another plus and the dirt on the window wasn't too bad if the sun wasn't shining directly on it. I'm thankful that comments by Spyro and intersezioni cleared this up.

[@dookiedave04]

Seeing as its italian, Ill write in italian as well. (No I havent used translate, it doesnt work with Latin based language syntax very well) Bel video! Mi piace molto il servicio che offre NTV con Italo. A volte è più economico di Frecciarossa opurre Frecciargento, perché loro sono più costoso. E la cosa che mi fa ridere tanto è... italo è privato mentre le frecce sono di FS, quindi in teoria, FS deve essere più economico. Beh, entrambi sono bello però Italo è noice. Lol. Have fun with this. 😆 🇮🇹

[@michaausleipzig]

One of the best looking trains out there for sure! Both the desigj and the livery look awesome. Then again a dark red/black combo usually makes me like pretty much anything... 😅

[@Prabodh4]

Amazing , nice to see this from Italia dylan. It gave me the feel of aeroplane interiors. Simply the best. Keep up the amazing work.

[@theobrattinga500]

Great video !!

[@pieplicht]

Very detailed video. From what I can see, I will still opt for Trenitalia. Their Business Class product seems to offer more legroom and privacy when compared to Italo. Thanks to your video, I now have enough information to make a educated choice. Keep up the good work and by all means, please do enjoy the work.

[@michaelformaini7053]

Despite the panicy change of platform and the grubby windows, this was a delightful trip across Italy. I understand the issue with the windows (courtesy of Spyro's comment below) but it would be nice if they could be periodically wiped over by station staff equipped with windscreen wipers at turnaround stations. Both the interior and exterior of Italo's train is quite smart.

[@DriverKing]

Hi Dylan, if you are reading this, could you please tsp a trip report on one of ScotRail’s class 318s units before they will be withdrawn from service in 2023? They are my favourite units after all, thanks.

[@markmcclintock4820]

Great train, very impressive interiors too!

[@arokh72]

Is Eli a pigeon fancier? Love her sunflower top, add some nice brightness to the drab winter clothing others are wearing :)

[@elijade99]

I am indeed somewhat of a pigeon person (although Dylan won't let me keep one, sadly) and thank you! As much as Italians may feel cold in 18°c weather, my little Northern self was roasting

[@lorenzo_contini_7]

In Germany the seat reservation costs 3 euros... Used to be free for Trenitalia however.

[@turbofanlover]

Yeah, I would have no problem with that train...or that price. Good stuff, indeed.

[@henrytudor8537]

The trian really looks nice and modern.

[@eemeli1744]

Hi Dylan! I'd love to see you try the finnish intercity train. I can personally recommend them, because of the spacious double decker coaches that offer quite a comfortable ride.

[@locomotiveproductions]

Finland has good trains? I thought you guys traveled on sleds fueled by vodka and death metal. I must try these double decker trains

[@eemeli1744]

@@locomotiveproductions Haha! While it is true that vodka and heavy metal are very popular here, almost all passenger trains in Finland use electricity to operate, except for a portion of a night express train ride, where the line is not electrified, and the train is pulled by one or more diesel locomotives. Probably one of the greatest aspects of the finnish intercity trains is that they have a children's play area with a SLIDE in it, so if you're travelling with kids, this is probably the best option to take. Also, the restaurant cars offer a range of delicious (although microwawed) meals, ranging from meatballs with mashed potatoes to salmon soup with rye bread. I definetly recommend trying atleast one of their dishes. The trains in Finland are more spacious than the average train in europe, and this is due to the 1,524 mm track gauge used here in Finland, Russia and the Baltics.

[@locomotiveproductions]

@@eemeli1744 wow a train with a play area and salmon soup with rye sounds amazing. I love the finnish accent and language but it's seems way to difficult to learn, but some day I'll travel to Finland and ride one of these trains. Sounds like a great finnish experience

[@eemeli1744]

@@locomotiveproductions fortunately, Finland is one of the most english-friendly countries in Europe, if i'm not mistaken. So no pressure on the language department! (Unless sometimes with old people, their english can be pretty rubbish, if even nonexistent :D)

[@locomotiveproductions]

@@eemeli1744 oh ok. I definitely have to go in the next year or 2. Thanks for all the info! Love from Australia 🇦🇺

[@davidhogben1455]

That window is clean to some of the crap on South Eastern Trains , Thameslink trains (ironing boards for seats anyone!!!!!) in the UK

[@markt1387]

Very stressful when they change platforms at short notice like that.. 😢Nice to see Firenze SMN station. Not been there since travelling up from Paris on the old Atresia night train.

