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train from Venice to Monterosso

Posted by (NC) on

We're looking to take an early afternoon train from Venice Santa Maria station to Monterosso in June. One option is to catch a train from Venice to Florence, catching a connecting train to La Spezia (where we can easily catch a train to Monterosso). My question is regarding the connection in Florence. We'd have a 23 minute window from our arrival in Florence to our departure to La Spezia. Is 23 minutes enough time to figure out what platform we should head to? And are trains generally on time?

I'd hate to imagine leaving Venice 15 minutes late and stressing the whole time, knowing we'd have to run to catch our connection in Florence. We're only going to have our backpacks or roll-along bags, so that will help. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Posted by
21274 posts

23 minutes is plenty of time. You will walk to the head of the platform, eyeball the departure board for the Regioanle going to La Spezia (its that train's final destination), walk to the platform and board the train. The train also originates at Florence S.M.N., so it should be sitting there. That process will only take about 5 minutes.

Your Regionale connecting ticket has a 4-hour time window to be used, so even if you did miss it, you could just get the next Regionale. That might mean you have to take an extra train change in Pisa, but you will get to where you are going.

Posted by
16206 posts

Since I used to work at Florence SMN, I’ll tell you another secret.
There are 16 tracks at SMN. Facing the arriving trains low numbers are on the left (West side) high numbers are on the right (east side).
The low numbers are used for Regionali going toward Firenze RIFREDI station (that is your direction, since your La Spezia train will pass by RIFREDI), with no. 1 used by freight only. The high numbers are used for regional trains going to the direction of Firenze Campo di Marte (not your direction).
The high speed trains use the middle track numbers (7-12, more or less).
Therefore your train from Venice will arrive in the middle number tracks and you will need to move to the lower numbered tracks. That means that after you walk to the head of the train (direction of arrival) you will need to walk to the right for the lower number tracks.
Be aware that track no. 3 and 4, are set back compared to the rest (they end sooner than the rest), so that requires an extra 50 Mt walk (in case your La Spezia train uses either one of the two).

If you tell me your train numbers, I will tell you the exact scheduled track numbers of both. However be aware that the scheduled track may change (like departure gates may occasionally change at airports), therefore always keep an eye on the timetable displayed on the board or the monitors.

Posted by
21274 posts

BTW, the next Regionale connection to Monterosso departs for Pisa at 16:28, 35 minutes after the train you are now scheduled on. You get to Pisa Centrale at 17:28 and change to a Regionale to La Spezia at 17:34. Now that is what I call a fast change, 6 minutes. Still, Trenitalia thinks you can make it or they wouldn't show it on the schedule. Pisa Centrale is not nearly as big as Florence S.M.N. Your connection might even be at the same platform. If not, down the stairway to the tunnel then a short walk to the new position, then up the stairs to platform.

Again, missing that, there will be another Regionale to La Spezia at 17:50. At La Spezia, there are Regionali to Monterossa every 20 to 30 minutes until 20:15, then about every hour after that.

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