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Questions on Italy's Trains PLUS Car Rental

Posted by (Vancouver, Washington, USA) on

Hi, I have a few questions.

  1. On the Train from Florence to Cinque Terre: Is this the "local" trains and is this a direct train or do you transfer somewhere? Also what towns does it stop at to load more passengers. The reason why I am asking is on our way to Cinque Terre we thought if possible we would get off the train for a few hours if it stops in Pisa and load the next train to Cinque Terre. No where though can I find what all the stops the train makes. Cannot find an actual rail map that lists all the stops on a certain line.

  2. Car Rental. We will be staying in Florence and then renting a car and spending time in Tuscany (staying in an Agritourismo outside of San Giminagno). Do we have to rent the car in Florence? Or can we take a train out of Florence to a small town and rent one there to avoid driving in Florence? If we rent in Florence, we would have to return to Florence to get the train to Cinque Terre. Ideal we would like to rent in or near Florence/ and return close to Cinque Terre but do not know if this is possible.

Thank you. Laura

Posted by
16895 posts

Train connection points will depend upon departure time and the town that is your final destination, but a connection at La Spezia is common and most trains are unreserved regional trains. How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it. When you view details for each schedule, you can see stops along the way, or click the train number to see all the stops of that train. However, if you want to go to Pisa, it would be simpler to just request a train schedule to Pisa.

La Spezia is a good place to drop off a car near the Cinque Terre. You can pick up cars at Florence airport or other locations; try a search for Florence car rental in the box above to find some previous discussions of this topic. Pick and drop points need not be the same and there's usually no extra fee. Try a price quote from a consolidator like Auto Europe/Kemwel.

Posted by
824 posts

Laura,

The only train option to the cinque terre appears to be a mix of regional and intercity trains. Go to the Trenitalia web site (www.trenitalia.com) and search for trips from Florence (Firenza S.M.) to a village in the cinque terre such as Monterosso. After choosing your trip, click on the little "i" symbol for each train segment (if you have to change trains). The pop-up box displays all the stops the train makes en-route.

And remember, you'll need an International Driver's Permit (available at AAA) to drive in Italy.

Good luck.

Todd

Posted by
16268 posts

The best plan for your intended itinerary is to rent a car in Florence on the day you intend to depart from Florence and head to your Agriturismo near San Gimignano. There are no rental car locations between Florence and San Gimignano, except for Florence.

On the day you intend to drive to the Cinque Terre, drive to the city of La Spezia and return your car there. Most rental offices are near the port. Upon returning the car take a taxi to the train station for the short ride to the Cinque Terre village of your choice.

Be aware that rental locations in La Spezia are closed on Sat afternoon and all day Sunday. If you happen to travel in those days, the only option is to return the car at the Pisa airport, then take a shuttle to the station and a train to the Cinque Terre (a change in La Spezia is likely required).

Posted by
752 posts

Download APP:
Rome2rio
for information on travel options, names of stops, type of train, name of bus lines, duration of trips, costs, and touching each icon goes to schedules. A great Go To APP for information you're wanting.

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