[@britishfilmguy]

@ 5:50 that ladies face said it all, did find it quite amusing though.!

[@louisthetravelspotter]

great review dylan it looks so pretty

[@georgecosta7209]

Nice video. Gosh, Italy is beautiful. I recall a train trip in Italy, from Milano to Venezia, pre HST. On the return, we countered a power failure and the train stopped dead. Thankfully, we had picked up some panini leaving Venezia and shared with another couple - they had wine😁 The conductor kept saying we would be leaving in cinque minuti? An Italian five minutes 😏 aka, an hour.

[@kapage74]

I've had a dirtier window a couple of times on old (pre-refurbishment) Greater Anglia 321s, but that runs them pretty close

[@felicepompa1702]

Yeah thats because it stopped raining sand like 6 hoirs before the video was filmed, if they took the train the day after it would have probably been clean

[@luisstransport]

Great trip report

[@HumbertoMesa]

Thanks for the ride !!!

[@marklee1194]

Awesome

[@kimberlygila]

Nice looking trains and nice Italian countryside and glad everyone made it to the train due departure gate change

[@claudioferrara4455]

BTW the overground station at Bologna Centrale has a west wing with shops and eateries that you seem to have missed.

[@enricomonti156]

Bologna happens to be my hometown (even though I live in Malta) and is a city you'd love to visit. I mean I travelled on fast trains on the Adriatic line and there are a lot of fast trains you can choose from. And its a pity you haven't showed the clock that is standing still at the same time when the station was blown up in 1980. It would have been faster through the Adriatic line than the route you've taken

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip.

[@spark_6710]

1st class at €28 !!? That's super duper nice !!! 👍👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈💕💞

[@gelintenuss]

It ist a geat Service! I tested Italo last summer from Milano Centrale to Florence s.m.n. Definetly better than Trenitalia! Greetings from Germany

[@modelrailpaulcee]

The thing I remember about Bologna Centrale was the McDonalds either end of the building - at least it kept the kids happy!

[@TheUomohamburger]

now there is a KFC too! :D

[@radders261]

Two red flags in the first few minutes for me! But with the price & the train, I would take that journey! Fantastic as always mate. And yes, I still wave back at you in the mirror after all these years lol...

[@manmeetsinghmahajan6183]

Amazing.

[@mdavid1955]

I'd love to have those trains here in "Murica"

[@littlephil25]

Hey, do you know what was that guy doing at the top of the escalators with the cameras/sensors about 1m41s

[@leonardheiden]

Note: when pronouncing "italo" the accent falls on the "i", just like Italy.

[@jimobasa525]

I had assumed that the UK's "Grand Central Trains", "Hull Trains" and "Lumo" are all high Speed open Acess operators

[@k0k0m02008]

Bologna is strategically located in central Italy and it functions as one of the main railway hubs. The high speed underground station has allowed high speed services not to stop on the conventional ground level station, thus diminishing travel times. Unfortunately this premise was subject of a horrific bomb attack in 1980 which killed dozens of people. A monument remembers them on the entrance. Apart from that Bologna is known as "la grossa", ie "the fat", for its renowned cuisine. But, and being there several times over my trips, apart from that is a city that does not have much to gain your attraction honestly.

[@jacopomainoldi9025]

Bologna is also knows as "The Erudite" due to its oldest university in the world. It's a medieval city, it is worth a visit to see its "Porticoes", which have been recently included in the Unesco Heritage Site list.

[@commenter4190]

@@jacopomainoldi9025 perché non dici "Portici" anziché il grottesco "Porticoes"? Te sei uno che agli stranieri dici in inglese che noi italiani andiamo nelle "piazzas" ?

[@jacopomainoldi9025]

@@commenter4190 Informati al seguente link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porticoes_of_Bologna Comunque io l'inglese (avendo vissuto negli States) lo conosco sicuramente meglio del 90% degli italiani.

