Are the trains between the towns of Cinque Terre covered by Railpass?

Yes. All Regionale trains are covered by the railpass. But, why spend money on a railpass for a ticket that only costs 1.50Euro or so. The towns are only minutes apart by train. Alternatively, if you are in the CT for a few days, you can buy the local Cinque Terre Treno card. You can get this card at many TIs and other locations in the CT. They come in 1, 2, 3 and 7 day issues. This card gives you unlimited rides on the Regionale trains between La Spezia and Levanto. It also covers the cost of walking the famous trails. Yes, there are trolls on the trails wanting you to pay money to pass. The card also covers the mini-buses that run in the towns.

95% of the time, you save money going P2P instead of a pass in Italy. Good for you for doing the research. Are you calculating based on the super low fares you can get thru trenitalia.com if you purchase in advance?

Michelle, As the others have mentioned, using a Railpass the the local C.T. trains is not usually cost effective, as the P-P tickets are very cheap. The daily cost of a Italy Railpass (ie: 5 days in 2 months) is ~$50. You can buy a LOT of P-P tickets for that! Railpasses tend to be better value when using the premium trains, but not as much with Regionale trains. As someone else mentioned, you could also consider the Cinque Terre Treno card. If you decide to use P-P tickets, DON'T forget to validate! Happy travels!

Michael,
No I have not tried - or heard of - trenitalia.com. I will check it out. We leave in 10 days though... can advance tix be purchased and confirmed via email (eticket?) since there is limited time to mail?

Ken, With regard to cost effectiveness of Railpasses - what are "premium trains" in contrast to regional trains? We plan to do Munich to Florence on the night train - I think it's called City Night Line.

Thanks Michael. I was hesitant above to make the same type of comment. Travelers that simply buy a Railpass and don't bother to learn more about the train systems and travel conditions they will encounter seem to have the most unpleasant surprises and things they didn't expect. Michelle, please take a look at the RS Italy book or other travel books in advance of your travel. It's not the same over there.

A regional train makes stops along the way and has no seat reservations. It's like taking the metro in D.C. There really is no need to buy those tickets in advance as you can easily get them at the station. You can buy them online but only a week in advance. You can also get them all at the station the first day you get to Italy. They are much cheaper than a rail pass which is usually the case with any train travel in Italy. Donna

Michelle, any other train type besides the Regionale train, requires seat reservations. The Regionale train is just like a bus on railroad tracks. It's the local and it makes every stop. A railpass covers all Regionale trains and, it covers the base fare of the premium or "high-speed" trains which in simple terms is all of the rest of the trains. However, Trenitalia charges a supplemental fee to holders of a railpass to ride their high-speeds. Trenitalia runs the largest railway in Italy. Private railwasy like the new Italo and Thello lines will not accept the railpass. As for special economy fares on Trenitalia trains, they are only available on the high-speeds. They are not available on the Regionales. Other than the CT, you don't indicte where you will be traveling in Italy. You can buy tickets on Trenitalia right now for the high-speed runs. Economy fares are still available if you are willing to accept non-refundable and non-exchangable tickets. First, you register with Trenitalia. Don't choose the "proceed without registering" option. Once you purchase you tickets, you will receive an email within seconds and you can print out your ticket. The ticket must have a 6-digit PNR code on it. Don't worry about having to purchase tickets in advance for the Regionale trains. As I said, they are like buses. No seat reservations permitted. You can't be denied entry onto the train. If no seats, you can stand. In Italy, the Regionales don't run full except in the CT during the summer. They're packed during the summer. But, that's the way it works there.

In Italy all trains except for Regional trains require a seat reservation and are concern premium trains for Railpass purposes. You will pay a reservation fee of 3 to 10E depending on the train. Night trains have their own fee structure. While you can use a pass on the Regional, it really makes little economic sense to do so.

Please take this with the intended good wishes. Because you have so little time, you need to run out to the nearest bookstore (remember those?) and buy a copy of the Rick Steves Italy book. It's clear you don't have one since you've never heard of trenitalia.com. That means that there are all sorts of additional unpleasant surprises in store for you and you need a good comprehensive guidebook such as the RS books. It will be without a doubt the smartest money you spend on your vacation. As for the trenitalia super discounts, you've probably waited too long for most of them. There's lots more info on trains here, including how to buy tickets online: Ron in Rome on Trains in Italy Best wishes.

I'd like to point out that, in Michelle's situation, travelling between Munchen and Firenze requires a 3-country pass since the train travels through Austria. It is very unlikely a rail pass would be of any advantage in her case, even considering last-minute point-to-point tickets

Hello everyone and thanks for the advice! I appreciate it and no offense taken at all on the book recommendation/the input given - this is the info I am seeking; how to be best prepared so I can enjoy this trip! I bought RS Rome and Florence and Tuscany, but not Italy in general. I have been trying to learn about the rail system by reading online (and reaching out to fellow travelers like yourselves!). I will lay out our itinerary here, and I would LOVE AND APPRECIATE it if anyone could give advice on trains vs. driving - and details on which you vote for. If it's trains - when and where is best to buy the various tix (advance online? just show up at the station?) If renting a car is my best option - what company do to recommend, and what type of insurance should I buy? I bought and IDL.
We are arriving in Florence via the Night Train from Munich. We would like to stay 2 nights in Florence. From there we would like to see San Gimignano, Cinque Terre, possibly Siena? and the Chianti region (spending 2 nights in each area), then we head to Rome for 4 nights and fly home. Thanks in advance for your advice! Trains or drive?

