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6 minute train change in La Spezia

For new travelers to Italy, can we change regional trains in La Spezia in only 6 minutes? We are coming in from Florence SMN, and then departing to Vernazza.

What would happen if we miss this connection?

Posted by
3812 posts

Six minutes are plenty of time if the first train is on time.

If not you can freely get on any another Regional train going in the same direction on that line and departing within the following 75 minutes.

You'd better stand by the train's exit doors a few minutes before the scheduled arrival time at La Spezia. Conductors want their train to stop for 5 minutes, not more.

Posted by
32173 posts

dg,

One other point to note is that you may need to get from one platform to the other using the Sottopassagio ((tunnel). If you have heavy, large luggage, you'll have to move quickly.

One more thing.... If any of the trains you'll be using prior to that are Regionale and you're using locally purchased tickets, you MUST validate them prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or risk hefty fines!

Posted by
270 posts

How and when do we find out what platform the departing and arriving trains are on?

Does the class of ticket affect us in any way if we are late to the departing train? I see different ticket class designations and am not familiar with them.

Thanks

Posted by
19656 posts

So we are not guessing, please share the train times you are talking about, and the day of the week.

Posted by
3812 posts

How and when do we find out what platform the departing and arriving trains are on?

Same way you find your gate at the airport: look at the monitors headed "Partenze/Departures". Last column shows the track (binario in Italian) number.In May Trenitalia published the intended track for each station and each train running before December 9, but the site is only in Italian.

Does the class of ticket affect us in any way if we are late to the departing train?

No, it doesn't. As I wrote above regional trains tickets on that line can be used for 75 minutes after the departure of the train you booked online.
Incidentally, if you miss a connection because of trenitalia you are always protected. Train type, class and fare do not matter.

different ticket class designations

For instance?

Posted by
270 posts

Sunday, approx. 10 am leaving Florence SMN.

Non, semi, and fully flexible designations.

Are we better off purchasing the regional tickets while we are in Italy?

Posted by
2431 posts

Yes, it's easy to buy the tickets at the station, either from a ticket agent or from a machine. Just be sure not to validate them too far in advance.

Posted by
19656 posts

The only thing I am seeing is the 10:53 Regionale from Florence SMN, arrives La Spezia Centrale at 13:19, connecting to the Cinque Terre Express at 13:25, arriving Vernazza at 13:43. That has a 6 minute connection.

If you miss it, there is another CT Express at 13:55 and your ticket will be valid. You can buy regionale tickets at any station in Italy and the price is always the same, in this case 17.60 EUR per person, only one class (2nd) and no reservations.

I hope you are using the Trenialia site and not some 3rd party outfit, like Rail Europe.
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Posted by
1204 posts

dgrieco, just to add to the good info above - the La Spezia station is small - as I recall, just 3 or 4 tracks. And regional trains to Vernazza run every half hour. If you miss the first one, you can get an ice cream cone at the McDonald's trackside and relax while you wait for the next train. Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
3812 posts

Non, semi, and fully flexible designations.

These are different fares not available on Regionale Trains, you should not see them.

Forget re-sellers' sites and enter a day of travel before December 9 on Trenitalia.com/tcom-en. Anyone selling tickets not available on Trenitalia is selling a "promise to buy" not a real ticket.

Are we better off purchasing the regional tickets while we are in Italy?

Regionale Trains have no reserved seats (so they can't sell out) and offer no discounts for advance purchases. You'll pay the ordinary fare displayed online, even if you get tickets at the counter 15 minutes before the departure time.
The main reason to purchase in advance is that Regionale tickets bought online do not need to be time-stamped before getting on.

Posted by
270 posts

So far, we have booked our HS tickets on Loco2. We had read that they were a good site to use to purchase train tickets.

Are there any disadvantages to buying the regional train tickets in advance?

Are the regional tickets that are purchased in advance only good for the day they they were purchased for? Wondering if we are delayed or late for some reason if they can still be used?

Posted by
15681 posts

Are the regional tickets that are purchased in advance only good for
the day they they were purchased for?

Yes, and that applies to regionale tickets purchased at a machine or ticket window as well. This info from "The Man in Seat 61" (a great resource for train travel in Europe) states this:

https://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm

"Do you need to buy in advance?
"Regional trains, no. For example, Pisa to Florence, Florence to Siena, Milan to Como or Milan to Tirano. There's absolutely no need to buy in advance and no advantage in doing so other than saving time at the ticket office. The price is fixed so there's no cost advantage in pre-booking, no reservation is necessary or even possible so the train can never 'sell out'. In fact, buying in advance is a disadvantage as regional tickets bought online are non-refundable and non-changeable, limited to a 4-hour window from the time of train you book. So just buy a ticket at the station from ticket office or self-service machines when you get there, validate it in the little green validating machines and hop on the next train, sitting in any empty seat."

Posted by
270 posts

Thanks.
Can we purchase these regional train tickets in advance of the date of travel, at the train station in Italy? Thinking we may want to purchase the departure tickets a few days ahead to make things a bit easier on the upcoming travel day? Any disadvantage to doing this?

Posted by
19656 posts

Yes, you can buy at any train station ahead of time. Make sure you get the correct date. These tickets will need to be validated in the stamping machine on the platform before boarding. Don't forget.

