We will be utilizing the train several times when we are in Italy and I am having trouble finding where to begin. Do we need to book ahead of time for a family of 4?
We will be traveling from Venice to the Cinque Terre to Rome, and then from Rome to Florence and back. Is there a good website that where I can find schedules and prices?
Thank you!
go to the trenitalia web site for times and prices. No need to book ahead, plenty of trains each day. It is a good idea to print out the schedules for the days you anticipate taking trains if you are buying as you go so you know what time to be at the station in order to buy tix. In all but CT there are automated kiosks no harder to use than ATMs. You can't buy tix on the trenitalia site because it won't take US credit cards, but once in Italy you can buy them either as you go or in one shot at the kiosk. You may be able to get a discount by purchasing in Italy a few days before you travel, so in Venice spend a few minutes with the kiosk and see what is available; the flip side is this locks you into a certain train. So if its raining the last day in the CT and you decide to go on to Rome early, no can do if you have tix for an evening train.
Laura, re. your itinerary--have you thought maybe about visiting Florence first and then heading to Rome? Would save you some time/backtracking.
I found it very helpful to print out train schedules before leaving home with several times that would maybe work for us. On past trips we always had a rental car but last summer used the trains and it was very easy to do. Trenitalia will update their schedules in June but for the most part you should be able to check schedules now.
www.roninrome.com has lots of useful information on train travel in Italy. Also R.S. Italy book has train info too with a sample ticket you can study so you know what the words on the ticket mean--carrozza, Posti, Finestrino, etc.
Just remember to validate your ticket on the platform before boarding the train. We saw people getting fined on about every train we were on. Let me know if I can provide further info.
Wow - thanks everyone, this is so helpful! I will definitely print out schedules.
As far as backtracking it is intentional. My daughter is finishing a semester in Rome and is traveling with us to Venice and the Cinque Terre and then she'll be our tour guide in Rome for a week. She is then going off with a friend for a few days so we're going to Florence and all meeting back in Rome to return to the US.
