I am traveling from Nice to Florence in September and wondering if there are any recommendations for the transport method? It is 3-4 trains depending on the route and takes the better part of a day which is kind of a big negative for me. Flights are non-direct with the exception of Corsica Air which has some fairly negative reviews if there are any flight issues regarding customer service. A private car transfer is expensive but faster than the train, comparable to the flight time when including airport waits and transfers. Depending on ticket prices it would be the same or cheaper than flying. Just looking to see if anyone has made this particular trip and what your experience was. If anyone has used a car service, could you recommend? Thank you!
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7466 posts
It looks like the train would take around 8 hours, with multiple changes, including a change at Ventimiglia on all train routes. I saw one train that changes in Ventimiglia, then an IC to Milan, followed by a train to Florence. It has the fewest changes.
Google Flights shows multiple flights by ITA, connecting in Rome, and taking 3 hours. (Add 2 hrs at Nice airport).
Google Maps estimates a drive time of 5 hours. But this is usually inaccurate on long distance drives, since it can't anticipate traffic slowdown due to accidents or road work, or enroute stops for meals or bathrooms. And of course it would be very expensive compared to the first 2 options. For example DayTrip gives a price of just under €900.
If it was me, I'd grit my teeth and take the flight.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
CJean, apprecitate your thoughts. I didn’t think about road delays. Any idea how long of a layover is recommended for Rome airport? Shortest flight gives 50 mins which seems tight.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
7466 posts
ITA flies out of Terminal one at FCO and uses the A gates for intra European flights. Since your flight is intraSchengen, you dont need to go through security or Passport Control. In theory it's doable. If you miss the connection due to a late arrival, it is up to ITA to get you on the next available flight.