We will be arriving in Rome at 745am on Sunday (9/28). Is it reasonable to assume we can get on the train from Termini at 11:45am (FRECCIAROSSA)to Naples? And if so, and we buy a ticket/reservation, what if we miss it-can we just take the next on at 1245pm?
Thank you!
Mary-Beth
If you miss it, your ticket is dead the moment the train starts to move. However, four hours should be adequate but to be safe book the 12.45. What is the rush? That way you could grab a little lunch at Termini. Or walk out of Termini to get a little sunlight to boost the jet lag because you will be asleep on the train.
All trains in Italy except Regionale require a seat reservation that is specific to a train, date, and time. You cannot not just get on the next train without a seat reservation - the fine is huge if caught so don't even think about it.
On the Trenitalia website is says Express trains leave every 30 min from the airport and takes 30 min to reach Termini. It seems as though you would have enough time..but who knows if flights are delayed etc.. You cannot just jump on the next train at 12:45 p.m. Your reservation is for a specific train, time and seat. You can make a change if you need to at the station but you will have to pay the difference in ticket price at the time. Hope this helps :)
Ok, I suspected that it would be a "dead" ticket if we missed it. I think the 1245 makes more sense as you suggest. (and allows time if our flight from Newark is delayed).
Thank you!
Sorry Frank was writing as you were posting ;)
Thanks Fabyan. Good to know about the "every 30 minutes". We will try the 1245.
In our last trip through Rome on a early Saturday AM from JFK, it took over two hours to clear immigrations. Some have reported getting though in 30 mins but that is the big variable. Most international flights are close to on-time unless something odd happens so that is not a big issue. Then you need to allow at least an hour and twenty minutes to get to Termini and find your next platform. Then somewhere along the way you might need a water closet or quick snack so that could add another 30 min. So it is easy to chew up a four hour margin.
You could book a base fare ticket for 11.45 and if it was obvious that you were going to miss it AND your are at the airport train station ticket window then you could exchange your ticket for the 12.45. There would be no difference in price. If you booked a Economy ticket, then you would have to pay the difference between Economy and Base. Super Economy can never be changed.
I would not bother booking the train ahead. If you have to pay full fare in the train station, it's €43 per person for a standard class ticket between Roma Termini and Napoli Centrale on the fastest train. Advance-purchase discounts may get that price down to €19 or €29 per person, but tickets will not be refundable or changeable if you miss the reserved departure.
