The journey between Bologna and Ancona is interesting, especially after Pesaro where the line skirts the Adriatic all the way to Ancona. You can see all the seaside resort features - beaches (public and private), ristorante, hotels and harbours (the most scenic is probably Senigallia). Including the London Underground and RER trains, we took eight trains to central Italy. To summarise, an overnight stop in Paris would probably have been a more comfortable option and also cheaper. Train from Italy >

As we threaded our way in the early hours towards Milano, it was evident we were going to be late. They did announce this and we were about 45 minutes late, but fortunately I had allowed for 1h 10mins connection time at Milano Centrale.

Day 2 (Monday morning): We were booked on the 0710 Frecciarossa as far as Bologna; you need to book any Freccia train in advance. In most continental rail carriages, they don't use card or electronic display bookings and it is up to the individual to find their seat and ask someone to leave if occupied. Since our train started in Milano, this was not an issue, but by departure time the carriage (and most of the train) was full. These Frecciarossa trains are extremely spacious and comfortable, and the ride quality is great. There is a dedicated high speed line from the outskirts of Milan as far as Bologna where we changed in the low-level high speed platforms (since our train was continuing to Rome). Here we had over half-an-hour to find our final train, a Frecciabianca to Ancona departing from the surface level platforms. We're explored Bologna on a number of occasions and were happy to pass through now. Our Frecciabianca left about 10 minutes late, but arrived more-or-less on time.