My parents are reluctant to take the train from Rome to Florence. My father is 70 and has bad legs, so he walks very slowly. They are concerned about having to walk long distances to get to the track, and lug their luggage up stairs.
DO the trains stations have wheel chairs or those golf carts like in the airports to assist people?
Any advise would be appreciated.....the location of my wedding is pending this decision.
I love train travel and advocate it whenever possible. However, it's not for everyone and it may not be the correct mode of transportation for your elderly parents.
Yes, you do have to haul your own luggage onto the train and store it in the appropriate places. Sometimes there are quick connections and long distances to walk to get to your correct car on the train. This is not a problem for many people - but it may be for your elderly father.
We were on the EuroStar from Rome to Florence and there were two elderly ladies attempting to haul their luggage up the train steps into their car. I stopped to help and they were quite ecstatic to have the assistance. Turns out they lived about an hour from me in Tennessee.
Maybe someone else would have stopped to help if I had not - but maybe not. By themselves, they would never have loaded/unloaded their own luggage.
Maybe there are porters for hire, but I never say one. Everyone carried and loaded their own bags.
Stacey....Trenitalia does offer help for disabled train-goers. You can try e-mailing them at assistenzaclientidisabili.rm@trenitalia.it for Rome Termini and assistenzaclientidisabili.fi@trenitalia.it for Florence SMN. See what they provide at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/servizi_per/disabili/index.html. Note that they want passengers to show 30 minutes before train time so they can help them aboard.
There is assistance available but it must be requested 3 days in advance by calling (from the US) 011 39 064881726. Not sure if the operators speak in English. If not ask your hotel to request the service. I'm not sure how reliable the service is. At the departure train station it should go smoothly but if no one shows up at the arrival station to help them they will be at the mercy of strangers to help them. I'm willing to bet someone would offer to help but you never know.
