I would like to book train travel within Italy (4 short trips) in May 2017.
Rome to Lucca (via Pisa or Florence)
Lucca to Florence
Florence to Monterosso
Monterosso to Venice (via Milan or Florence)
Can you recommend a train company/website in which I can book all and pay in advance. We are stuck to certain days and that will not change as we are travelling with 8 people and all accommodation is booked.
Thank you very much!
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
That's the website of the Italian railways: www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
Easy to handle if you remember to use the Italian originals for place names. Payment by credit card and printing at home. Trains are bookable from some 90 days before. Advance buying gives considerable discount on high-speed and intercity trains. Those tickets are only valid for that specific train (date and hour), which in your case is no problem.
There is no need for advance buying on »Regionale« trains, such as Lucca to Florence. Those trains are without reservation and have no discount. Just by those tickets at the railway station before departure.
Posted by
278 posts
The other fast train(Rome to Florence for example) is Italo at Italotreno. I booked May 2 Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome a week later already, so they are booking for that time period now. Its very nice and just like Trenitalia. I have been on both and they are about equal. its more a timing availability thing, or a price thing sometimes. Trenitalia lets you see the regional train schedule as well as book those. italo does not.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8150 posts
I was thinking you got the best deals 120 days out on Trenitalia.com for the longer train trips that require reservations.
I assume you're wanting to go to Monterosso al Mare--part of the Cinque Terre. Why don't you go there from Lucca--which is a short distance via La Spezia? Then go to Venice from La Spezia..
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
True, David, Trenitalia and Italo post 120 days in advance.
A couple of trips have regionale legs, in the past I have been able to book the entire journey 120 days ahead. Tickets are pre-validated if bought online, print at home and you are on your way.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Your route is somewhat inefficient, but certainly possible. On many of the routes, you'll be using a combination of express Freccia or Intercity trains along with Regionale trains. On the Monterosso to Venice route, I normally find that going through Florence is a bit easier.
You can buy tickets either on the Trenitalia website (the network that operates the trains) or at trainline.eu as they sell tickets at the same price as Trenitalia. With a group of eight, it could be "challenging" to get seats together on all the trains you'll be travelling on.
If you haven't travelled by public transit in Italy before, there are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of. I'm assuming you're aware of those?