Going back to Italy in September and am considering purchasing one-way train fares (Rome to Florence) before we leave. I understand the risk (late arrival, slow travel from the airport = lost investment) so am wondering if it's worth it, i.e., what's the difference in cost if we buy them day-of-travel? Thanks!
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7956 posts
It looks like about a 20 Euro per person difference. You can check prices on www.trenitalia. The train stations are Roma for Rome and Firenze for Florence.
Posted by
30 posts
Another good resource is the British website loco2. You can enter your departure and destination cities, along with travel date, and scroll down their ticket price menu to see what you would pay for a cheap ticket now with no refunds, etc. vs a fully flexible ticket, which would give you an estimate for the worst case scenario price if you purchase on day of travel. Keep in mind loco2 prices are in British pounds, not Euros, so remember to convert to get your estimate. We were in Italy last month and purchased a Florence-Venice round trip one day before travel and prices were a bit less than the most expensive ticket listed on loco2. But there were very few seats left on the train where we could get two together , and some of the trains we could have chosen had no seats available for reservation. Buying last minute does carry greater risk that the train you want could be full; I think that is rare on a route with lots of service like you are talking about, but it's possible.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32396 posts
I assume you've already booked your flights? What time does your flight arrive at FCO?
Many of us here on the forum don't recommend buying advance train tickets to connect with a flight, for the reasons you mentioned. If you leave lots of time between flight arrival and train departure, you might be fine. However that means waiting for the train you've booked in a jet lagged state (something I try to avoid). The easiest solution is just to buy tickets for the next train when you arrive.
If your flight arrives in the morning, you might be able to connect with the 11:08 direct departure from FCO to Firenze SMN.
If you do decide to buy advance tickets, I would highly recommend the www.trainline.eu website. Once you're registered on the site, with payment details, it's very user friendly. They have a smartphone App as well.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Thanks so much Ken - great advice.