We'll be traveling with our 9 month daughter and thought we would need to purchase first class train tickets so that we could reserve a seat. Is this assumption correct or are can we reserve with second class or should we even worry about not having a seat? We'll be traveling from Milan to Rome, Rome to Naples, Naples to Orvieto, Orvieto to Cinque Terre, Cinque Terre to Florence, Florence to Venice and Venice to Milan.
Thanks
Pam, seat reservations are required on certain trains. It has nothing to do with class. The Eurostar class and the ICPlus class trains as well as the night trains all require seat reservations. You will find these trains on the Milan/Rome, Rome/Naples, Florence/Venice and Venice/Milan. However, there is the Regionale train. This is the local bus on tracks. No seat reservations permitted regardless of the class. On your trip from Naples to Orvieto, you will most likely be on a Eurostar from Naples to Rome where you will change to an R train to Orvieto. Most Eurostars between Rome and Florence are non-stops so they just whiz by Orvieto. Your trains to and from the CT will be R trains or a mixture of ICPlus/R trains. No Eurostars on these runs. You will find that 2nd class is just fine. There is plenty of room. Bambina rides free (but no seat).
I've done both. 1st class when traveling on business and someone else was paying. 2nd class when paying for my own travel. I've never seen a great need to travel 1st class and wouldn't mind if my next business trip was done that way.