[@commenter4190]

Perché dobbiamo dire "porticoes" e non portici? perché dobbiamo dire "Piazzas" e non piazze? Chi ha detto che lei non sa l'inglese? ma perché dobbiamo anglicizzare i nomi italiani? Me lo sa spiegare? per servilismo ? Tanti saluti

[@commenter4190]

@@jacopomainoldi9025 faccia meno il fenomeno di come parla l'inglese, se anglicizziamo i nomi italiani perché così vogliono i padroni americani facciamo soltanto "l'ammericano" di alberto sordi.

[@samtrak1204]

Amtrak windows and exteriors are the dirtiest I've seen in all my travels. I was working a long haul train out of New York when equipment came in from Sunnyside yard with a large dead bird splattered all over a sleeper window. Another time the window on a door of a Viewliner sleeper was missing. Obviously no one gave damn except me so I made sure maintenance and cleaning crew were on the job before we departed NYP,

[@dannydanny9875]

I see Lasers. Classy! #LooReview

[@inwinters1011]

If you think those are the dirtiest windows you've ever seen, you haven't taken a trip on an SNCF Corail train recently. I think SNCF knows that some of their Corail fleets are retiring soon, so they're not even bothering to clean the windows anymore. Which makes for a very unpleasant trip if you want to look out of the window.

[@mistysimmerIT]

I was at bari just yesterday!

[@paultidd9332]

Hey, for that price and distance, you should have travelled Club Executive. Will we get to see Club Executive on a future report?

[@sherlocksteve9109]

Sorry about the window.. God's messy work! Hopefully a passing rain storm will clean it.

[@felicepompa1702]

Actually it was rain that left dust on everything ahahha

[@jasongarufi8187]

It look great

[@WildWildWeasel]

Good afternoon from Venezuela, Dylan! Been digging your content a lot lately. I been curious, what do you do that you travel so much? How does the constant traveling affect your energy/lifestyle and such? I live in a town near the capital (Caracas) and use both the IFE trains (Nippon Sharyo EMUs) and the Metro de Caracas (Alstom/Bombardier/CAFs) and even when it's just over 63 miles for me, it tires the shiet out of me and it wrecks me at the end of the week 😅 Stay safe dude, keep up the good work!!

[@davidfinch5062]

A nice clean train and good value too. Given the length of the journey it's a pity about the lack of real on board catering. I guess this is the norm now for first class. The traditional first class passengers probably opt to fly.

[@aaronparsons877]

very sleek train!!

[@rohantheboss342]

nice video!👍🏻 also what is your favourite train that you’ve been on?

[@SalRizzFON]

Not trying to make excuses for the filthy window, but it looks like dry sand, we have had a lot clouds carrying sand from the desert ,. when it dries that's the result, but i might be wrong.

[@ianhenderson4560]

"Aren't foreign railways always better than UK ones?" In the UK you would *never* get a platform alteration that extreme! That was something else! (Platform 2 to 17 at Clapham Junction would be the worst)

[@spark_6710]

I was quite frankly very surprised about / by that !! They / you ? got finally more accessible train stations by numbers now & A/C on trains !! Lol. I mean...why took this long !!? And I was surprised that in rural ,or countrysides of England & Wales( not sure of Scotland, or Northern Ireland..it's not U.K.,though.),there's no access by train even literally right next to each other between those countries !! We'll have to fly there from Cardiff ( ex.Cornwall ),or go back to London & go all the way back in the direction !! And everything over just an hr.ride costs so much ,so~expensive !!! 😫😩 That we don't see in Japan !! Japan is ( my country ,I live in L.A.,though ! ) bigger than U.K.,or Italy ,or France even !! Now they're under construction in Wales to make train trips better & faster & more convenient, I believe !! YAY !!! Lol.🚈💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💞

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

Med countries are less organised than the UK. It doesn't change the fact that Italy's rail network is better. England only has Lumo on one single line with a very few trains. Italo competes with Trenitalia on all high speed lines

[@gab_v250]

@@budapestkeletistationvoices there's also the fact that almost all the major lines are electrified, and there is a dedicated high speed infrastructure that permits to cover Milan - Naples (760 km) in 4½/5 hours.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

@@gab_v250 In England there's no such thing that high speed

[@gacj2010]

Do you think as I do that in Europe trains are more appropriate than in US where the US seems so Huge such that the state of Texas has often been said to be the size of France, that Planes are most suitable for their long distances ..

