Train Troubles...

Enter your itinerary at RailSaver.com and it will tell you if individual tickets or a railpass is the best option. Usually point to point tickets are cheaper. When are you traveling? The Italian train schedule won't be updated until early June (www.trenitalia.com for schedules and bookings). There are numerous options each day for your travels within Italy. Venice to Florence is each - no connection needed. Florence to Sorrento will require a change in Naples but the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento is a local commuter train that runs frequently. You don't need a ticket for a specific Circumvesuviana train, just hop on the next one. The trains are actually a great, easy way to train in Europe.

First, nothing to be nervous about - we're here to help! Second, you're confused because it is confusing the first time. Each country has its own rail service, and thus its own website, prices, and system of discounts. As for connections, it's the same basic principle as changing planes at an airport, without the security check. You get off your first train, find out which track your next train is leaving from, and go to that platform.The problem is that you usually have to go down stairs through a tunnel, and back up stairs to change platforms. Yes, it's true, you have to step lively at stations when you have a tight connection. However, you can often pan for a longer connection if you want. Some trains are reserved, meaning that your ticket (or part of your ticket fee) is only good for that train; miss that specific train, and you have to buy a whole new ticket, or a new reservation. A reservation guarantees you a specific seat. Other trains have optional reservations (useful at peak times, not necessary most of the time). Still other trains are unreserved - you sit where you find a seat, and if you don't find a seat, you stand. For unreserved trains, France and Italy (among others) require you to "composte" the ticket, by putting it into a yellow or orange machine that stamps the date and time. This way, you can't reuse the ticket (remember, it's good on any train). For reserved trains, no need to composte, as the ticket is only good on one train. If your train is not leaving for a while, the track may not be posted. Don't worry - just keep checking. I'll never forget the American woman in Prague whom I thought was going to have a heart attack. Her train to Vienna didn't leave for 2 hours, and the track wasn't posted!!! Of course it wasn't-it was no where near the station yet. continued...

continued.. Be sure to know your train's number, departure time, and end point. This way, you can find it on the big departure board or TV monitor (again, just like an airport). Someone here posted about missing their train from Rome to Florence, because it was listed as the train to Milan (intermediate stop was Florence). Be sure you are looking at the departure board, not the arrivals board (yet again, just like an airport). It's very helpful to know the stop just before yours, and when you're due to arrive. When you've past the prior station and it's getting close to your arrival time, gather all your belongings and go toward the exit (you'll see others doing the same). In many stations, the train only stops for a few minutes; you won't have time to get yourself and your belongings off if you wait until the train has stopped. This is less of an issue at major stations, as the train often stops longer there. As for luggage: you lug it. Smaller pieces go in overhead racks; larger ones go in racks at the end of the carriage. You will have to haul your stuff up several steep steps, pretty quickly, to get on and off; if you can't do this, bring less stuff (or you will sorry, when you are not able to get on and off quickly enough). Don't be afraid to ask locals for help. While taking a train for you is a first-time, scary experience, for locals it's as natural as driving to the mall. They will know all the answers. Beware of asking other American tourists - you'll probably feel more comfortable doing this, but realize they may not know any more than you do. continued..

continued.. Rick Steves' books have all the details about the facilities available in each station (major ones are just as busy as airports, and are like small cities in themselves, with grocery stores, shower facilities, shopping, etc). A tip: Germany has very strict shopping hours, including mandatory Sunday closures, but stores in stations are exempt from some of the rules. If you need to buy anything late in the evening or on a Sunday in Germany, head right to a station. The best site to check schedules is http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en. However, while it will have schedules for all of Europe, it will only have prices for trips within Germany. The schedules will change next month, so if you're not getting info for your dates, try using the same day of the week, for next week; the schedules don't change that much. I'll do my best on specifics, but defer to others for most details: 1. Munich to Salzburg: even though Salzburg is in Austria, its station is considered part of the German rail network (the DB), so a domestic German ticket works. Others will know if a Bayern ticket is the cheapest option.
2. Salzburg to Venice: this involves several countries, so it may be cheaper to book as two separate tickets (you can get discounts this way that you can't get if you ticket it as one itinerary). Others will have details. 3. Venice to Florence: this is the Italian rail network, the Ferrovie dello Stato or FS. If you can commit to a specific train and a non-refundable fare, you can get Mini fares as low as 9 euros (cheaper than the mandatory reservation fee of 10 euros). If you can't commit to this, you can buy the ticket when you get there. continued..

4. Florence to Sorrento: this involves Florence to Naples on FS (likely with a change in Rome), then a change to the Circumvesuviana line from Naples to Sorrento. Rick Steves Italy has all the details about this connection. The Circumvesuviana is a private line, not part of the state railways, and is cheap. It's a commuter line; no reservations possible. For the Florence to Naples train, again, you can buy in advance and save money if you can commit to a specific train, or buy on the day if you can't. 5. Sorrento to Rome: you can take the Circumvesuviana to Naples and then an FS train to Rome, or you can take a bus direct (no changes). Note that domestic tickets can be bought at any station in a country. Italy makes it easy, with ticket machines that have an English option (use the British flag) and take credit cards as well as euro cash. So, upon arrival in Venice, you can buy all the rest of your Italy tickets; you may even still be able to snag some discounts. On the Italian routes you are interested in, there are many trains a day; ditto Munich to Salzburg. OK, I'm done. Anyone else with more specific info about buying tickets on these specific routes is invited to contribute.