Oops - Let me add one thing. We may spend only one night in each place (depending on how many we visit). We have 7 full days and nights to explore the Florence and Tuscany region, before heading to Rome.

I would suggest that if there was really anywhere in Italy where a rental car could be useful, it would be Tuscany and Umbria. Just don't drive a rental car in Florence. Most all of the historic area of Florence is contained within restricted driving zones called ZTLs. They get your license plate with cameras. Reportedly, the City of Florence issues 600 tickets a day via these cameras. Just don't drive there. Other cities have the ZTLs but not as bad as Florence. If you visit Siena, you are very close to San Gimignano. You can do this by rental car or by local bus between the two towns. With a rental car, you can also visit Volterra, and other great Tuscan towns. When, you are done, it is suggested that you turn in your rental car in Orvietto - another scenic hilltown. From there, you are an hour away from Rome by train.

Thanks Larry! I didn't realize you could pick up a car in one place and drop it in another without a hefty penalty. I like the idea of dropping the car in Orvietto - then off to Rome. Also, thanks for the tip about not driving in Florence. I have read that it's best not drive in any of the major cities if you can help it, which makes sense to me. Do you have any advice on car rental agencies? Should I make the reservation from a local Budget, Thrifty, or Alamo here in the States? Thank you!

Michelle, First regarding the car rental questions. Note that you have an I.D.P. and not an I.D.L. An IDP is not a license, and must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. Here's my usual caveats regarding ZTL areas... You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy (especially Florence!). EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! In some locations, parking tickets or having "The Boot" applied will also be a concern. A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. It's usually compulsory in Italy to accept the CDW offered by the rental firm. Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however this may not be valid in Italy. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. You may wish to download the car rental guide offered by Gemut. You'll also need to budget for tolls (depending on which roads you'll be using) and parking. One other point to note is that automated fuel pumps may only accept "Chip & PIN" credit cards. A few comments on your rail questions to follow....

Michelle, As the others have mentioned, the "premium" trains include the EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita / Freccia (fast) trains. Reservations are compulsory for those, and anyone without reservations can face hefty fines (which will be collected on the spot!) Some of the "express" trains also require reservations. The Trenitalia or Bahn.de websites provide information on which trains require reservations. If reservations are required, those will be included with tickets. You'll be assigned a Car no. (Carrozza) and a Seat no. (Posti). It may also specify aisle or window. You'll need to check the info boards to find the Binario (track no.) of your train. Reservations are not required an not possible to buy for the slower Regionale trains. However, one important point to note regarding those is that the tickets don't list a specific day, so it's vital to validate the ticket in the yellow machine prior to boarding the train or again, hefty fines may result. I normally buy tickets when in Italy, usually a few days before I'll be traveling in the case of premium trains. When traveling on Regionale, I normally just buy a ticket on the day of departure. Tickets can be purchased either at staffed ticket offices (usually long queues) or using the automated Kiosks (I normally use the Kiosks). Reserved tickets don't have to be validated, since they're specific for a particular train and departure time, and can't be used on other trains. You may find it helpful to have a look at the Ron In Rome website. For further information on using Railpasses, download Rick's Railpass Guide by clicking the "Railpasses" tab at the top of this page. Look in the lower right corner for the link. Cheers!

Michelle, One other point to mention.... The fines collected on Italian trains are NOT cheap - about €40-50 per person each time. Fines can also apply for those with unvalidated tickets on Buses or Metro in Rome. I usually buy a B.I.G. (Biglietto giornaliero) daily ticket, which provides transport on Metro or Buses until midnight. Tickets must be validated on the first use (Validation machines are usually on the Buses). If you're riding the infamous #64 or the #40 Bus in Rome, wear a Money Belt and be VERY careful to watch for pickpockets. At peak times, passengers are packed in like Sardines, so it's easy work for pickpockets.

Thanks so much for all the help! Cheers,
Michelle

Michelle,
To follow-up on Larry's comment about the CT pass. We just got back from the CT and bought our CT pass from our hotel in La Spezia for 15 euros. This allowed us to hike the trails and ride the train as much as we wanted for that day. The pass is mandatory if you're going to hike any of the trails as there are check points along the paths. We took the boat from La Spezia to Monterossa, which stopped at each CT town from south to north, fantastic views! The boat ride was 15 euros each and took 2 hours, very nice. We got off in Monterossa, hiked south to Vernaza, trained to Manerola then walked to Riomaggiore. Full day well spent!

For rental cars, check AutoEurope and Kemwel online for rates. You have to reserve the car before leaving for Europe. Call them on the phone to finalize your rental. They have a AAA discount and may have other discounts that are not posted online. The minimum rental time is 3 days. Like previous posters said, you could rent at the Florence airport and return it to the train station in Orvieto. Then take the train to Rome. Before you leave, go to your AAA office and obtain an International Driver's Permit. No test is required just two passport type photos (which they can take there) and $15. For trains, I use this website to determine schedules: http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en When looking at the schedule, if there is a circled R, then reservations are mandatory. If you are travelling with a railpass, you will have to purchase seat reservations at the train station prior to departure. Failure to have these reservations will result in a fine. Now, look at these schedules before you leave and print off the ones you might go on. I also have other trains before and after I think I might want to travel. I also click on the down arrow twice on the schedule to get a complete listing of all stops so that you know which one is before yours. You only have a few minutes to exit the train. Hope this all helps. If you need more help, send me a PM and we could get together or talk on the phone, especially since you are in my backyard.