Help With Train Travel Planning

What is the wall? Trenitalia.com will give you all of the scheduling information you need. Train station names are in any good guidebook especially Steves' Italy. Or google it. Advance tickets of super economy or economy tickets will give the best prices over a rail pass. However, that type of tickets locks you into a schedule and basically are no change, no refund. Have you purchased you airline tickets?

PS Just remembered. Schedules change around June 10. They don't change much but tickets are not available for purchase until schedules are posted. And this is occurring about now. But check daily. You should be OK.

You might consider plugging in each leg of your journey into the app rome2rio, and then see what train options come up.
I just tried Rome / Cinque Terre, and it immediately gave me Rome / La Spezia, and then a Regional train to Corniglia.

Mostly rail passes are not the best value in Italy, and for the inter city routes, you have to make reservations and pay an additional charge.

Thank you for all the replies. The 'wall' is my feeling overwhelmed (ADD) and not having a clue to know where to start. Wow, that app is perfect, thanks for the suggestion!
I understand that rail strikes are a common occurrence there. Is this something to plan for (ie, are they lengthy strikes) and is cancellation insurance available/recommended?

Looking Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the Deutsche Bahn train schedule link and tips for using it. That link will take most city names in English, instead of requiring the Italian spelling, but doesn't sell tickets. As mentioned in our tips, the plain city name is usually enough.

But by the time you actually buy a ticket, you probably do want to know (from your guidebook) the difference between Venezia S. Lucia station (the end of the line) and Venezia Mestre station (on the main land, not in Venice proper). For the Cinque Terre region, enter the particular town that is your destination, such as Monterosso or Vernazza.

There's also a schedule change on June 10 and some Italian train schedules are not yet published past that date, particularly for the slower regional trains that connect the Cinque Terre towns.

Use this site for rail tickets.

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

I didn't check, but all of the trains may not be posted yet due to scheduling updates mid June.

Rome=Roma Termini.
Venice=Venezia Santa Lucia.
Milan=Milano Centrale
Florence=Firenze SMN
For the Cinque Terre the name of the village you're staying in.

Have you visited Europe or Italy?

Are you aware that the 2nd is a travel day, you arrive Rome on the 3rd. Departure is on the 16th. This gives you 12 nights on the ground.
With this in mind, your itinerary seems too rushed.

You will loose at least a half day each time you change locations, between check out, transport to the train then the same in the next city.

With the locations you've listed, you'll end up with 2 nites and 1 1/2 days each place. Not enough time to experience the cities you want to see. You really only have time for 3,
Maybe 4 stops.

Create a Word document or a spreadsheet - or get a paper notebook.

Create one page for each journey:
Rome to Vernazza (or Monterosso or wherever in the CT)
CT to Milan
Milan to Venice
Venice to Florence
Florence to Rome

Search on the Trenitalia website (or on www.trainline.eu - no need to spell in Italian on this site). Write down the two or three most likely trains you'd choose - based on departure time, number of connections, etc.

If you don't know a station name, look up each one first and write it on the page. Break down the process, one little step at a time.

The last two routes are easiest - these will be direct trains - but you will want to buy them in advance, otherwise they get expensive as cheaper seats sell out near the last minute. You can also choose Trenitalia or Italo trains (competitors) between Venice, Florence, and Rome - find both on www.trainline.eu .

I create a table in Word with 7 columns for the days of the week and a row for each week to help me visualize my itinerary.

For buying tickets, I like loco2.com - they don't mark up tickets and it's very user friendly.

https://loco2.com/

You really don't need to know the routing for a train trip. You tell the website where you are starting and where you want to go. It will give you options. You should look at total travel time (you don't want a slow from one big city to another), the cost and the number of transfers. If you don't expect to be a nimble traveler--i.e., if you will not all be packing light or someone has a mobility impairment, it's good to minimize transfers and make sure they aren't super-tight.

I agree that you have too many destinations, too far apart, for the length of your trip.

If your reason for going to Milan is to see The Last Supper, you need to figure out how you're going to get tickets. The entire month is sold out on the official ticket website. Be sure you're OK with what a tour will cost you before you begin booking train tickets and a hotel for Milan.

If not possible to "open jaw" (fly into Venice out of Rome) then I would try to start in Florence the first night - go from Rome airport to Florence by train, there are a few direct trains a day from there otherwise change in Rome - and do all the nights in Rome at the end, otherwise you are are splitting up your nights, a bit less efficient.

But 13 nights in Italy would mean to me 3 nights Florence, 2 Cinque Terre, 2 Milan (or 1 Milan my preference - wasn't my favorite place), 3 Venice, and 3 Rome . Not a slow trip but quite doable.