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

Running rail services is very expensive and only rich countries can afford it. Maintaining airports is way cheaper. Therefore poor countries and the US tend to have poor rail infrastructure. Look at Brasil

[@gacj2010]

@@budapestkeletistationvoices Distances ... Say if Texas or California had trains , they would be equivalent to France of Germany ..(small distances) but to go from Boston , Mass to , say San Diego California ... thats like going from to Hungary to Vladivostok by train ...Id take the plane.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

@@gacj2010 we have trains between countries, plus sleeper trains. On some sleeper trains you can even transport your car during the night. There are rail connectiona between France and Germany, France and Spain, etc

[@gacj2010]

@@budapestkeletistationvoices I understated and they are nice trains ..US could have lots of trains BUT you understand we have to spend much on defense , not for our country as much as Europe as people have seen the Billions go to Ukraine . NATO is suppose to be more efficient but as you know, NATO is good but without America , Putin wouldnt hesitate, so you understand we have no free universities or trams or healthcare fro all free if not for that huge military we have to maintain. Trump asked NATO to up their share and they scoffed at it until February when Trumps words proved true and they started to take it serious ... especially those Germans who helped to start it all with pipelines to Putin.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

@@gacj2010 railway network has nothing to do with defense. I remember that Trump said in 2016 that the US is the world's biggest economy and it has a so poor infrastructure and if he was elected he would change it. Apparently he didn't do it. The deal with NATO was to spend 2 % of the annual GDP on the member states own defence in peace time. This isn't necessarily a cost for the US, as most NATO members buy partly American military equipment. The fact is that we pay higher taxes on the petrol. If you come to Europe you'll see that a litre of petrol will be around 3 dollars or even higher. Half of this price is tax. This is to cover the costs of infrastructure. On top rail prices in Western Europe aren't so cheap in comparison to air transport. At the polling booth you will have to decide whether you are willing to pay more for your fuel and have a better infrastructure (road and rail) or you pay lower taxes but don't expect to have better infrastructure. Even the UK has a "free" healthcare which copies and pastes American models. Again. We pay taxes (in the UK it is called National Insurance Contribution) or in continental Europe the scheme is operated as an insurance policy, as opposed to the UK. It has nothing to do with defence, but with solidarity: whether you are willing to pay 50 quid a month instead if 30 for health insurance so that no one has to sell his home to get treatment for cancer. In return when you have cancer you won't need to sell your home to pay for the treatment. It's one thing that everyone is happy of irrespective of the country and whether it is governed by left or right. Free higher education depends on the country. In the UK you don't have free higher education in England but in Scotland. It is a matter of economic policy. Many states invest in their youth in the hope that they will earn more money and pay more tax in the future after they got their diploma. It has nothing to do with defence.

[@lawrencecody9316]

Those prices just highlights how expensive fares in the UK are..800km for just under £40, for 1st class, in standard class in the UK,, walk up fares, ,you can`t even get from Manchester to Birmingham(70 miles,or 115km). for that, and FC is £114..The interiors on this train look far more comfortable, and far better designed than the awful Voyagers we have over here...Dylan really highlights what can be achieved, at a reasonable cost, as compared to the UK..passengers in this country really are being taken for a ride, as compared to Europe.

[@kwn1276]

Honestly, have you ever worried about safety while you saw windows of a train to be dirty? Do you think this might indicate equipment maintenance level?

[@Sayitlikitiz101]

Your girlfriend gave you the universal "really?" look when you filmed her while reviewing the seat! 🤣

[@gab_v250]

11:22 well, there are works to build a new Naples-Foggia railway with a maximum speed of 250kph. But they've just started, and probably by 2027/2028 they will be finished.

[@imsbvs]

Looks to be a great service, although Bari is not a city on my list of favoured destinations anytime soon! I've never paid to book a seat on a UK train, but that fare is something special! Shame the UK railways can't get anywhere as close, even my discounted advance ticket (with railcard) Aberdeen - London with LNER at £75.90 looks expensive. (Although LNER do include lounge access and at seat catering in the price!). As for a direction change, did that once at Eastbourne when travelling with Southern from Ashford (Kent) to Brighton. It's a slow DMU service and there is no impetus to make it any faster as the roads are just as bad.

