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New European train route launches across Italy – connecting much-loved seaside towns
Plus, the other new train routes launching across Europe
A NEW train service has launched across Italy - and it will take you to much-loved seaside holiday hotspots.
State-owned train operator Trenitalia operates the new Espresso Versilia route, which started this month.
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The 175-mile service will run between Milan in the north of Italy and Livorno, a seaside town in Tuscany.
Milan is a popular destination for Brits wanting a cheap city break, with cheap £15 fares with Ryanair from the UK.
But the port city of Livorno is often overlooked, despite being known for its amazing seafood and pretty Renaissance-era buildings.
The new train route, running until next month, has other stops along the way including the pretty coastal resort of Santa Margherita Ligure, a fishing village turned holiday hotspot.
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Other seaside town stops include villages in Cinque Terre such as the well-known Portofino, as well as Monterosso, Corniglia and Riomaggiore.
The rest of the trip swill stop at Carrara-Avenza, Forte dei Marmi, Camaiore Lido, Viareggio, Torre del Lago and Pisa.
Services will operate from Milan every Tuesday and Thursday, leaving the station at 10.35am.
A service will then depart from Livorno on the same day at 4.50pm.
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The full journey takes nearly 12 hours to complete, with tickets starting from €44 (£37).
Don't worry if you get hungry, as a full restaurant cart will be onboard, serving food and drink.
Splash out for a first class ticket and you'll get a meal included as well as complimentary bulky luggage transport.
It's not the only new train route that's launched in Italy.
Earlier this year, a new sleeper service launched between Milan and Lecce, also operated by Trenitalia.
Starting back in June, the weekend service was the first between Milan and Lecce.
Stops along the way include Parma, Bologna and Modena.
Other sleeper trains have launched across Europe too.
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Earlier this month, a service connecting Italy and Croatia 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.
Starting in Trieste in Italy, with the train departing at 7:50am, the final stop ends at Rijeka in Croatia.
The new route means you can visit three countries in one, taking just two hours each way,
And 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.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world
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.
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