Rome's main airport will have direct link to high-speed train services between Florence and Venice.

Commuters travelling through Rome's Fiumicino international airport will soon have a direct link to Italy's high-speed rail network.

From 18 December, Frecciarossa fast trains will connect the capital's main airport to Florence, Pisa, La Spezia, Genoa and Venice.

The direct high-speed rail link means that inbound travellers can avoid having to travel into town, to either Termini or Tiburtina stations, to make the high-speed train connection.

The move is part of plans to introduce a large-scale integrated transport network between Italy's train stations, airports and ports, according to the head of Ferrovie dello Stato, Gianfranco Battisti, who announced a new high-speed service that will get commuters from Milan to Rome by 08.30.

Fiumicino will also have an additional 16 Leonardo Express services, taking the total daily number of express services between the airport and Rome's central Termini station to 126.

Ferrovie dello Stato has plans to introduce a similar direct high-speed rail link to Milan's Malpensa airport during the first months of 2019.