[@jacopomainoldi9025]

You should give Bari a try. Its old city center is worth a visit, specially because it would remind you of a greek village, and there's a beautiful seaside. Just half a day if you manage to get to Puglia would be enough.

[@stewartbrodie1720]

Part of your sky-high UK ticket price is probably going towards subsidising those sorts of really cheap trains, as most of the UK's train operating companies are owned by the German, French, Dutch and Italian state operators (although not italo, AFAIK)

[@pal2011]

Ah…nothing like a minutes before platform change across the entire station…

[@vaporisedair4919]

Italo has the oddest on board anouncements when it comes to english accent!

[@judithcatlett8518]

The look your girlfriend gave you was a thumbs up alone. That train is beautiful and isles looked wider too.

[@andrewwilson6240]

Interesting that it is 700km and 7 hours - 100km/h. Quite similar to standard regional services, and on decent roads possible by car. I wonder if it is due to the HS parts being in the minority, or down to long dwell times?

[@andregruber3843]

Normally it takes 5h45min by train, and indeed 6h50 by car. Actually the fastest trains go along the Adriatic coast

[@Hastdupech8509]

It goes through the Apennines and uses the conventional line between Caserta and Bari. Plus, probably they make these kind of trains stop at many stations as well increasing the riding time. I think these trains are used as a Florence/Rome to Apulia (the region of Bari) trains. There are HS trains operated by Italo and Trenitalia as well that go along the Adriatic coast taking much less time. The Milan-Lecce trains still take too much time, but give a decent connection among cities of the Adriatic coast and to Northern Italy. The problem is that they (as others services such as the Milan-Reggio Calabria or Rome-Taranto) run on conventional line 80% of the 1000 km and make a lot of stops. This is something I despise, it's basically a fraud to customers, they pay more than they did 10 years ago with normal intercities that sometimes would take even less than these modern trains.

[@moogmike1]

Yes it's a pity about the dirty windows but it's something out of your control unfortunately, but an interesting journey and well executed video.

[@felicepompa1702]

Yeah it hasn't rained in months and when it finally rains it rains sand from the sahara

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

did you pop out at Rome and clean the window

[@RyanMatt]

three non through platforms ? is that a record ?

[@egpx]

My Italo experience took place seven or eight years ago from Florence to Venice. I seem to remember we hit 320kmh on the high speed line to Bologna before trundling along at a much slower speed on the traditional line to Venice. I was impressed, though we did end up in a Prima carriage that was full of American families on a very expensive Disney Adventure Tour of Italy having already finished a Mediterranean cruise. It was a bus tour but the rail leg had been included presumably for novelty value. To be fair, the kids were fine but quite a few of the parents were moaning and complaining about stuff, much to the despair of the two tour leaders who we’d been chatting to.

[@Charlizzie]

5:49 Hi Dylan's girlfriend! I bet many Eurovision participants are riding these HSRs to Torino over the past weekend. Nobody wants a last-minute change of platform. As for the windows, .italo forgot to clean it up.

[@Sarahbryson321]

Ooh

[@trainsimulatorfan7656]

sorry typo i meant to say now

[@harrystokes1412]

If is the middle word in life. If the window would have been clean. Washing windows must be a cost cut for so many rail lines.

[@deltasigma2279]

im from bari :)

[@samtrak1204]

"In your humble opinion"😁why is Italo better than Trenitalia? My main reasons for riding the train are sightseeing and photographing so dirty windows would have ruined the whole trip for me.

[@felicepompa1702]

Sadly it has been raining sand these last days in italy so when water dries up it leaves dust (probably if you took the train 1 days after the window would have been perfectly clean)

[@Oleg-is5cm]

01:37 This temp cam is so sad😢

[@harryelliott4310]

Trains Station 🚉

[@farmerdave7965]

What's in the red cup ? It looks like Coke.

[@SweetUniverse]

Yeah ... those windows were ... unpleasant

[@samtrak1204]

Give me cafe...or give me death!

[@Abnerbandanovotempoinscrito1mi]

Boa tarde Dylans lindo trem 🚆 🚆 🚆 🚆 italo vermelho show