Our experience over about 20 years of Italian trains is that they are on time or late about the same rate as trains in other countries. And the regional trains, because of all of the stops, tend to be more off schedule than another of the other trains. The high speed trains are very accurate. Not sure what websites you are using or your problems. On trenitalia you do need to use the Italian name/spelling for the cities. Trains are very frequent. There is 53 trains a day between Florence and Rome so it is easy to find a train to fit your schedule. If you don't want short connections then schedule longer connections. You are in charge of your schedule.

Angela, Which "stinkin" train websites have you been using to research your trips? Most of them are quite easy to use, once you learn the routine. Harold has provided lots of information on the various trips you'll be taking. It's late and I just glanced over it quickly, so don't have much to add at the moment. You might find it helpful to have a look at the excellent Ron In Rome website, as there's lots of information there on rail travel in Italy. When you first arrive in Munich, I'd suggest stopping by the EurAide office in the Munich station. They have English-speaking staff, and they're VERY helpful. They'll provide lots of information for getting around Munich, and you may be able to obtain your ticket to Salzburg at the same time. I agree that changing trains in Italy can be an intimidating prospect. Transfer between platforms usually involves going down one set of stairs, through a tunnel and then up another set of stairs. If you're hauling gargantuan pieces of luggage, this will NOT be a pleasant experience! It's important to check your ticket for the train number. When you arrive in a particular station, check the electronic board to find out which platform your next train will be departing from. If in doubt, ask one of the staff (if any are nearby). Some trains in Italy will be Regionale, and you MUST validate your tickets in the yellow machine PRIOR to boarding the train. The fast trains have compulsory reservations which are specific to that train and departure time. You'll be assigned a Car No. (Carrozza) and a Seat No. (Posti), so you must use those seat. Validation isn't necessary, although I do it anyway. Continued.....

Angela - continued.... It's VERY important to have reservations for trains where these are compulsory, as if you're caught without them you'll be fined on the spot and it won't be cheap! The same is true if you forget to validate tickets on a Regionale. One of the easiest websites to use for researching rail journeys throughout Europe is the www.bahn.de (German Rail) website. It will show which routes require reservations. For travel in Italy, you can also use www.trenitalia.com. I tend to agree with your "other half" that buying P-P tickets is the best method in Italy. While you can save money by pre-booking and getting the discounted "Mini" fares, that often has to be done well in advance as they usually sell-out quickly. It's important to remember that pre-purchase of tickets on reserved trains will "lock you into" a particular train and a specific departure. If you miss that train, your tickets are worthless and you'll usually have to pay full fare to buy more. Hope this assuages your anxiety, at least a little. Happy travels!

My experience with Italian trains is that they will always be late. So don't worry about your connections too much. I found Italian rail affordable, except for the trains that require reservations; they did not break bank but were more expensive than the trains that take your to smaller cities/towns. We prepaid for 1 ticket only. We flew into Milan, stayed 1 nights, heading to Florence the next day. It required a reservation that I needed to make a day before; something I did not want to deal with coming off the plane jet lagged.

Italy has several kinds of trains and they are not all notoriously late. For travel between Venice and Florence, Florence to Naples, and Naples to Rome you will us the fast Frecce or Eurostar thanes that are very nice, and generally run on time. They are also very cheap if you buy your tickets way ahead on Trenitalia and get the mini fares. The schedules are up for these trains now so you do not have to wait till mid-June to buy. These are direct trains with no changes between the big cities so no worries about that. Regional trains in Italy are the ones that take you to smaller places. They may run late but we only had one that did. You cannot buy these tickets way ahead, just buy them at the station and validate before you board the train. It all sound complicated but you will quickly get the hang of it. And do not think that a rail pass would make it easier, because on the main intercity trains you still have to make seat reservations and pay extra for them.

If you do have a tight connection, ask a train worker (or conductor or whatev they like to be called) which track your connection is leaving fr before you hit the station- especially if you are going to be in a big station...we missed our train in Milan by a matter of seconds (it was literally pulling out as we were racing down the platform) as we didn't know quickly enough how to read the board (or the Italian spelling of our next stop - panic will do that to ya). It set off a comedy of errors and wrong trains and further missed connections. That being said, I love the public trains and wish Canada had a better system!

The RS office that sells rail passes is helpful in deciding what type of tickets/passes make sense. You might give them a call. Their number is on the home page of this website.

Did I miss your dates of travel? If you can purchase 3 months in advance you can save tons of money; if your dates of travel are much closer, just buy as you go. Go to the website posted below in the next paragraph, then click on "Postings", then look under "Transportation" then "Trains" then read about how to purchase tickets on the Trenitalia website and at ticket kiosks. Here's a very important website that anyone traveling to Italy should be forced to read in its entirety LOL - RonInRome Do read Ron's article titled "Ticket Purchasing Issues Using the Trenitalia Website", plus every other stinkin' article; there'll be a test later ;-)