Help with trains

I was in Cinque Terre last July based at Monterosso al mare and went to Pisa with a change at La Spezia.
Florence to Monterosso al mare: same thing change in Pisa. But some trains from Pisa go all the way to Monterosso; it depends on the schedule.

You can save time and money like I did and book hear online at Italian National Rail 2 months in advance
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en?gclid=CJaY86DRhNICFZy4wAodW1QM4w

It will produce an e-ticket with your names on it with QR code and you print it out take with you
Just put in starting points and end points and it will tell you if there is a connection
But you will have to use the Italian spelling for each city e.g. Venice(Venezia) Florence (Firenze)
for this to go smoothly

There is 1st and 2nd class

There is at present no train service between Pisa Centrale and the airport, only taxies and buses. The railway track has been decommissioned to build a driverless transport system that will be ready sometime in 2017.

Rocky,

The trips you mentioned are all very easy. If you want to save money, you can purchase advance tickets as long as you're willing to commit to a specific train and departure time. If you'd rather just buy tickets on the day of travel, that's also possible but you'll be paying Base Fare, which is the highest pricing tier.

On those trips you'll be using a combination of express trains (Freccia / InterCity) as well as Regionale trains. Only the express trains have the option of first class. On the Regionale trains, there's only second class so you'll have to sit with the hoi polloi for part of your trips.

There are some potentially expensive "caveats" to be aware of when using trains and other public transit in Italy, and also when using rental cars. If you need more information on those, post another note here. You can see all the train solutions on the Trenitalia or Italo websites.

Regarding each of your trips....

• Venice to Florence: you can buy tickets on either Trenitalia (Freccia high speed) or Italo Treno (also high speed).
• Florence to Monterosso: I doubt that there's a direct train, so you will have at least one change, possibly in La Spezia or at Pisa Centrale (or both). At least one of the trains will likely be a Regionale.
• Monterosso to Pisa Centrale: there may be a direct train, but again there will probably be at least one change.
• Sorrento to Rome: on that route you'll either have to use the Campania Express or Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Napoli Centrale, and then either high speed Freccia or Italo to Rome. If you use the Circumvesuviana, be sure to watch your luggage and valuables carefully, as it has a reputation as a haven for pickpockets and scammers (when you see the trains, you'll get some idea on the "travel experience" you'll be enjoying on the Circumvesuviana). Some people hire a private car service from Sorrento to Naples, which is certainly the easiest and most comfortable option, but not the cheapest.

One other point to mention is that I don't believe there are luggage lockers at Pisa Centrale, but rather a Deposito Bagagli service. It will take time to both drop your luggage as well as pick it up (depending on the number of people there at the time), so be sure to allow for that in your planning.

Here's some info on the People Mover from Pisa Centrale to the airport:

http://www.pisa-airport.com/en/the-passengers/transport/people-mover.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5YIHU9KxIw

This will operate the same as trams between terminals at some airports you may have been to, and should be up and running by the time of your trip. If not, you'll take the PisaMover bus.

http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/aroundtuscany/from-pisa-airport-to-the-train-station/

Naples-Sorrento: by regular Circumvesuviana commuter train OR Campania Express Train, which I assume will run again this year. Garibaldi Station, which both trains depart from, is connected to Napoli Centrale. The Express will be more comfortable but the commuter offers more frequent runs.

http://www.napoliunplugged.com/campania-express-tourist-train-to-herculaneum-pompeii-and-sorrento

Venice (Venezia S. Lucia) to Florence (Firenze S. M. Novella): along with Trenitalia trains, take a look at Italo prices. This is a private rail line which operates between some of Italy's major cities and offers competitive rates:

http://www.italotreno.it/en

Thank you everyone for quick response, Kathy, jazz+travel, lachera and Ken. I am more knowledgeable now with trains. I hope. Ken, the reason I want to travel in comfort is more so for peace of mind, luggage, safety etc...and also thank you for tips re train to Naples. I will google and see how much it will cost for private car to Naples. I can't commit to a specific time as I have a husband who is not an early riser and tend to dilly dally. I don't mind the extra expense if it means I don't have to rush him. After 27 years you got used to his habits. Lol. But can we just buy a ticket when we get to the station. I know with business you don't have to validate before you board is that correct. I have also read manonseat61 but still need assurance from you guys. It takes me a while to comprehend some stuff but I'm getting there. I have a couple more questions which I'll ask on a different thread . Again, thanks everyone.

Yes, you can buy tickets on the day of travel, but there may be lines at service desks and kiosks at the busier stations.

You don't have to commit to train tickets in advance; there's just often a nice price break for doing so. And we ONLY travel 2nd class on Italian trains which require seat reservations: perfectly safe and comfortable without spending more for 1st or business class. Leaves more in the budget to spend on fun!

Regionale trains don't have seat reservations (and require validation of tickets before boarding) so you'll be traveling the equivalent of 2nd class on all of those.

Gday Zoe and Kathy. Thank you. My mind is at rest now. Thanks guys

Why should a firts class seat be safer than a second class one? Thieves have legs and can walk from one car to another.

A first class seat just says: "rich tourists, italian politicians and businessmen on the expense with fancy laptops are here"

I've never heard anybody worrying about safety on high speeds trains (like the train from Venice to Florence), where would a thief escape on a train that makes few stops and runs at 300 km/h?

Darioalb. Thank you for your input. No, we are not rich but we work VERY hard for our vacation and so I would like some comfort in travelling. And as Kathy informed me that a second class is is ok and so we will do that. I just need advice and I take into account everything seriously. I have never been on a very fast train before. If I know everything about travelling I would not need advice. I therefore thank everyone for all their positive feedback so.😥😄

Rocky,
Thanks for the question. I'm trying to figure out how to buy a ticket from Venice to Florence (on a non-stop train) so this was useful. Thanks.
Michele

No worries Michele. Someone had to ask. My husband always tells me off for asking too much. I would take a few steps and ask for directions again. I told him I don't want to take 100 steps then realise I'm heading the wrong way lol 😂

Rocky, always ask! I have done the same thing with asking directions in a new city - usually I am within a hundred meters of my destination when I ask the last person (I must have met a dozen hotel front desk staff on my first trip to Berlin).

Lol Zoe. That made me feel good ha ha

Train travel isn't common in most of the U.S. so many Americans (including myself) find sorting all the ins and outs of rail systems abroad to be a bewilderment! Same goes for other types of public transport as so many of us live in places where it's not provided, only marginally provided, or which we don't need to use even if it is provided.

Of all the questions I see asked on travel forums, the most common by a LONG shot concern public transport!