Hi. Going to Italy for 2 weeks in June. We will spend a couple nights in Rome before going to to Venice. We plan to take a train to Venice, stay for 3 days and then take a train back to Rome where we will rent a car to go to Tuscany, Almalfi Coast, and a bunch of other places.
1. Does the amount of time in Venice for a 2 week trip sound ok?
2. Any suggestions on train to rome? 1st class worth it?
Thank you,
Dan
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
3 full days in Venice out of a 14 day trip to Italy is within the typical range of time spent by travelers posting on this site. Go to this website to see train schedules, but you cannot purchase tickets on this site:click
Posted by
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
705 posts
Yes I think so. I spent 3 nights there last year and was pretty happy that I saw and did pretty much everything I wanted to. I like to do a bit of just wandering around so 3 days should be OK. Train to Rome would be best - so much easier to navigate than flying - you leave and arrive pretty much 'in town'. I flew last year and wished I hadn't. By the time I got to the airport, waited for the plane which was late, got to Rome airport and then into Rome I think I saved about 1/2 hour! 1st class is a bit more comfortable and you can reserve your seat but it really depends on how important that is to you and your budget.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
More importantly, why are you going all the way back to Rome to rent a car just to drive up to Tuscany and then all the way back down to the Amalfi coast? Or are you going to train back to Rome and then drive from Rome to Amalfi and then back up to Tuscany? You're not going to want to do the Rome-Venice train ride more than once. It's LOOOONG. You'd lose one of your precious days getting back to Rome just to turn around and leave.
Why not go from Venice to Florence for a couple of days and then rent a car as you leave and drive down through Tuscany toward Amalfi?
Lay this all out on a map and try to get rid of as much "doubling back" as you can.
1st class train gets you a reserved seat and puts you with other Americans, Germans and Brits. 2nd class puts you with the average Italians. Depends on what you want. We did 1st class on our first trip to Italy and now do only 2nd class because I get to practice my Italian if I find some chatty Italians.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
19 posts
Thanks Mike. I do have to consider all that, I don't want to be going up and down a bunch. I am also concerned about loosing another day being on the train.