Hi, as the title says, I'm looking for a high-speed train between SMN and MC on August 10th. The thing is I'm getting spooked a bit since nothing comes out in the searches. Looking a week earlier and there's choices. I'm probably just to early ?
Thank you all!
Train schedules for August don't get released until later because that's when all the Italians take their vacations. Use the week before as reference for planning, and keep checking back once a week or so until you can buy tickets.
Schedules are updated june 11-12
That is why you won’t see August now
You can check same day if week now for an idea as schedules don’t change much
There should be multiple trains every day/hour from Florence to Milan
It has nothing to do with Italian vacations
Use the official sites
Trenitalia
https://www.trenitalia.com
Or
ItaloTreno
https://www.italotreno.com/en
Both have easy to use apps
I would start looking early May
Some schedules should be posted by then
Alright, that is what I thought! I'll wait. I see trains that fit my desired schedule the week before (on August 3rd). It is just not out yet! I'll keep an eye for the release and will book afterwards.
Thank you!
If buy your fast train ticket early you can save money - sometimes significant amounts - but you are trading price for flexibility. If you are willing to commit to a date and time then you can buy a cheaper, less flexible ticket. If you don't know your schedule or the price is not more important than flexibility then wait until you're sure.
There are also two vendors - the state run Trenitalia and .Italo which is privately run and operates only fast trains between major cities.
https://www.italotreno.com/en
Tickets are generally available for purchase about 2 months before your departure date.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
Alright, thank you Tod!
The thing that I still wonder, is how soon should I book my trains accordingly to the fact that once,.I'll need to coordinate the rental of a car Firenze.
On the 30th of July, we'll be depsrting Venezia (some high speed trains schedules already available for that date) and we'll rent a car afterwards to go in Tuscany for a week or so.
Should I just book this train and match the approximate arrival hour for the rental car pick-up now and then reserve the second train to Milano later on ?
If you know your schedule leaving Venice then buying a cheaper ticket ahead of time makes sense. If you need to set your time at the car rental agency anyway then it makes perfect sense to commit to a schedule and save some money.
Really the only time I wouldn't buy ahead it when you just can't know your schedule. Don't prebook a ticket when you're flying in or have some function you're tied down in like a tour, dinner or a wedding. If your trip to Milan is on the day you're driving back in and returning the car and then getting to the train station I would generally advise against it. If you're staying in town and you know you're definitely leaving that day then it is up to you.
The money you save buying ahead of time is probably a rounding error in terms of your overall vacation budget so I wouldn't worry about it, but if you can then why not? I'm a planner so I like to have the tickets locked in ahead of time but if you can't be sure of your schedule then just wing it.
If you're renting from the airport there is a tram between the Florence airport and the train station with stops just outside.
I don't know how I missed that @ChristineH had already mentioned .Italo but take my second as confirmation.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
We are doing Venice to Florence by train, then renting a car for a week to Siena and Tuscany. Then returning the car to Florence but we will be staying for 4 nights there afterwards. We can afford to wait for the train to Milan. But I could definitely book the train from Venice to Florence and then reserve a car around around train arrival time because our next night is spent in Siena (by car) (at Palazzo Ravizza, thanks to ChristineH for the recommendation as well!)
Tod, I get from your post that you would rent the car from the airport instead of the SMN station ? I have read all about it here and the really thorough explanations of Roberto as well. We'll have eSIM card too and I would say I'm not a bad driver in general. But yet, your comment makes me think. Would you rather arrive at the SMN station, then tram to the airport to rent a car or rent it directly at the train station or around it (as Borgo Ognissanti for example) ?
I guess it is better to book the car in advance ? That is the main point of my initial question actually. And since I need to know my arrival time to book the car rental approximatively, it makes sense to reserve this train in advance, then later on, when the schedule will be out, the one for Milan.
have you read the posts about the plethora of very expensive ZTLs in Florence and nearby cities?
be sure that there are so many trains every hour between Milano and Firenze between the two companies that you are very unlikely not to get on.
do use the official apps or websites rather than a reseller
most locals get their tickets much closer to travel time than you are looking for
To answer your question Nigel : Yes I've read to posts about the ZTL's in Firenze and Siena and other cities as well. By asking, are you suggesting renting from the airport simply to avoid all of that ? Roberto's instructions seemed to be very clear and mostly fool proof. I don't mean that I am above error and that I am the best driver, but since we have advices here, I was thinking of renting at SMN. But, your comment and Tod's are making me rethink a bit.
Also, thanks for sharing your opinion about locals and their way of booking trains. Your advice would be to book the train much closer to the date ? Wouldn't that impede on my options for a car rental though ?
Thank you Nigel for your answer, I love being challenge in my ideas. It makes flourish the best ones in the end! :)
I don't have a strong opinion on where to rent in Florence.
I believe there is an airport surcharge but I have no idea how much it is an whether it is worth the cost (to you) to avoid hassle and stress of exiting the more "in town" rental. I only mentioned it because many people do choose to rent at the airport and I thought you might be heading there.
Pisa is probably the biggest city I've driven in in Italy and that was enough. I'll stick to rural driving in foreign countries as much as I can.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
I don't mind which location you get your car from, I just want you aware that if following specific directions such as from Roberto you must not allow yourself and your navigator to become distracted at all and never wander into a bus lane or be unable to read a road sign or anything or you could very easily be eligible for a huge fine. Not to scare you - to make you aware. Florence is probably the worst for ZTLs, except maybe Rome. Many years ago I drove through Florence - carefully - never again and I keep the car well out of town. Siena is easy if you park under the walls in the public parking structure.
Thank you both. We will consider all of that for sure.
But, you would say that with thorough preparation, it is possible to take a car from Europcar on Borgo Ognissanti and take it back there without too much hassle ? (according to the instructions of Roberto) ?
And I come back to my initial question regarding the timing of the car rental and the train. Should I book my train now in order to secure a car at my arrival or I should wait for the train schedule to come out and then reserve both at the same time or it will be too late and I might not get a car at the rental agency ?
