Help with estimating train costs?

I"ll skip the cost estimates as I'm sure someone else will do a better job of that but as far as space on a train…
All the Italian trains I've been on - and we only buy 2nd class tickets - have been VAST improvements over ANY flight I've ever taken. There's more leg room, and coaches don't feel nearly as claustrophobic as planes: the big windows help immensely. I wouldn't worry AT ALL about having an issue regardless of class or type.

Honestly, if I could get to Europe on an Italian train versus a plane, I'd be all over it! :O)

This may help? The Excellent Man in Seat 61 has a lot of photos of the interiors of all sorts of Italian trains. Note how open even second class carriages look:

http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#.VYmCPUuwg4Y

On the Trenitalia website, you can check prices up to 120 days ahead for fast trains, so put in a date 119 days from today to see the cheapest discount fares (no changes or refunds on super economy). If a train leg doesn't show a price, it's a regionale or regionale veloce, put in a date six days from now for those fares. You can click on the flag icon and select English. Use the calendar to be sure you get the dates right (note that Monday is the first day of the week, Sunday is last). Station names must be entered in Italian. You probably want Venezia Santa Lucia, Firenze SMN, and Roma Termini.

If your itinerary is set, you should be able to get the super economy fares when they become available. Prices won't change too much, maybe a few euro more, than what you will see today.

One other thing, some of your rides may go through tunnels (gallerie). Just close your eyes.

You can go to the websites now and get some idea how much your train costs will be. Just pretend you are traveling in September 2015.

I purchased my train tickets on Italio 120 days out. Venice to Rome for Prima (1st class) Economy (can change) was 108 Euros for both of us. That might give you an idea. it would have been even cheaper to go one step down. The Italo website is SO much easier to understand and finally use...well, at least it was for me.

I think your airfare and parking is right on the money. I just added mine up and it came to $3,100 and that includes $198 for Delta Comfort+ on the way over.

I also have a spreadsheet made that has my estimate and actual costs. This is for 10 days in dollars, and based on 1.14.

Air/parking 3,100
Hotels 2,853
Transfers 634 (trains, taxis, water taxi in venice (125) and private car for AC (195).
6 Tours 700
Food 2,000
Souvenir/gifts 400
Other 300
Est Total Approx 10,000

Take out the air and you have $688 per day for one couple. This just might give you a ball park. I figured that the Transfers cost is actually less than what I paid for a 10 day rental van on our California vacation last year, so don't feel so bad about that...especially that Water Taxi ride in Venice! Hope this helps you a little.

Now, you can go for alot less than that, I know. However, this is our belated 30th anniversary trip (31 by then), so the only thing that I was more mindful of were hotels. I tried to keep us in what I deemed reasonable prices.

Even though you are planning for 16, it is easy to estimate train fares. Fares do not vary by season and are not as inconsistent as US airline fares. Generally fares are adjusted once a year but the adjustment is small. I would look at the current Trenitalia fares (within the next 90, 120 days) and add 10% for next year. If you look out 120 days, you should see the typical Super Economy, and Economy fares that COULD be available. These fares have restrictions so be sure you know the restrictions. Fares on Regionale trains are always the same - no discount. Never buy a Regionale train ticket on line. Always at the station. The seating in First class will appear to be more spacious since you only have three seats across instead of four. But the physical size of the car is no different. All trains are the same size except for the seating arrangements.

Thanks for the link, Kathy! I just looked at pix of the trains, and I feel better already! I envisioned NYC subway cars....lol.

I will try again to map this out on Trenitalia.....

Rick’s Train Travel Time & cost Map gives you an overview of faster train travel times in hours, as well as regular 2nd-class fares in dollars. There's a map for longer trips as well as the one for Italy reflects some shorter trips. Tickets can be cheaper with advance purchase, but this simple tool is here exactly for the estimates you need.

Jill,
I think public transportation in Italy is very reasonable.

You can definitely save money by buying some of the train tickets in advance if you choose to, as Zoe pointed out above.

I just searched the trenitalia website to give you an idea of prices.

I used the following dates to compare discounted prices vs full price (base prices); 9/22/2015 vs. 6/25/2015.

• Venice ( Venezia. S. Lucia) to Florence (Firenze S. M. Novella) departing @ 10:25 on 9/22 = 24€-29€pp (Super Economy, 2nd class ticket) Same train, same time on 6/25/15 = €45 pp (base price, 2nd class)

• Firenze to Pisa: Regionale Veloce train tickets 8€ pp

• Pisa ( Pisa Centrale) to Monterosso (via La Spezia): departing @ 15:38 (3:38 PM) = 8,70€ pp

• Monterosso to Roma ( Roma Termini): departing @ 9:24 AM on 9/22/15 = 11,70€ pp vs same train, same time on 6/25/15= 46,20€pp ( base price/full price)

So as you can see, you can save money if you choose to buy your tickets in advance for the Venice to Florence & Monterosso to Roma legs of your trip.

Keep in mind that discounted train tickets (purchased in advance) come with restrictions & your travel dates must be firm, as these tickets are nonrefundable & unchangeable.

Please note: There is no advantage in buying Regionale train tickets in advance as price is the same & tickets come with restrictions. You can easily buy these tickets at the train station day before or day of travel.

Happy planning!

Regionale and regionale veloce tickets must be validated in the green/white/red box near the tracks. Look up your train on the electronic board by train number, the train's last stop may be beyond your destination.

"Rick’s Train Travel Time & cost Map gives you an overview of faster train travel times in hours, as well as regular 2nd-class fares in dollars. There's a map for longer trips as well as the one for Italy reflects some shorter trips. Tickets can be cheaper with advance purchase, but this simple tool is here exactly for the estimates you need."

On Rick's map, it would cost $75 from Venice to Florence....is this a different type of train from what Priscilla posted? She quoted base price-same day purchase-as $45.....

Jill, make sure you're taking into the account the difference between U.S. dollars and euros? Priscilla's figures are in euros - which is how Italian train tickets will be priced. The RS map figures are in dollars, and using an exchange rate of €1 = $1.25. The exchange rate is lower than that at the moment.

Using todays exchange of €1 = abt. $1.12, a €45 euro ticket works out to be about $50 U.S.

The map figures are also just rough estimates versus what may actually be available on any given day. It's a place to start, and ticket prices AND the exchange rate will probably shift some by Sept of next year as well.

I encourage you to check out ITALO too (in addition to Trenitalia) - we are going to Italy in October & have booked many tickets on both trains, but have found ITALO much easier with the just as many itineriares & stations. The reviews are slightly better for ITALO if you google search and I even did a Rick Steves search and most people were happier with ITALO (although I'm sure you can't go wrong either way). It is a private Train company where Trentalia is government run. We did book thru both trains for different trips & I'm curious to get there & see the difference between the trains. We were able to easily pick our class and seats and got confirmation codes/tickets already printed. We did not register on either site. We found the prices identical.

On Rick's larger map, covering the longer distances, it costs $55 from Venice to Florence. If you break the trip at Bologna, as on the Italy-only map, then it costs more.

Rick's guide is just that a very rough that cannot reflect the changing value of the Euro. It was more accurate when published, time keeps march on. It is really easy to go to trenitalia and plug in your travel. You can do you whole trip in less than 30 mins.