I am wondering if anyone here can tell me whether or not it makes more sense to buy a rail pass vs individual tickets for 2 adults with checked bags and don't care about train class in order to do the following:
- FCO to SMN (fast train)
- SMN to Naples Garabaldi (fast train)
- Naples Garabaldi to Termini
- Termini to FCO
Thank you for any help. The various options are a bit overwhelming.
I am no expert on the routes you mention. I have seen dozens of similar questions over the years and more often than not the individual tickets were as good a deal or better than the pass.
But the only way for you to know for sure for a list of specific tranis is for you to physically check the cost of each train (with the national train company website), and it up and compare it to the cost of the pass you are considering.
The other thing that often comes up, but again, i have not idea if it applies in this case, is that using the passes is at times more complicated or more limitiing than the few euro in savings is worth.
I don't see any advantage to a rail pass for your itinerary. You will have buy seat reservations for your 3 major trips. You will not be able to use Italo trains, which are often cheaper and nicer than Trenitalia trains. Not sure if the Eurail Pass is valid on the Leonardo Express trains between Termini and FCO. It's a cheap ticket anyway.
BTW, you will not see any trains to Napoli Garibaldi, as it is attached to Napoli Centrale. So just go to Centrale and follow the signs.
Rail pass is rarely useful in Italy
Just purchase point to point tickets on the official site
Fast trains for all your routes
You will take the Leonardo Express from FCO to Termini
Station names:
Fiumicino Aeroporto
Roma Termini
Firenze SM Novella
Napoli Centrale
https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html
Get the easy to use app
No “checked bags” you will manage your luggage youself
Train info here
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-italy.htm
Thanks very much everyone. I don't know if I am just entering decision fatigue form planning 2 weeks in 4 Italian locations but thei train system seems needlessly complicated.
Greatly appreciate the info.
I’ve used many trains in Italy for over 20 years on 13 trips.
Don’t get a pass, that’s more complicated.
Get the apps for Trenitalia and Italo for your phone.
Also put their websites on your desk top or laptop if you use those.
Sign up to join for free for both companies.
That helps so they can send you updates on your phone if necessary while you are in
Italy.
If you have an IPad, there’s an app called Trenit, that covers both companies.
It’s really useful as it shows maps and other info as well as schedules.
If you know exact dates and times, book in advance to save money.
If not, just buy when you can, before your trip.
I’m cautious, so I print out my tickets as well as screenshot them on my phone.
Stations are well sign posted.
If you buy advance tickets, no need to validate them at the stations.
I don’t know when you are traveling, but new updated schedules are posted twice a year, next one in early June I believe.
They don’t change much, so you can practice now with dummy bookings for say, next week , to get the hang of it all.
BTW, there is no bag check on trains.
You have to be able to lift them up into and down off the trains by yourself….some trains have two or three steep steps up.
You’ll be fine!
For the big city stations you're mentioning the options are numerous and run nearly all the time.
There are two train companies in Italy - the state run Trenitalia and the private run .Italo that only runs fast trains between big cities.
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html (Use Italian names for cities - Firenze for Florence and Roma for Rome - for best results)
https://www.italotreno.com/en
Fast trains have reserved seating, multiple classes and you can buy tickets ahead of time at a (sometimes significant) discount trading flexibility for price. Given you have only mentioned big cities you can wait until the day of and will always have options but you will pay full price. If you are willing to commit to time and stick to it you can book ahead and pay less. Do not count on timed tickets the day you fly in if that is in your plans.
Both companies have apps that let you buy and store tickets as well check trains in motion. I recommend getting at least the Trenitalia one if not both. (I've heard from the forum that the Trenitalia app may not be accessible in Canada, but I have no idea why.)
Local trains - called regionale - can never sell out and the price never changes so buy the when you need them. This is one place the Trenitalia app really helps.
You can generally only buy fast train tickets about 2 months ahead of time so assuming you're traveling until later in the year you can put off worrying about booking those tickets until you're closer to leaving.
Hope that helps,
=Tod
Yes, Trenitalia app is not available here in Canada….. I’ve just looked at my phone again to check.
However, the Trenìt app is available for phones here as well as on IPads and I used it in Italy last Fall.
So based in the answers above, if I'm going to take trains in Italy end of July and mid-August, I can stop looking at the schedule for now ? That being said, found a TGV for a trip Venice to Firenze end of July, but can't seem to find a TGV from Firenze to Milano a few days later in August. My guess is that the schedule is not yet out ? Because not sure I wish to do a 5h our train ride when I could do a 1h45 one! hehe!
Full schedule will be up first week of June
You can look at same day of week now to get an idea-schedules don’t change much
Use the official sites linked above
( TGV trains are in France, not Italy)
Thanks Christine! We'll look it up now and reserve when to full schedule will be online. Since we are renting a car in Firenze after a train from Venice, would it be to late to book the car accordingly to the train's arrival only in June after booking the train ?
I’ve been traveling to Italy for 25 years and lived in Italy for a couple of years a little over a decade ago and I never bought a rail pass. They’re not worth it, in my humble opinion and that of my Italian wife. No need to buy tickets for regional trains in advance. They always run, the schedules don’t change, and if they do it’s by a few minutes earlier or later. Secondly since they always run and there are multiple trains daily, they’ll never fill up and there will always be seats. Also, when buying trains tickets buy from the sources themselves, like Trenitalia or Italo, NOT third party sites. I know some on here recommend it, but when in Rome… One takes care of their luggage on trains themselves. Each train has an area, depending on train type and line, for luggage. Usually it’s a rack from floor to ceiling with shelves. Some trains have luggage above the seating areas but those aren’t always up to snuff, meaning your bag may need to be slim or narrow to fit up there. If you’re worried about leaving your luggage unattended in the luggage storage area then just sit nearby.
You mentioned that you’re unable to download the Trenitalia app because you’re in Canada. Well, if you did over a vpn you wouldn’t have this issue. That’s how I’m able to watch shows on the RAIPLAY app even though I’m not in Italy.