I agree with Gerri above, that you have a lot of places to get to, with five journeys to make in about two weeks.
Think hard about what you hope to see at each destination, and maybe delete one of them. For me, Milan would be the one to drop, or maybe the Cinque Terre.

If you are flying in and out of Rome, consider taking the train immediately to Venice. (Depends a bit on your arrival time.) The trip is about fourand a bit hours, and deposits you in down town Venice at Venezia SL, right on the Grand Canal.
Then Venice to Florence is a couple of hours.
Florence to Cinque Terre is say 2.5 hours.
Cinque Terre to Rome about three hours.

If you do decide to go immediately to Venice after arriving in Rome, it is better not to pre-purchase your tickets in case your flight is delayed. Tickets on inter-city trains are for a specific train, so if you miss it, you have blown your ticket.

I like to use Loco2.com which was recommended by a member in here- easy to use and I have had no problems with site!

Happy Travels✨💫

My two cents worth.....I would focus on Rome, Florence and Venice for the two week period with a day trip or two from each location. That is a lot of folks to move around so many times. We have never had a problem purchasing our train tickets on the day of travel. We use the app......Rail Planner App which is usable even if offline but still do not purchase the tickets until we get to the train station and use one of the self service kiosk.

We have never had a problem purchasing our train tickets on the day of
travel.

This is possible but tickets for the 'fast' trains are also the most expensive purchased last minute. They may be able to realize some considerable savings if they can land economy or super-economy advance tickets. This does mean committing to a specific trains at specific times, however.

I use Trainline EU.
I found booking trains through this site very easy.
There is no additional fee using sites.
I’ve also found purchasing tickets “on the spot” in the train station very easy.
I don’t like locking myself into a set itinerary - feels too much like a To Do list at a job.
I agree you’re trying to do too much in too little time.
Focus on which places really matter.
Your favorite memories will not be the major highlights you saw and checked off your list. Your favorite memories will be the entire afternoon you spent at a little cafe you discovered on your own.
I’ve been in train strikes, plane strikes, bus strikes.
All great memories .... truly.
Take as little as possible. Be flexible. Be curious. Do less and you’ll enjoy more.
Consider buses. They are clean, cheap, frequent, have large windows to provide great views as you move around.

...I understand that rail strikes are a common occurrence there...... Not really. Talk of rail strikes is common but actually strikes are infrequent. But, if they do happen reduced rail service is often available. Your travel may be inconvenienced as to time but should still be able to make the trip. In nearly a year of travel in Europe we have only been hit with a strike once and that was in Spain. Lasted one day and we took the bus.

There is a good website that may help you - www.seat61.com. There are lots of instructions on using the trains in many countries.

I use the website Italiarail to book train tickets for Italy. You can book the same trains as the Trenitalia site, but in English. Good Luck!

The trenitalia site is also in English.

I’ve also found purchasing tickets “on the spot” in the train station
very easy. I don’t like locking myself into a set itinerary - feels
too much like a To Do list at a job.

Yep, I completely understand that having to commit to a train/time isn't everyone's thing. But when traveling with a family of 4, the savings on bargain tickets can really add up. Picking random dates just as an example:

Trenitalia, 9:20 Frecciarossa 9518 Roma Termini - Firenze SM Novella
Cheapest ticket if traveling tomorrow: 44,90 euro, and that's premium economy that could sell out today.
Cheapest ticket if traveling Sat. June 3: 19,90 euro, if purchasing right now.

thanks for all the good responses. To reply to specific comments:

-Our trip is already booked per hotels and flight so, although I 'hear' that we're probably spread too thin, it's done deal. I would like to drop Milan if I had the ability but we already have tix to the Last Supper.

-I'm feeling a bit better about the train thing especially since it's apparently not a big deal to book trips on the fly.

-This is our third trip to Europe but, for some reason, this Italy trip has me a bit anxious. Not sure why.

/this forum has been very useful and I appreciate all the great feedback. Happy trails, b

I'm a bit late getting into the discussion, but a few comments to add. I haven't read all the previous replies, so apologies if I'm repeating anything.....

"Wow, that app is perfect, thanks for the suggestion!"

I've found that Rome2Rio provides good general information most of the time, but it's better to use the actual rail company websites when planning details.

A Rail pass is usually not a cost effective option for Italy, as tickets are relatively inexpensive.

I assume you're planning to stay in Rome a few days before going to the Cinque Terre? Have you planned your trip from FCO into Rome? Which of the five C.T. towns will you be staying in, and have you got a room booked?

As you'll see from the Trenitalia website, some train departures will be cheaper than others, based on the class of train used (the express trains cost more). One other point to note is that on the routes served by high speed trains, you can also use Italo Treno which is a competing high speed network. Also, some departures will be direct (no changes) so those will be faster and easier.

As you've travelled in Europe before, I assume you're familiar with the process for changing trains.

