Hi. What time is breakfast normally served in pensione's that serve free breakfast? I'm an early bird and wondering what time to plan trains out of town. I'm hoping 7am but? Thanks.
Oh another question, is it necessary to book "normal" trains between Italian cities in late September? Do they ever fill? Seems crazy to precook 8 trains now. Thanks again?
7:00 is rare in small hotels. If our tour groups want breakfast at 7:00 or 7:30, we often have to make a special request. 8:00 would be more reliable. There may also be differences between big cities (with possibility of business travelers) and resort areas (all tourists).
Trains rarely fill up and run frequently. The main reason to book ahead is for ticket discounts on longer, more expensive rides.
There's enough variation that, if it's important to know the breakfast hours ahead of time, you should email your pensions to ask. It's pretty common for breakfast to start later and end later on weekends, too.
Since breakfast in Italy is often just coffee and a roll, which you could probably buy at the neighborhood bar for less than 3 euros, occasionally missing a paid-for breakfast isn't a disaster.
Seems crazy to precook 8 trains now
Is it crazy to book hotel reservations now? Or airline tickets? If you have a reservation in city A and a reservation in city B the next day, you know have to get from A to B on a certain day. Why not book now? Advance ticket prices are not all the same, it depends on how many people have already bought tickets for certain trains. Popular times to popular destinations have higher prices, so you can shop now, and maybe take a train that leaves an hour later and save 10 or 20 EUR per seat. Of course, if you are moving to a nearby location, you can use a Regionale train that has the same price all the time and can be bought the day of departure.
Also, if you leave very early, you will arrive before you can get into your room. The best you can do is drop your luggage at the hotel and come back late afternoon when your room is ready.
Breakfast at small B&Bs is usually 8-9:30 or 10 or 8:30-10. Large hotels may begin at 7 or 7:30.
I've found that breakfast time varies with each hotel. Those in the large cities that also cater to business travellers seem to start earlier, while the smaller family-operated hotels start later (about 08:00).
Is there a reason you're leaving town at 07:00? That's very early and you'll probably find that when you arrive at your next hotel, you won't be able to check in for several hours so will have to leave your bags in storage and come back later. I've found that it's much easier to time the departure so that I arrive in the new city in the early afternoon, when my room will be ready.
Could you clarify your term of "normal trains"? If you're referring to Regionale trains, they never fill up (but you may have to stand at times) and there's no advantage to pre-booking. Price will be the same regardless. If you're referring to the fast trains such as the Freccia high speed, you can save some money by pre-booking BUT your ticket will come with compulsory seat reservations which are specific to train, date and departure time. You will only be able to travel on the one train listed on the ticket. If you board another train, you'll be subject to hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! The cheapest tickets on the fast trains are non-refundable and non-changeable once booked so choose carefully!
acraven is right, there is no one "standard" time or times. So if it's important to you, e-mail the place to ask. If you want to eat earlier than their regular breakfast, some places will be able to do coffee and a roll or cold cereal early, and some will not - again, you have to ask.
If you are leaving early and there will not be any breakfast at your pension, you can get breakfast at the station or nearby.
As for the trains, Sam is right on target. If you don't mind paying full price, and/or you need full flexibility, you can wait until you get there. if you know your plans and want to save money, book now; just realize the Super Economy tickets are not refundable or changeable for any reason, and you can change the Economy tickets one time, but must pay any difference (so you won't lose money as long as you're taking another train instead).
Of course, you can do a mixture. For my upcoming trip to the UK I booked two trains ahead (the ones I knew for sure I'd be taking) and saved a lot. Others I'm not sure of, so I'll wait until I'm there.
I presume the OP is planning to take day trips from his location, therefore he's probably asking about Regional trains and how early he can expect to hit the road without missing his B&B breakfast. I don't think he means necessarily the day he's checking out.
In my experience if you want to hit the road by 7am, you are going to miss your breakfast, because I've never stayed in a hotel in Italy that serves breakfast before 7 or 7:30.
As explained above, no booking of regional trains is necessary or even advisable. Buy it when you are already there at the station.
Hopefully the OP can clarify whether he's referring to day trips or moving onto his next hotel. Unless specific information is provided, replies tend to include some assumptions.
Thanks everyone! I posed the questions. What a response! I'm spending three days in each of Rome, Florence and Amalfi area but about 6 single nights places. I chose them based on location, price, reviews and why not Take a free breakfast? Then I realized I wake at 6, am a bit of a twitch, and a lot of trains are 1-2 hours, so get an early start. I like all your advice, I'll check on breaky time, then run for + or - 10 am trains, getting places around noon, when place appear to welcome new guests. This was my first post ever, exciting ! Thanks again!
Six single-night stays? Ouch. That's a lot of moving around!
That be as it may, I'll be the dissenter here as we're also very early risers, and have occasionally been on a train before the breakfast hour. Besides just being itchy with the waiting around and ready for the next adventure, we've realized some better prices here and there on early, longer-distance trains versus later ones. Accommodations (apartments may be the exception) will usually store your baggage while you sightsee so arriving before check-in hasn't been a problem.
Sometimes pre-dawn departures were due to having to catch early flights.
Anyway, we've been sure to settle everything up with the desk the night before an early departure; not all of them are serviced 24/7. Most of them have offered to pack us a light breakfast to take along so it wouldn't hurt to see if yours might do the same? We haven't done any REALLY small pensiones so it may be a no-go but you never know.
I too often wake up very early, especially at the start of a trip when sleep patterns have been disrupted. I like to go out for a walk and watch the town wake up. Bars (Italian type, not American) will be open often before 6 and have an espresso or an americano with the locals, standing up like an Italian. Then back to the hotel for breakfast at 8.
Unless you are in Venice and the check-in clerk hands you a note saying breakfast will be served tomorrow morning at 6 am due to the high water. Yep, the breakfast room was flooded by 8 am.
7 AM? No, Just my opinion, but the free breakfast you get is worth what you pay for it, and if you have to pay for it, you paid too much. Some places in Italy did serve a decent coffee, and if it works for me, I might take advantage of some fruit or a pastry, but I do not delay my day to eat at my hotel. I would much rather find a local bakery and stop at a coffee shop; much better, relatively cheap, more local, and fits my schedule.
An early breakfast of some sort might well be available in a coffee shop of the departing train station. You might well be able to pick up a pastry, coffee or tea, maybe some juice or even a sandwich (with some protein) to take with you on the train. Even the bar/cafes in smaller/mid-sized stations (I'm thinking Orvieto, Ravenna, Assisi, here) likely are open around 7:00 am for earlier travelers.
I was booked into the Smart Hotel Holiday in Mestre near the Venice (VCE) airport which included a breakfast buffet in the price. We had a 7:30 AM flight and had to leave the hotel at 5:30. The hotel packed us breakfast to-go bags that we received when we checked out.
Just picking up something at the station (unless it's REALLY early) is probably the best bet.
Don't be too worried about the single night stay criticism coming you way. I too did x6 single nights in a row in summer 2012 and when travelling solo it worked perfectly. Plus I love a new hotel room every day.
What are your full plans? I travelled Ferrara >> Padova >> Vicenza >> Verona >> Mantova >> Milan
If your distances are small I wouldn't be booking regional trains, only longer distances with Freccia services.
Breakfast is normal about 8am in smaller hotels.