Posted by
114 posts

Absolutely buy the tickets before you get to LaSpezia. My first time there I waited online for 20 minutes and only one person bought tickets during that time. Every line was full of people who didn't know how to use the machines..or didn't realize the machines they were using took only cash or credit....or the machines just plain malfunctioned on their own. It was very annoying to watch people end the process over and over and re-inserting their credit card.

I got fed up and jumped on the train without a ticket - since it was a short ride the conductor never came by to check tickets. I wouldn't recommend doing that however.

The train station at Vernazza is fine for buying tickets, and I think the woman who works in the news stand next to the station might sell tickets too.

Posted by
15681 posts

I got fed up and jumped on the train without a ticket - since it was a
short ride the conductor never came by to check tickets. I wouldn't
recommend doing that however.

Definitely NOT recommended. The CT is notorious for spot checks, fines are high if caught without a valid ticket, and payment is demanded right there and then. You got lucky.

Posted by
270 posts

Quick follow up regarding our experiences in Italy. We accomplished this 6 minute change in less than two minutes, tunnel, luggae, and all. So for those concerned about this in the future, "piece of cake.'

Posted by
32523 posts

I thought that that would be the result - I'm really glad that it worked out that way.

How did you handle the Regionale ticket purchase in the end?

Posted by
270 posts

Nigel-
We gave that a lot of thought and then decided for the small cost of the regional tickets, we chose to purchase them in advance. Figured if we were not able to use them for some reason it would be very affordable to repurchase other tickets on site. We were looking at the convenience factor and also as novices, we thought it may eliminate the possibility of errors using the machine.
Glad we did, all went well with both the HS and regional advance purchases. We used the LOCO2 site to purchase both. Found their site very easy to use and understand. We usedboth their phone and paper tickets and all worked perfectly.

Posted by
32523 posts

I'm so glad that the stress level was down and you were able to relax and enjoy.

Posted by
270 posts

Funny, we were just talking about that yesterday. The moment we arrived, took one look at Venice, tasted the food...what else could matter!

Do you have any experience with Southern Italy? When we were in Rome, we did a food tour and had a really great guide. She told us of Puglia with much admiration. We are thinking of spending some time there but wondering about how to do it.

We would like to revisit Venice, maybe Florence, Assisi, Siena anound surrounding towns, and Rome. Looks as if Puglia would be a commitment-5.5 hour train ride. I should mention that while in Siena, we stayed at the Agritorisimo Marciano. A wonderful place to stay...the home cooked multi-course meal each night was magnificent, as well as the boutiful breakfest spread-all prepared tableside in the large farm house kitchen.

We know nothing about Southern Italy. So our question is, should we consider a trip to concentrate in Puglia and other areas of Southern Italy-tying other towns and regions, and maybe Sicily into a trip? Thanks.

Posted by
26840 posts

Puglia takes some time to get to, plus some time to see--and you'd want to include Matera in Basilicata as well. But if you rent a car, it doesn't take forever to see a lot of the nice spots in that area. Many of the towns are quite small.

Sicily is a whole 'nother beast entirely. I always tell people that I consider 2 weeks the minimum needed to begin to cover the highlights, because they are scattered all over the island. And that's assuming you have a car. I found 18 days a bit too short, using buses and trains--and I do not do beaches and didn't go to the Greek sites at Agrigento, Segesta, or Selinunte. Note that by "2 weeks" I mean 14 full, non-jetlagged, days on the ground in Sicily.

I think most Americans can't get away for a long-enough vacation to cover Sicily and Puglia in the same trip. Ground transportation between the two is slow. Perhaps there are non-stop flights between Bari and Sicily; I haven't checked.

Note that Sicily and Puglia are both very hot in the summer; weather research is advised, so you can hit the sweet spot. I'd opt for spring, when the days are much longer than they are in the fall.

Posted by
1626 posts

Two weeks ago, we boarded a train in Verbania and there was an Italian couple that missed getting off as they were not quick enough to get themselves and their luggage to the door before it closed.

Make note of the names of stops before your stop so you are prepared to get off. Regional stops may not even be 60 seconds, may not have announcements, or you may not be able to understand. If you wait to see the sign for your stop, you might be too late.

Posted by
270 posts

Karen-
Great suggestion! We found this to be the one thing that we really had to pay attention to. On most of our train "adventures" we
would ask other passengers to make sure that we were making the correct decisions before boarding and exiting.

Posted by
26840 posts

I'm constantly asking for verification about bus and train destinations, even in countries where I theoretically have some grasp of the language. I suspect some folks think I'm a bit slow (mentally), but better that than getting on the wrong train. Which, yes, I did manage to do on one occasion. I have so far never stayed on past my planned destination, but it would be easy to do.

Posted by
4217 posts

We know nothing about Southern Italy. So our question is, should we
consider a trip to concentrate in Puglia and other areas of Southern
Italy-tying other towns and regions, and maybe Sicily into a trip?
Thanks.

I agree with acraven, Sicily and Puglia would be a bit much without several weeks--it's hard for me at least to imagine combining Sicily with anywhere else because the island is so large with so much to see/do. I'm still waiting for a good airfare to get me there, but I visited Puglia/Basilicata twice by flying into Bari. Good fares to Brindisi pop up sometimes too (check Lufthansa).
I do think Naples and parts south pairs well with Puglia, again provided you have enough time.