One other important point to note is that if you're using locally purchased tickets for the Regionale (slower) trains, Buses, Metro or whatever, you must validate (time & date) stamp the tickets prior to boarding on the day of travel or you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! On the express / high speed trains, you'll have assigned Coach (Carrozza) and Seat No's (Posti) and that's where you must sit. You might find THIS video helpful.

If you'd like some suggestions on which trains to use on that route, post another note here (it would help to know which of the five C.T. towns you'll be staying in).

If you'd like some suggestions on which trains to use on that route, post another note here (it would help to know which of the five C.T. towns you'll be staying in).

We're staying in Monterroso. As far as Rome goes, we will be there the first three days and last three days of the trip. I have limited mobility so am thinking these train rides will be a nice opportunity to rest up. We have not arranged transportation from FCO into Rome yet. Wife is preferring having the train tix purchased ahead of time.

We have not arranged transportation from FCO into Rome yet.

Glasscock, the good news is that it's not hard! You have multiple options, and it comes down to convenience (important if you have mobility challenges) and price. With 4 of you and your particular circumstances, I'd book a car service or take a taxi that will take you from the airport to the door (or close, vehicles can't access every street in Rome) of your hotel.

We haven't done that ourselves as our situation is different so we've been happy with the shuttle buses. I think a car service or taxi would be a great choice for you and your family, though. I see Romecabs suggested often on the Rome forum as a good car service, and others may have good resources as well.

If you hadn't mentioned traveling to Europe twice before, I'd be a tad concerned about your stay in the CT with mobility limitations. While not meaning to pry at ALL, would you be willing to share a little more about that so that people can offer up some tips that might help you have the most comfortable experience possible?

glasscock,

A few more thoughts and questions.....

• which hotel are you staying at in Monterosso? Have you researched restaurants there yet?
• are you using the RS Italy guidebook to plan sightseeing, etc.? If not, I'd highly recommend packing a copy along on the trip.

FCO to Rome - as Kathy suggested, for a family of four, a Taxi is the best option. As I recall, they have a flat rate however that price can be a bit higher if there's a lot of luggage. Have a look at this website, as this is probably the best option - http://www.romecabs.com/transferservice/airports/ (hopefully the group can comment as I've never used them).

TRAIN SUGGESTIONS

• Roma Termini to Monterosso - I'd suggest the departure at 09:57, arriving 14:38 (time 4H:41M, 1 change at La Spezia Centrale, IC1510 & Regionale 24460).
• Monterosso to Milano Centrale - I'd suggest the direct departure at 10:55, arriving 13:50 (time 2H:55M, IC666).
• Milano Centrale to Venezia S. Lucia - I'd suggest the departure at 11:45, arriving 14:10 (time 2H:25M). You could also use the competing Italo Treno on this route).
• Venezia S. Lucia to Firenze S. Maria Novella - Lots of choices - I'd suggest the departure at either 10:25 or 11:25 (time 2H:05M). You could also use the competing Italo Treno on this route).
• Firenze S. Maria Novella to Roma Termini - Take your pick - departures at 10:38, 10:48, 11:24, 11:38, etc. (time 1H:32M). You could also use the competing Italo Treno on this route).

You can see all the solutions on the Trenitalia or Italo Treno websites.

One point to note is that the express trains have compulsory reservations which are specific to train, date and departure time, so the tickets can only be used on the one train listed on the ticket. If you board the wrong train by mistake, you'll be subject to hefty fines!

If you want to buy discounted advance purchase tickets, one of the easiest websites I've found is www.trainliine.eu as they sell tickets for a number of rail networks in Europe, at the same prices as the networks. Registration on the site is required, but after that it's very user friendly.

Note that the discounted tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased, so choose carefully! As mentioned above, you must use the express trains you've booked or the tickets will be worthless and you'll have to buy more at full price (Base Fare). Advance purchase Regionale tickets do not have to be validated, but must be used within four hours of the departure time stated on the ticket. All tickets can only be used on the date specified on the ticket.

Just wanted to add to my prior post. The train schedules in Italy change in June, and not all schedules are posted yet. I am traveling around the same time as you are and am still waiting for schedules from Pisa to Monterosso and from Monterosso to Florence to open up for my dates. I looked at schedules for prior dates to get an idea of what will be available.

Loco2.com is my goto booking site for train travel in Italy. They also have an app for your phone where you have all your info in one place and QR ticket codes for paperless tickets. They are extremely helpful as well if you run into any problems or have a question. Also, have a look at Seat61.com. He covers a lot of questions regarding train travel all over Europe and can be very informative as to station names and tips. We have booked all our legs for our upcoming trip this summer, the earlier you book when tickets go on sale, the less you will pay. Happy travels!