We will travel from Venice to the Cinque Terre by train at night. Is there a way to reserve a private night berth/cabin (cuchetta?)on the train for two or are the sleeping accomodations first come first serve? Also if you can reserve, how far in advance do you need if travelling in Late Sept?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Reservations are REQUIRED on night trains. The fare you pay depends upon the kind of sleeping accommodations you choose. Night trains often sell out so it's best to book well in advance (up to 60 days at www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html).
I assume you will be taking the Venezia Santa Lucia-Genova night train and connecting in Genova for one of the Cinque Terre towns. Book at least that leg in advance. You can book the connections after you get to Venezia. Booking on the Trenitalia site is cheaper than on the Rail Europe site, but the Trenitalia site is famous for being problematic in the registraion process, something you have to complete before booking. But you can at least use the Trenitalia site to get the fares for the whole trip.
Posted by
Walnut Creek, CA
603 posts
We used RailEurope via the Website. They are a US based company. They sent the tickets to us before the trip. A reservation for a sleeper is absolutely essential! Also if comfort is more important than price, book a 1st or 2nd class sleeper - a T2 or a T3. You will have the sleeper to yourself. If you book a couchette -a t-4 or T-6, you will share the compartment with strangers and the accommodations are spartan.
The first class sleepers had their own sinks and were plush. We had two sleepers with a door between the two for our family of 5. In the morning, the porter brought us coffee and croissants (included w/ first class.)