Italian regional trains IME are also much MUCH less comfy than IC trains as less less less comfy than true high-speed trains - regional trains stop all the time and can suddenly fill up, like with school kids as they often act as scholl buses IME.

seats are even metal on some I've taken - just not as comfy but first class on regional trains is so so cheap and IME regional trains often have first-class cars which are more comfy and sparsely full - I took a regional train from Rome to Florence and had a 6-person compartment all to myself - 2nd class I discovered was fairly full or full much of the time.

Pay a few euros extra for first-class tickets on regional trains though not all regional trains may have them but I suspect longer ones like to Naples may.

I would not recommend 1st class on regional trains. There is not much in the way of improvement. If you want to pay more go 2nd class on an IC train.

If you do decide to upgrade to Frecciarossa one of the coolest things is using the free wifi and tracking your train live and seeing the actual speed of the train. Between Rome and Naples I have a screenshot of the speed at 300km per hour

I happen to live in an area that's served almost entirely by regional trains, so I have little choice. I think metal seats must have disappeared a long time ago; I've never seen them. On short (commuter) hauls there are sometimes plastic seats, like bus seats. On longer routes, I've found the regional trains to be very comfortable. They have large overhead racks for suitcases. The seats are upholstered. The cars are air conditioned. In other words, they're quite comfortable, although not luxurious.

They do make more stops than the other trains, but that also depends on the route. Between Rome and Naples, the regional train makes seven stops, which doesn't seem excessive to me. It takes 2 hours and 25 minutes, which is only 22 minutes longer than the InterCity. (The regional train between Rome and Ancona, which I take often, makes over 15 stops, and takes 4 hours. I don't take it the whole way.)

I really hate those Intercity trains that have the compartments and a narrow corridor outside. The seats feel like they're stuffed with horsehair ,and they slant forward; the seat back is at a 90-degree angle. The compartments are stuffy and the air conditioning usually is not efficient. At busy times, the corridors are full of suitcases, and of people sitting on the little jump seats, so that you can hardly make your way through. Fortunately, they're sustituting them with recycled old Eurostar Italia trains. I don't know what sort of IC trains they have on the Rome-Naples route, but I wouldn't pay one cent extra to ride in an old IC compartment train.

>>>Are you absolutely there was a time window printed on the ticket?<<<

I think there was and during the purchase process, it clearly stated the use/times, etc.

>>>Even for the tickets bought online, the window is never as short as 90 minutes. <<<<

They are 90 minutes.

****Remember to always print your e-ticket and bring it with you when you travel.
Trenitalia e-tickets are already validated, and expire 90 minutes after departure time of selected train.***

Ditto for the FL1 tickets, but they require validation.

***Ticket fare
• The cost of a one-way ticket from any station within Rome’s rail ring and Parco Leonardo to the Airport is of 8 euro per person (expires 90 minutes after validation). ***

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...008916f90aRCRD

>>>If the tickets had a time window, that would obviate the need to stamp them <<<

Possibly. I think I validated it anyway to be on the safe side.

>>>I really hate those Intercity trains that have the compartments and a narrow corridor outside<<<

I hate those too. I don't like the compartments as they are hard to get in and out and put your luggage over someone's head (especially when other people are already seated in the compartment).

>>>I don't know what sort of IC trains they have on the Rome-Naples route,<<<

I've ridden one of the newer IC trains from Naples to Salerno. I think it had hard plastic seats. I'll have to look back at my pics and see.