I will be flying into Rome and then want to head to Florence. I already have my ticket to fly into Rome so that is a given. Do I take the train to Termini then train to Florence? I've usually stayed in Rome a few days before heading elsewhere. How many hours should I estimate from arrival in Rome to departure time for Florence? I'll be meeting my sister in law and trying to figure out the timing. Thanks
Linda
Yes, you take the express train to the termini to catch the train to Florence. I wouldn't buy these tickets in advance at the discounted rate. Just wait until getting to Italy for this. The express train takes half an hour so if you just miss it it will be an entire hour. The trip will take 1.5 hours to get to Florence. Plus give yourself half an hour at termini to change trains. I would say at least 3 hours plus the time it takes to get through customs and immigration. Say 3.5 hours or so.
Donna
thanks!
Linda, you can easily buy the tickets at the Rome-FCO airport. The train station is in front of Terminal 3. If you take the Leonardo Express, this is a 30-minute ride to Rome Termini. Just make sure you have at least 15 minutes to change trains as the LE comes in on tracks that are a short walk to the high-speed tracks. Plus, you have to scan the large digital sign board to find your train. Look for your departure time, train number and track number (Binario number). Don't look for Florence as the destination as the destination on the sign and train may not say Florence. Italian trains show the final destination of the run. Some will say Milano and some will say Venezia. All will stop at Florence.
As for discounted tickets, you can do this. 19Euro vs 45Euro. But, the ticket is non-refundable and we don't advise this when a plane arrival is involved as the plane could be late. No way to change your ticket. However, if you buy a ticket that departs about 3hrs after your plane arrives, you have a good chance of not missing your train.
I just checked the Trenitalia website to be sure: there are numerous direct fast trains from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (final stop). Travel time is about 1.5 hours.
Buy your tickets for the Leonardo Express and the Rome-Florence journey at the airport.
For the past several years (last summer was the last time I took the LE), the Leonardo Express has had a dedicated track (#24) at the railhead at Termini. Just get off the train, check the electronic board for your Roma-Firenze train's track (binario), and climb aboard. Check your ticket for a carriage (carozzo) and seat number (posto). There will be overhead signs along the track showing the carriage numbers of the train.
Fifteen minutes is NOT enough to get through the crowded termini unless you know exactly where you are going. Give yourself half an hour or more between trains. We bought our tickets thinking that 15 minutes would be plenty, but when we got to the Termini, were completely lost, and with too much luggage to be comfortable. A nice young man convinced us that we would miss our train without his help (for a price of course) -- and he was right! He put our luggage onto a trolley and we literally ran through the station to barely catch our train to Florence.
Our takeaways were (1.) Pack Light (we now travel with one carry on size bag each and a small daypack/plane bag no matter how long our trip). Trains do not have enough room for a lot of bags, and loading is difficult if you have much. (2.) Leave plenty of time between trains and planes! (3.) If you are going to Florence, take a bus to Sienna for a day or two if you can!
That's all I've got. Good luck.
Jan B
