Dear fabulous forum folks: My husband and I will be taking the train from Rome to Florence then Florence to Venice-should I get tickets (first class) in advance before we leave the US? If I get the tkts and we want to take a later/earlier train once in Italy-is that allowed? Also there are mulitple trains/locations-how do I know which is best? This is our first time to Italy. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks
Holly
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
The earliest you buy medium and long distance (including all high-speed trains), the cheaper you will find the fares to be. Check both Trenitalia and Italo (a private competitor offering newer trains on the same routes). If you buy a discounted ticket, you cannot exchange it, not even for an earlier train on the same day.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32404 posts
Holly, On the train routes you mentioned, you'll be travelling via Freccia (high speed) trains. You can save money buy pre-purchasing tickets but these will be specific to a particular train and departure time and you can NOT just use any train on that route. If you board a train other than the one specified on the ticket, you'll likely be fined ~€60 PP, which will be collected on the spot! This is one reason I often just buy tickets when in Italy, as I can choose my departure time according to conditions at the time. Regarding which stations to use..... > Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (often abbreviated "SMN") > Firenze SMN to Venezia Santa Lucia Regarding the Italo trains mentioned in the previous reply, that's also an option to consider, however they only depart from Roma Tiburtina or Ostiense and not Termini. I prefer to depart from Termini, as I usually stay in that area. As this is your first trip to Italy, there are a few other "caveats" to be aware of. If you take Regionale trains at any time (ie: day trips) you MUST validate your tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or again hefty fines on the spot. The same is true for riding the Metro or Buses in Rome. You MUST validate the ticket or face fines. For getting around Rome, I often use a B.I.G. (daily) ticket. It needs to be validated on the first use only, and it's then good for all modes of transport in the city (ie: Metro, Buses, Trams) until midnight of that day. If you don't already have a copy, I'd suggest packing along the Italy 2013 Guidebook, as it will be a valuable reference source during your trip for sightseeing, transportation, restaurants, etc. Buon Viaggio!