New Luxury Night Train Whisks You Between 2 Iconic European Destinations

Following strong demand in 2024, Italy’s overnight Expresso Riviera is making its grand return for summer 2025. 

Operated by FS Treni Turistici Italiani, the train operates from July 4 to August 30, exclusively on weekends. The Expresso Riviera offers a weekend escape along one of Europe’s most scenic coastlines.

The Expresso Riviera departs Rome on Friday evenings and arrives in Marseille by Saturday morning. From there, the train heads back Saturday night, pulling into Rome before sunrise Sunday.

As reported by Travel Tomorrow, The train route sweeps through a lineup of European destinations: Genoa, Savona, Alassio, Imperia, Sanremo, and Ventimiglia in Italy, then on through Menton, Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Saint-Raphaël, Toulon, and Marseille on the French side.

Travelers on the Expresso Riviera can book private single or double sleeper cabins, or go for affordable four-person couchettes. By day, cabin compartments convert into lounge-style seating with both first and second class available. Naturally, there’s a full spread of food and drink: dinner, breakfast, and bar service throughout the route.

While overnight travelers may sleep through the views, daytime options from Genoa — and a proposed Milan-to-northern-France route — offer daylight scenery for those who want to traverse the coast wide awake.

FS Treni Turistici CEO Luigi Cantamessa says the train revives “the great international trains that have now disappeared,” finally gives a long-awaited direct link from Genoa to France via the western Ligurian coast.