Hi all, I am taking trains on two different Tuesdays at the end of May, and have been advised I will be OK to book while in Italy. I have a few questions to make sure I know what I'm doing I haven't been able to find these answers in my book, and have also been on the Rome in Rome site. 1. From Venice to Florence: Is there only one station in each city I could go from? I don't want to go to the wrong place! On Trenitalia.com I entered my dates and came up with this: -Venezia (VE S.L MESTRE) to Florence (FI. SMN). Are the intials the station codes? And if so, are these the stations I want? I have to pickup a rental car in downtown Florence on arrival. -Roma to Napoli: ROMA T.E. to NAC.LE Are these the correct stations? Are there others? 2. I know these two routes require a reservation. But I am confused about something in the ?RS Italy 2011 book (p. 969). Rick says if we wait to book we need to be sure we have reservations does this not apply to me? I was under the impression it's just fine to wait to book. And what I need to book automatically has a reservation. That said, I am thinking, then, that I also won't need to validate at a yellow machine. Is this correct as well? 3. Finally, I looked at the difference in prices for base fares and mini for our dates, and it appears to be half price for the mini. Does this sound right? I also read you can change your ticket one time. Is this true? I know this is a lot. I am leaving Saturday and trying to be smart about all of this and most importantly not get on the wrong train to the wrong place! Thank you!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23650 posts
1, Correct. Not station codes like airports but abbreviations of names for that station. If you wait to book it, you may miss the mini fare because the availability is limited. You would have no problem getting a regular ticket. Most people think it is smarter to get your car at the airport. Florence is notorious for the TL zones which results in a big traffic fine about a year later. Make sure you understand where those zones when leaving the downtown area -- critical !! 2. If a reservation is required it will be included in the price of the ticket. If using a rail pass it is extra. All trains in Italy except for the Regional (slowest) now require reservations. Only validate an open, non reservation ticket for the Regional trains. ALL others are train and seat specific. The regional trains are not discounted. 3. The mini fare is a new fare class that I am not completely familiar with. I believe if you miss a mini fare ticket it is dead. If you miss a train with a regular reserved ticket you have one hour to exchange for a new one.
Posted by
OP
Bradford, MA, USA
63 posts
Hi Frank, Thank you very much for your input. One question on the TL zones in Florence: Is this a parking thing? We are simply picking up a car and driving to Tuscany straight away. Thank you!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17572 posts
The "Ve S.L." stands for Venice Santa Lucia, which is the train station on the island. That is the station you want. The entry also says "Mestre", which is a station on the mainland. The train stops there after leaving Ve S.L. You will want to board at Venice Santa Lucia if you are staying in Venice. Fl.SMN is the main Florence train station, Santa maria Novella.
Posted by
OP
Bradford, MA, USA
63 posts
Thank you Lola! And for the Rome and Naples train stations, are there only one option each to use for my purposes? It seems those are the only ones that were available on trenitalia's site.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32384 posts
Renee, 1.) As the others have indicated, you'll be travelling from Venezia Santa Lucia to Firenze S.M.N. (there's also Venezia Mestre and Firenze Rifredi and Campo di Marte). For the trip from Rome to Naples, you'll be travelling from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale (there's also Roma Tiburtina and Campi Flegrei and Mergellina in Naples). 2.) Are you using P-P tickets or a Railpass? With P-P tickets, the reservation fees will be included (where applicable). Be sure to board the train specified on your ticket (there are occasionally two trains departing to the same destination at about the same time). It's a good idea to buy tickets or book reservations a day or two before you'll be travelling, as you may be able to save some money on the "Mini" fare. 3.) Yes, the prices sound about right. One point to note is that the Mini fares are limited, so once they're sold out for a particular train, the regular price applies (at least that's my understanding - hopefully Ron can confirm that). Regarding the ZTL areas - NO, this is not a "parking thing", it's a "driving thing". If you pass through one of the automated Cameras on your way out of town, you'll receive an expensive ticket in the mail a few months after you return home. You'll need to ensure that the rental company registers your vehicle so that it's exempted from the tickets. There was a post here recently on a "safe" route out of Florence, but I can't remember the details. As you'll be driving in Italy, I assume each driver will be obtaining the compulsory International Driver's Permits? Happy travels!