Train from Ravenna to Venice

16 min should be plenty
It is not a big station

I am planning to take the train from Venice to Ravenna and back in a few months. If you've made this trip, I'm curious how it worked out. Was there enough time to make the connection? Any tips you have for making this journey? I have traveled by train a few times in Europe, but this will be my first time doing it solo, and my Italian is...not strong. I'm a little nervous.

As mentioned, it's a small station with only 6 tracks. If you download the Trenitalia app, it should tell you which platform your connecting train will be on. Otherwise just look at the information monitors. There are elevators to the platforms.

If this is your first time on a train, I would go with the 24-minute option. Not that you need that much time, but it is nice to not feel rushed during your connection time.

A couple of helpful hints since I was helping a couple at the Ferrara train station last September who were very stressed, standing with big suitcases & didn’t know what to do:

• When you are close to Ferrara, be ready. The train will likely be just making a stop & then proceeding farther. Stand up & get your suitcase (if the first train left late), and walk to the door area. Be ready when the train stops to quickly exit for the others behind you.
• At the train station. Look at the monitors. Sometimes they’re outside the building. Or step in the door and look at them at the station building. You may not see your destination name because the city displayed is ending at a farther train station. You are looking for your Train number. They’re listed by time ofdeparture.
• Look at your ticket. Check for the Car number. When the train arrives, walk to the specific car number. Don’t enter a car number lower or higher than yours.
• Check your Seat numbers. Enter the car number at the end where your seats are located - high #’ vs. low #’s.
• This hint is for the benefit of the people in your train car: your large suitcases will not fit overhead at your seat. As you enter the car, quickly stow them on the racks and move down the aisle. Do not walk with your suitcases to your seat, stopping the people behind you, and then look around confused where to stow your suitcases. Smaller suitcases & backpacks can be placed overhead.
• Be aware of similar names. There Venezia Mestre & Venezia S.L. train stations. Be sure you’re wanting & exiting the correct one. : )

It’s easy once you’ve done it. Your extra connection time also helps you observe what others are doing which will give you confidence. Hope that helps!

Thank you so much, Jean! These were the kinds of details I was hoping for! I feel much better about attempting it now!

Just to clarify
If you are coming from Venice and transferring in Ferrara you are most likely transferring from a Fast train to a Regional train ( there are no fast trains to Ravenna)
Regional trains DO NOT have seat or car assignments
You will simply board and find your way to an open seat. If no seats then you will stand til one is available

Oh, good to know! Thanks!

Sorry for my delay in responding. But you have gotten lots of good info so far. We wound up finding a direct train from Ravenna to Venice. So, we were lucky there. The one thing we did run into was the luggage space was pretty full. We had booked assigned seats, which I recommend. But, just be prepared to find a spot for your luggage.

You will likely need 5 minutes to make the connection. As the last leg is on regional trains Ferrara-Ravenna, it is even likely that the regional to Ravenna will already be waiting on its track.

However, consider that there are 20 trains daily between Ferrara and Ravenna; if you do not choose the very last connection of the day, even if the train from Venice is late and you miss the connection (may happen but unlikely, most connections will wait a while for a delayed train), there will be another one in the next 90 minutes. This should take anxiety out.

The suggestion to be ready to get down the first train is very sound - trains stop only a minute at intermediate stations.

Do not worry if you don't speak Italian. I somewhat succeeded in making connections in all parts of the world without knowing the local language. I even found myself talking in Japanese to the Shin Osaka station ticket office, as my first train had been delayed by snow and the reservation on the connection was missed. When you are in need you learn languages really fast.