Hi, A friend and I are traveling to Italy this September and we are wondering if we should purchase our train/ferry tickets now online or wait until we get to Italy. We land in Florence, will take the train from Florence to Cinque Terre, then Cinque Terre to Siena. From Siena we rent a car and stay in Tuscany for 6 days, then take train from Siena to Naples and the Hydrofoil ferry to Sorrento. Also, for the rental car, is it better to get a diesel or gasoline car? (Is diesel hard to find?) Thanks for any and all help.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16200 posts
I would buy on the spot. Most of your travel will be aboard Regionali commuter trains, which offer no discounts for advance purchase.
If you buy online, you lock yourself on that specific train and you can’t change your mind if you want to travel at a different date or time.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16200 posts
Most cars are diesel, except for the smaller economy size cars. So anything of compact or above size will likely come in a Diesel engine. Diesel fuel is cheaper and diesel cars more fuel efficient (and with more torque power). Diesel fuel is available at every gas station.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16200 posts
Based on the itinerary you describe, I would probably drive from Siena directly to Sorrento, about 5 hours plus pit stop, almost entirely on freeway.
If you insist on a train, I would return the car not in Siena, but at nearby CHIUSI (south east of Siena), then from Chiusi-Chianciano station, proceed by train to Naples (likely train change at Roma Termini). Once in Napoli Centrale, you can go to Sorrento by commuter train or by hydrofoil (after a short taxi/bus ride to the port). The pier the hydrofoils to Sorrento depart from is called Molo (Pier) Beverello.
www.autoeurope.com
www.kemwel.com
for renting cars
www.trenitalia.com
Trains
https://www.naplesbayferry.com/it/t/napoli/sorrento
Hydrofoils
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Is there anything else we should know about traveling by train? Are the trains usually 'on-time'? From Siena to Naples we change trains in Chiusi-Chianciano, is 18 minutes between arrival and departure to Naples enough time? (Hard to navigate train station, etc..?)
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16200 posts
You should not bother to take the train from Siena to Chiusi. Drive directly to Chiusi (1hr drive) and return the car in Chiusi. All rental companies are near the Chiusi Chianciano station.
Trains are often on time, but not 100% of the time, especially the Regionali trains, which have the lowest priority (high speed and intercity trains always take precedence). Trains used to be always on time when Mussolini was alive, but unfortunately Il Duce is gone now and Italy has gone downhill since. We have high hope in the current government, which is the closest thing we have to the Ventennio Regime.
IMPORTANT: Regional train tickets must be validated (date stamped) at the machines before boarding the train. See video below.
https://youtu.be/X2rbk2a28DQ