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15-night trip to Italy and train questions

Solo traveler, first time to Italy. Please advise on the easiest/least hassle routing:

11/1/2015: Arrive Venice ~8 am
11/1/15 to 11/4 - 3 nights in Venice
11/4: Take train from Venezia S. Lucia to Monterosso via Milano (1 change of train).
11/4 - 11/6: Monterosso
11/6: Train from Monterosso to Florence via Pisa (1 change of train)
11/6 - 11/10: Florence, take a day trip to Sienna
11/10: Train from Florence to Rome
11/10 - 11/16 Rome
11/16: Rome to USA

  1. Train questions: a. Is there any way to find out what direction your seat faces?

b. From Venice to Milan is a fast train and from Milan to Monterosso is an Intercity train, can get seat assignment on both.
I heard that Milan train station is huge and beautiful, will 40 minutes be enough to find my way to the Intercity train to Monterosso?

c. From Monterosso to Florence via Pisa:
Monterosso to Pisa is Intercity train, Pisa to Florence is Regional train. Should I buy the tickets even though there is no seat assignment for the Regional train? I read that I won't need to validate the ticket for the Regional train since the PNR code printed on the confirmation will suffice.
How easy is it to change train in Pisa?

  1. I am concerned about hauling an 22" luggage and a carry on bag on the regional trains. It's a direct fast train from Venice to Florence. Will it be better if I leave from Venice to Florence on 11/4, then take an early train to Cinque Terre for a long day trip?

Thanks for your help!

Posted by
32173 posts

dragon,

As you asked for the "easiest/least hassle" routing, my first suggestion is to change the order slightly. The most efficient route would be Venice > Florence > Cinque Terre > Rome. Are you using the Italy guidebook to plan your trip? When you arrive in Venice, use the Alilaguna Water Bus for transport from the hotel to Venice.

Regarding your questions.....

  1. There may be a way to find out what direction the seat is facing? I've never been concerned about that. The direction of the seats will only be a concern when using the "fast" trains which require seat reservations, as with Regionale trains you can sit where ever there's an open seat.

(b.) I'll comment further on trains below. YES, 40 minutes is definitely enough time!

(c.) More comments on that below.

  1. It won't make any difference whether hauling a carry-on and 22" bag on "fast" trains or Regionale trains. You'll still have to haul it on and off the train which shouldn't be difficult with bags of that size. You should be able to keep the 22" bag with you on the rack over the seat and definitely keep the carry-on with you. I would definitely suggest spending a few days in Monterosso, as you won't be able to see much or enjoy the area as much with a day trip.

A few thoughts on the train journeys you'll be taking....

"I read that I won't need to validate the ticket for the Regional train since the PNR code printed on the confirmation will suffice."

That's not entirely true. If you're pre-purchasing Regionale tickets (which is not really be best idea), these will come pre-validated but will come with restrictions. If you purchase Regionale tickets locally, either from a Kiosk or staffed ticket office, you MUST validate them prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or risk hefty fines!

Assuming you decide to follow the route that I outlined above, these are the trains

  • Venice to Florence - you can use either Freccia or Italo trains on that route, since they both use the same stations. Your destination in Florence will be Firenze SM Novella.
  • Florence to Monterosso via Pisa - I'm assuming you want to go via Pisa in order to stop and see the Tower? In order to avoid having to store luggage, I'd probably take a few hours one day and just see Pisa as a day trip. You mentioned a day trip to Siena, and that's very easily done by Bus (about an hour each way). For that trip, using trains that only have one change will be a bit easier. You could consider a departure from Florence at 10:28, arriving Monterosso at 12:52 (time 2H:24M, 1 change at Pisa Centrale, 1 segment via Regionale, 1 via InterCity).
  • Monterosso to Rome - I'd suggest using one of the direct trains from La Spezia Centrale to Roma Termini. There are several of those each day with a travel time of about 3H:45M. One of the quickest is a departure from Monterosso at 12:42, arriving Roma Termini at 16:32 (time 3H:50M, 1 change at La Spezia).
  • TICKETS - tickets for the "fast" trains are offered for sale up to 120 days in advance, and considerable savings are possible with advance purchase tickets. Note that the cheapest Super Economy tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. Also, tickets for these trains are specific to train, date and departure time, so can ONLY be used on the one train listed on the ticket. Boarding the "wrong" train will likely result in hefty fines! There's no advantage to buying Regionale tickets in advance, as there are no price breaks and these come with restrictions. It's just as easy to buy those when in Italy, either from a Kiosk or staffed ticket office. BE SURE to validate prior to boarding the train on the day of travel. One of the easiest sites to purchase tickets for either Trenitalia or Italo is www.capitainetrain.com (very user friendly website).

Buon Viaggio!

Posted by
11294 posts

A few additions to Ken's excellent post.

Milano Centrale station is indeed huge, but the tracks themselves are all on one level, so changing trains is easy. The key is to go to the head of your arrival platform, look for a departures monitor (not an arrivals monitor), and find your next train by departure time and train number. With 40 minutes, you have time to use a bathroom, buy some food or a magazine, etc.

In addition to racks overhead for smaller bags and racks at the end of each car for larger ones, you can often stow luggage in the upside-down "V" formed by two seats facing opposite directions. See the third picture down on the right, with the white arrow, here: http://seat61.com/luggage-on-european-trains.htm

BTW, The Man In Seat 61 is an excellent resource for almost all train questions. A few hours spent reading the relevant pages on his site is a good investment for a first time train traveler - it's a bit overwhelming, but you'll be an expert.

Posted by
23178 posts

I will be more blunt. NEVER buy Regionale train tickets on-line. No need to and it just creates potential problems for you. Since train cars are designed to run in either direction, all the seats face the middle. At any one time half the passengers are riding forward and half riding backwards. Some cars will have pairs of seats facing each other which I don't like because you play footsie with the people across from you. There may be some older cars that have all the seats facing the same direction but I don't recall that. And sometimes a train may change direction along the route so you start riding in one direction and end riding in another. It is nearly impossible to determine in advance the direction you seat will be going. Forty minutes in Milan will give enough time for a sandwich and a coffee.

A 22" bag should not be problem on any train. The 22 should fit on the over rack if space is available. Luggage theft from trains is frequently discussed but seldom happens. Who wants a bunch of old clothes?

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks for the responses. I will not buy Regional train tickets until I arrive Venice.
I posted the same questions on another travel site and got more helpful answers. 1 person suggests a more efficient route will be 3 nights in Venice, 4 nights in Florence, 2 nights in Monterossa and then 6 nights in Rome. Another suggests November is not a good time (could be cold and rainy?) to visit Cinque Terre. I think it may be better to have 3 nites in Venice, 6 nites in Florence and 6 nites in Rome. I can take a day trip to CT from Florence just to make sure the weather is favorable.

Too many choices. Luckily I have time to do more research and learn a few basic Italian before the trip.