Legroom on Italian trains - is first class worth it for tall folks?

If you haven't already, take a look at the Italy section on the Man in Seat 61. Go to the link on what Italian trains are like. I saw no specifics about seat sizes or leg room, but there might be some that I missed. The links found in the text might also be helpful. There are lots of pictures.

My experience is that it's a bit tight regardless of class, and that varies more by the train that services the route than by class. One tip, sitting at a table facing each other sounds cool, but your legs and feet don't have a lot of room. The best arrangement is if you are lucky enough to have a table for 4 all to yourselves and can sit so that you are not directly opposite each other. The same is true for compartments except there is no table.

If your height or your husband's is in your legs, it will be more difficult than if it is in your trunk. I'm not very tall at 5'8", but my legs are long. I can understand your concern. But not as well as my tallest male cousin who is 7'3" or my tallest female cousin, his sister, who is 6'4".

And by all means, take advantage of the discounts you can get by buying early if you are willing to commit to specific journeys.

All of your trips involve train changes with a mix of fast trains, and regionale trains. Regionale trains may or may not have a first-class section.

You should go to Trenitalia.com, and see where first-class is available. I am not sure if seat pitch is much different than in second class.

The main difference in first class is not seat pitch, but seat width. Coach is four seats across, while first class is three seats across, so each seat is wider.

Here is the direct link to the Seat 61 page showing what the various classes of trains look like inside: http://seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#What%20are%20Italian%20trains%20like

For your trips to and from Sorrento, the section between Sorrento and Naples is on the Circumvesuviana, a famously crowded "bus on wheels." People are always complaining about having to stand, but at your height, you may actually prefer it.

I agree with the advice NOT to book a table. I'm only 5"10, but I never have enough legroom at those seats. In normal seats, if you stretch out your legs, you can put them under the seat in front of you (like on an airplane). At the table seats when you do that, you're putting your legs into someone else's legs.

Unless your husband is also wide, 1st class is not necessary.
First class has wider seats, but leg room is more than adequate in any class.
The only advantage of 1st class (called business class on Frecciarossa), besides width of seats, is lack of crowds (often half empty) and quietness (most travelers are suited up business people who are busy typing away on their laptop).

I can only speak of the Italo trains that we rode in 2nd class. I am 6'8" and was 350lbs, size 17 shoes, when we last rode. There was more than enough room to stretch out. The trains were very clean and the staff were very nice. We rode Florence to Rome, Rome to Napoli on the Italo. The Circumvesviana from Napoli to Sorrento would be standing room only, but its only one class. I would say 1st class on the Italo would be a waste. Check the early discount to determine if its worth it to you to purchase tickets early.

One possible solution is to buy four standard-class seats that are around a table. You can sit kitty-corner from each other or side-by-side, but have the legroom of the person across from you since you bought all 4 seats. It's not bad economically if you buy in advance and get the super-economy discounts, which means you have to be certain of your dates as the tickets are not refundable. The savings are excellent, though.

We "discovered" this extra room solution when we traveled with our cats and bought them seats. I know it seems excessive, but unless you do this, poor kitty gets stuck in the luggage rack on a full train and that is too stressful for all of us. The 4 seats in standard-class super-economy pricing cost less than two premier-class at the economy-discount level. All-in-all a good trade off on a four-hour train trip. PLUS we got a table, which we like to have, and no one else to trip over.

We are not nearly that tall, I am the shortest at 5'9" and I could not believe how there was hardly any leg room. We rode a variety of trains, 2nd and 1st class, regional, IC and Freccia. The first train we rode, we had second class and touching knees. I was shocked by the spacing, way less leg room than economy airplane, width is great though in any class. The trains we had first class, it was so much better. We were four traveling all in the section together. I also discovered all first class is not created equal, some were way closer than others and the same goes for second class. I have no idea how to know which train has more leg room. Get the first class, if you can buy ahead it wasn't that much more.

I always train first class when it's available. First class has a variety of seats, double, quads around a table, and single seats too, which could also be an option for a tall guy.

It's all about the space around you, a single seat in first class has a lot of space around it. There are single seats in 2nd class too, but not as much space around it.

Further, there's another element of space in first class that's appealing to tall persons, there's more space all around, so even if the car is full, or you're in a double seat, you never feel cramped. The car may or may not be full, however.

And about the people on first class, yes there are professionals on first class, but also families with children and babies who need the space, and regular blokes like me. I've said many times how much I love the men on first class, these are the guys who call hotels and contacts for me when the train is late, make sure my luggage is where I want it to be, inform me where the toilets are, and the dining car if available.

Be sure you find a diagram of seats in the car when you reserve seats. E. g., if you buy a ticket from a live agent at a station, don't expect him/her to know your preferences, you have to let them know where/how you want to sit. One time I messed up in Porto San Giorgio and ended up with a reserved window seat with a family of three in a quad with a table. They didn't want me in and I didn't want in. When the conductor saw where I had been placed, he said No, you're Not sitting there, and he put me in the aisle seat of a vacant double. The family was happy and I was relieved.

Frecciarosso trains have Executive class with 60 inch seat pitch. So going to Monterosso, you would sit in the lap of luxury for 2 hours to Florence, then 2 hours in an all-2nd class Regionale to La Spezia. Or you could opt for the longer route through Milan with just a single change there in plane vanilla 1st class on a Frecciabianca and IC train.

Writing these lines from an Italo train. I was offered an upgrade to Smart XL class for a few cents more than the Smart (basic) price - that was already on offer as it is 9pm in Italy now and the train is half empty. Smart XL places are superb, both in width and in legroom, just for your info.

Usually Smart XL class price is 5 euro more than Smart - it is a first class without the additional services (newspaper and drink) at a reduced price.

I my opinion (despite short legs) and that of my colleague who's 6'4", the seat pitch on the newest, fastest trains (which have 3-4 classes of service) feels tighter in the cheapest class of service than does second class on standard InterCity and Regional train (which have only two classes). On those fast trains, you could upgrade a bit (maybe 10 euros more per person) without going all the way to top price.

Laura, your comment explains why I thought there was plenty of leg room last year. I never go on one of the fancy trains!