Rome/Venice: Better by Train or by Plane?

THE AIR OPTION

Now, let's look at the plane. Alitalia has nine daily flights, and the lowest fare is currently 49.27 Euros (with wide upward fluctuations depending on the departure date and time). Then there's Easy Jet, with two daily flights, and a "rock bottom" fare of 10.99 Euros. Sounds good? Wait. You must add 11 Euros for ONE checked bag weighing no more than 20 kilos. But exceeding this weight by up to 3 kilos adds another 27 Euros. So, the total one-way fare per passenger with one piece of checked luggage weighing 21 kilos becomes 48.99 Euros!!! (the same fare as Alitalia's lowest fare). Add a SECOND checked bag on Easy Jet, and the fare increases yet another 11 Euros!!! Then add the public transportation costs to and from the two airports (which varies according to the type of transportation chosen, but figure around 15 Euros).

What about travel time with the air option? You must calculate a minimum commute time of one hour, a minimum advance check-in of 60-90 minutes (including security clearance), and a flight time of one hour. Total travel time by air is therefore three to three and one-half hours, or NEARLY THE SAME AS THE AV TRAIN!!! And if bad weather delays the flight, the train will end up being faster.

Let's say you manage to secure the 30% discounted fare on the AV train: 51 Euros. That compares very favorably to the 64 Euros it costs to travel by plane on Alitalia (including commuting costs to the airport), or on Easy Jet with one checked bag weighing 21 kilos. If you have additional checked bags, or overweight bags, the fare on Easy Jet will skyrocket. By contrast, you can bring as many bags on the train as your heart desires, and nobody will ask you to place them on a scale.

You save money only if you take Easy Jet without any checked bags, or at most with one checked bag weighing 20 kilos or less. Be guided accordingly.

If you don't mind slower travel, you can spend as little as 29 Euros on the IC train from Rome to Venice, but this train takes two hours, 25 minutes longer than the AV train.

Finally, there is also an Intercity Night (ICN) train between Rome and Venice which takes seven hours. This train has sleepers, quad couchettes, and second class seats. As with the daylight trains, all accommodations on the night train can be discounted 30% with an advance purchase of at least 15 days. A discounted second class seat costs as little as 25 Euros (one-third of the AV train's "base" fare).

www.ferroviedellostato.it
www.alitalia.it
www.easyjet.com

SIMPLE ANSWER - TAKE EITHER TRAIN - A PLEASANT RIDE AND YOU'RE THERE!!!!!

You get to enjoy the lovely Italian countryside rolling by outside your window when you travel by train, and I find train travel much more comfortable and laid-back than flying.

Train....city center to city center....no need to travel to airports, no need to get there two hours ahead for security....leave Rome in the AM, lunch in Venice.

Train is more comfortable, less stress, more room to move about, better scenery,

And with the train, you could stop in Bologna for lunch, and then take a later train to Venice if you so choose.

What better way to see the country than by train?
In addition, once you leave the terminal and see the Grand Canal for the first time, your mouth will drop in awe. A breath taken experience.

I vote for train as well. It is a pain and an added expense to get out of and into the respective cities from the airport. Besides, flights get cancelled a lot more frequently than trains. Finally, I hate flying, so will avoid unless it is absolutely necessary (like crossing the Atlantic).

GAC,

The train, absolutely! Travel via EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita will not only be a faster trip, it will also be more relaxing and less stressful.

The time spent getting to and from the airports at each end, check-in, security, etc. has to be included too. I usually won't consider travel by air in Europe, unless the trip by train is over ~7 hours or so. It also depends on the time required to get to the airports, the costs of train vs. plane, etc.

Cheers!

I wanted to know is how can you buy the discounted fare of 30%? How do you purchase a ticket at least 15 days ahead, unless you are traveling for a long time.
Eva

Train. Hands down. We are so used to hopping on a plane to get around in the U.S. that I guess it is second nature. Take the train and see the beautiful countryside. It will be faster in the long run because you don't have to arrive early to go through security or check bags. Far, far less hassle to take the train. Just buy your ticket, validate it, then hop on! DON'T split hairs over price or "over-think" your choices. Take the FAST Euro Star (ES) train and be done with it. You won't be able to purchase your tickets online before you leave the U.S. because the Trenitalia website does not accept U.S. credit cards. So, get to the station early enough to allow yourself enough time to purchase your ticket and find your platform. Use the self-service kiosks in the lobby to make your purchase. If your train is sold out (not likely), just purchase a ticket for the next one which will be along shortly.

GAC,

Judging by the responses so far, your neck is safe and your head should still be attached!

One more reason to take the train: you will leave a much smaller carbon footprint.

My original posting was written in such a way as to solicit responses. Had I written it in my usual style (advocating the train over the plane), it would not have gotten as good a response rate. I am very much a "train" man, and believe that the train is the "way to go" for just about any trip under five hours (which now means from Milan or Venice all the way to Naples, or roughly the coverage of the AV network).

Even if the plane was significantly cheaper and quite a bit faster -- I would still take the train.

Looking out the window at the Italian countryside -- priceless.

I'd even, as another poster said, consider the slower, cheaper train... and, on top of that, I'd pick a little town halfway there to get off and have lunch. Choose a town that Rick Steves DOESN'T mention in his guidebooks -- find your own cute little secret back door.

Ambience beats efficiency... at least to me... every time.

GAC,

"and believe that the train is the "way to go" for just about any trip under five hours"

My decision point for train vs. plane is considerably longer than that. I find the airport "procedures" such an annoyance, that I'll choose train even if the trip is 7-8 hours. By the time travel to and from the airport, waiting, security and waiting for baggage is factored in, it's often just about the same travel time. As I usually travel with photography gear, I usually have to check one of my Packs.

I try to use "fast" trains whenever possible, and try to arrange the least number of changes.

Cheers!