Italy by Train , any thoughts?

[Sausagenbacon]

We've got 3 weeks in September. I'm thinking of taking eurostar to Paris. Then continue via the Bernina express to Northern Italy. A bit of time in Northern Italy, then south by train to Messina. And then time in sickly before flying back.
Has anyone done anything like this, am I trying to pack too much in?

@Sausagenbacon

the trains are great especially in Switzerland and Italy

It’s the only way to travel! I did this for years. I lived in Paris and my boyfriend was in Milan (where I also worked all the time). I enjoyed the long but peaceful journey tremendously. I spent most of my 20s travelling by train around Europe for work. Enjoy, OP!
I never miss flying but I always miss travelling through Europe by train (might do it next summer).

We used to do this when I was a kid. It's a long old way and I used to get super bored. But may be ok as an adult.

Do it! Italian trains are great. It’s a lovely way to travel.

There are two companies running fast trains in Italy. Trenitalia for the Freccia and the less known, cheaper Italo.

Train services in Italy are great as far down as Naples. The freccia trains are excellent and if late you're automatically reimbursed etc. Not sure how reliable/good once you're past Naples. I'm in Puglia and we have a standing joke that up to Rome on a freccia we can time it to the second, on the return we can time the moment it stops in the middle of nowhere also to the second.
If you download the trenitalia app (also in English) you can journey plan and buy cheap advance tickets.
I've not used Italo, though they only run high speed and mainly, obviously, between big northern cities and a couple of routes in the south. They're an American owned company.

I just did a big train holiday and it was fab! Used the website Man in Seat 61 for planning, and raileurope.com to buy all the tickets and seat reservations. All the trains including the Italian ones were brilliant. So much better than flying as you get in right in the centre of town.

We went to Cinque Terre on train from Brussels last year and all went smoothly. This year I am working out the trip to Bari - possibly the sleeper from Milan on the way out and some stops on the way back. The Sicily train looks like a fab idea. 2nd the Seat61.com website.

There is a huge increase in sleeper trains through Europe now.. as recommended above seat61 is a good source of information.

We did Paris to Venice last October. Changed in Zurich.
Subsequently went on to Salzburg and Vienna. Worked brilliantly.
Previously we've based ourselves in Bologna and taken trains to Verona and Ravenna and other places. Bologna is a good rail hub

Thankyou all.
We had a wonderful holiday last year by train. Lyon, dijon, lucerne, St gallen, innsbruck, then up through Germany. I'm trying to do the same in another direction, hence the query

The man in seat 61 is basically what the internet was invented for. I love that site so much, even if I'm not planning a trip. So much info!

We went from Salerno all the way to Sicily, the train was cheap and brilliant. It couldn't have been easier. We booked it all on line before we went.