THEThe day is clear and cold and the whistle of the locomotive cuts through the silence of the morning. It is the Italian Trans-Siberian train which leaves again this year for its most awaited race, the Christmas one: an itinerary that unites Sulmona, Roccaraso and Campo di Giove in a journey among the snow-capped mountains, the markets and the local flavors of Abruzzo.
Towards Christmas: the Italian Trans-Siberian Railway of the Ferrovia dei Parchi restarts in Abruzzo
The Christmas season of historic trains organized by the Ferrovia dei Parchi is organized this year between 22 November 2025 and 6 January 2026with races concentrated on weekends and public holidays: a program designed to take advantage of the markets and winter holidays. The special “Christmas Trains” runs will depart from Sulmona, in the province of L’Aquila, returning on the same day. The scheduled dates also include two daily departures on the most popular daysand, to give travelers flexibility.
The departure calendar for Christmas 2025
As a period, the calendar is divided into two main strands:
- until mid-Decemberitineraries that connect Sulmona to places such as Roccaraso or Campo di Giove;
- from the Christmas period (26 December) until the Epiphanyalso extended routes up to Castel di Sangro.
Seat availability is limitedso it’s better to move in time.
Between Sulmona and Roccaraso, the historic line of the Ferrovia dei Parchi is once again the protagonist of the Christmas period (Getty)
When to leave to spend a whole day at the markets
The historic convoys offer morning departures, with returns in the afternoon, ideal for those who want to spend half a day between artisan stands, visits to the village and a walk in the snow without having to stay overnight. These times vary slightly based on the date and the “first” or “second” departure scheduled for each day: checking the individual date on the ticket office is therefore essential.
Along the line a sensorial experience and storytelling
In the convoy there is not only seating, there are vintage carriages that function as time capsules: wooden seats, portholes that frame the snow and the noise of the rail that becomes a kind of metronome. On board you can breathe a care of experience: the windows are frames for the landscape, from Pettorano sul Gizio to Campo di Giove, from Palena to Roccaraso, the longer stops in the stations become small events, where the markets transform squares and streets into micro-theaters of craftsmanship and typical flavours. In short, the train becomes a “traveling stage”.
How much does it cost to get on board
For the single return ticket, basic prices start approximately from around 55 euros per person with reductions for children. The figures may vary depending on the date, departure and any packages. There is also the possibility “train + overnight stay” with 1–2 night stays in Sulmona, Rivisondoli, Campo di Giove, Scanno and Caramanico. All information, the sale of tickets and packages for historic trains, is managed directly by Ferrovia dei Parchi via the ticketing section of the official website.
The Italian panorama of historic convoys
Italy’s Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the most iconic lines today, but she is not alone. The FS Foundation and other operators manage a network of “historic trains” throughout the Peninsula: from the Nature Train in Tuscanywith experiences related to festivals and local products, to the regional Espressos which organize special editions for festivals and marketssuch as the Espresso Assisi, the Espresso Siena for the Val d’Orcia in Tuscany, the Lario Express from Milan–Como–Lecco in Lombardy, all experiences that share the same cultural horizon: enhance the territory with slow, sustainable, narrated mobilityoften integrating visits, on-board theater or tastings.
Because this journey tells more than the panorama
Taking these trains means taking on a different timenot only that measured by the clock, but the time of the local story. And, in an era that rewards speed, the Trans-Siberian and historic trains in general propose, instead, the forgotten value of slowness as an amplifier of experience. A true Christmas “gift”.