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Train journey from La Spezia to Nice

Posted by on

Hi everybody,

This will be my first time travelling to Italy. We'll also be taking a train from La Spezia to Nice. I'm looking at this website called rome2rio. Is the website and the services they provide, legit? I've also heard that the train system in Italy is quite cumbersome and complicated, so I'm a bit sceptical of taking the train, but it seems to be quite a convenient option.

Anyway rome2rio is giving me an option to travel to nice which has 2 train transfers. One in Genova Piazza Principe with just 8 minutes to spare and one in Ventimiglia with a decent enough time of 22 minutes. Do you think this is enough time to change trains or should I choose some other option? We'll be having a decent amount of luggage as well, unfortunately.

Also, if there are any other tips and advice that you can give, I'd be really grateful!

Posted by
755 posts

The train system is very easy. Go to the Trenitalia website (in English) and compare the options. Genoa is a large station and 8 minutes may be difficult for you. Ventimiglia is small and you will need less time to transfer. There may even be an option with only one transfer which also would be simpler for you. Rome2Rio is good for getting an idea of transportation options but they are not always accurate and I certainly wouldn’t buy any tickets through the site.
You will regret having a lot of luggage, however, every step of the way.

Posted by
3812 posts

Rome2rio is a reseller that combines multiple ways of travel and companies into a single site. It's useful to learn how you can go from A to B, not to buy tickets since they do not run anything.

The Italian system is quite simple when you buy tickets on line: Find your train on trenitalia.com, decide if you want savings or flexibility and buy a ticket. At the station, find your train's number on the bilingual boards headed "Partenze/ Departures" and walk to your platform. If you get on the wrong car, wait for everybody to be seated and walk along the train till you reach the right car.

It reminds me how we all find our flights around the world, the only difference is that the 2 most distant "gates" in the biggest italian station are 400 meters away and that trains never sell out.

It would be different if you decided to buy tickets at the counter right before getting on, but the online system is idiot proof.

Posted by
8162 posts

You can also go on Google Maps and go from x to b. Then click on the icon for mass transit. It tells you the train schedule hour by hour. Often you have to mix in trains and buses--but not on this journey.

I use this method all the time to figure out how to travel from town to town.

Posted by
1704 posts

I sent you a PM with a suggestion for getting more info.

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