Italy is bringing together two of its great traditions – historic rail travel and wine culture – with new autumn services connecting Milan and Turin to the celebrated wine landscapes of Piedmont.
In October and November 2026, Fondazione FS Italiane will operate historic trains from Milan to Alba and Turin to Canelli, providing visitors with an alternative way to reach the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato.
For wine tourism, the significance extends beyond transportation. These routes demonstrate how rail can become part of the destination experience, connecting major cities with vineyards, gastronomy, cultural heritage and rural communities while supporting a more integrated approach to regional tourism.
Milan to Alba: Wine, Truffles and the Langhe
The historic Milan–Alba service will operate on Sundays October 11, 18 and 25, 2026, departing Milano Centrale at 9:05 a.m. and travelling via Pavia, Alessandria and Asti before arriving in Alba at 12:35 p.m. The return service departs Alba at 6:20 p.m., arriving in Milan at 10:00 p.m.
The journey has been designed as part of the experience. Passengers will travel aboard historic 1970s Gran Confort carriages, with tastings, seasonal products and storytelling around Nebbiolo offered en route.
The timing is significant. Autumn is one of the most compelling seasons in Alba and the surrounding Langhe, bringing together wine, gastronomy, truffles and harvest landscapes.
Rather than simply transporting visitors to Alba, the train begins introducing them to the region before they arrive.
Turin to Canelli: Historic Rail Meets Sparkling Wine Heritage
In November, the focus shifts to the Turin–Canelli historic train, operating on Sundays November 1, 8, 15 and 22, 2026.
Travelling from Torino Porta Nuova through Bra and Alba to Canelli, the route crosses the vineyard landscapes of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato aboard historic 1920s Centoporte carriages.
Wine and gastronomy are again integral to the journey, with onboard tastings and masterclasses highlighting regional products and the sparkling-wine traditions of Alta Langa and Monferrato.
The inaugural November 1 service will add another heritage dimension, with the train scheduled to be hauled by a steam locomotive through Piedmont during the autumn foliage season.
Canelli is an especially fitting destination. It forms part of the UNESCO-listed Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2014.
UNESCO identifies Canelli and Asti Spumante as one of the components of this cultural landscape, recognizing the historic relationship between viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, settlements, architecture and the surrounding environment.
The Wine Tourism Opportunity: Solving the Last Mile
The trains create access. But access alone does not create a complete wine-tourism experience.
Visitors arriving in Alba or Canelli still need convenient connections to wineries, vineyard hotels, restaurants, villages and cultural attractions beyond the railway station.
This is where the initiative presents a broader destination-development opportunity: connecting rail with the last mile of the visitor journey.
A fully integrated itinerary might include:
Historic train → local transfer → winery visit → regional lunch → cultural experience → overnight stay → return journey
Instead of requiring travellers, especially international visitors, to coordinate each component independently, destinations could use the train as the backbone of a bookable wine-tourism product.
Local shuttles could meet scheduled arrivals; wineries could coordinate experiences with train times; hotels could develop rail-and-stay packages; and restaurants, guides and cultural attractions could be incorporated into complementary itineraries.
The result would transform transportation into part of the destination infrastructure and part of the experience itself.
A Broader Model for Wine Tourism
The initiative also reflects a broader shift in wine tourism.
Today’s wine traveller increasingly evaluates the entire destination experience, not simply the tasting room. Accessibility, accommodation, gastronomy, culture, transportation and ease of booking all influence the appeal of a wine region and its ability to encourage longer stays.
Historic rail introduces an additional experiential element. The journey between city and vineyard becomes part of the story through heritage carriages, landscape, wine education and regional gastronomy.
It may also make rural wine destinations more accessible to international visitors and travellers who prefer not to rent a car. When combined with coordinated local transportation, rail can provide a practical alternative to dependence on private vehicles.
From Historic Train to Wine Tourism Experience
The Milan–Alba and Turin–Canelli services offer more than a nostalgic journey through Piedmont. They illustrate how heritage transportation can become a strategic component of contemporary wine tourism.
Piedmont already possesses the essential elements: internationally renowned wines, distinctive gastronomy, historic towns and UNESCO-recognized vineyard landscapes.
The opportunity now is to connect them.
By integrating rail, local transportation, wineries, gastronomy, accommodation and cultural experiences, Piedmont could turn the historic train into the starting point for a seamless wine journey, one that begins in Milan or Turin and continues deep into the vineyards.
For today’s wine traveller, reaching the wine region should not simply mark the end of the journey.
It should be where the experience begins.
Information & Booking
Milan–Alba: Truffle and Wine — October 11, 18 & 25, 2026
Tickets are currently listed at €69 adult / €34.50 child per single journey. Fondazione FS confirms tickets can be purchased through Trenitalia’s sales channels. Fondazione FS
Official Fondazione FS – Milan–Alba itinerary and booking information
Trenitalia – Purchase tickets
Turin–Canelli: Langhe, Roero and Monferrato — November 2026
Fondazione FS currently lists tickets at €49 adult / €24.50 child per single journey, with tickets available through Trenitalia. Fondazione FS
Official Fondazione FS – Turin–Canelli itinerary and booking information
Turismo Torino – Turin–Canelli visitor information and booking
Trenitalia – Purchase tickets
There is also an official FS Treni Turistici Italiani booking channel. FS News specifically identifies it, along with Trenitalia, as a place to purchase these tourism-train experiences. FS News