Should I buy my ticket online ahead of time when traveling from Florence To Monterosso, or just show up and purchase? Also, when purchasing the CT card that is good for train travel and hiking pass, is it good for 24 hours or just the date of purchase? Do you validate that card/ ticket every time you visit a town? I am so confused! Thanks for your help!
Posted by
California 🦋
5301 posts
Kathi,
You may buy your train tickets in advance if you choose to, but you really don't have to, especially since the price difference is not that much for this trip.
Having said this, you may want to buy in advance, especially if traveling in the summer.
You can check train schedules & ticket prices here: http://www.trenitalia.com
When using above link, you 'll need to start typing the name of the station in Italian, then choose from the drop down menu.
- Florence = Firenze S. M. Novella
- Monterosso = Monterosso
- Rome = Roma Termini
- Milan= Milano Centrale
- Venice =Venezia S. Lucia
There are 2 different CT cards & you can purchase for one day or for 2.
You don't need a CT card to visit the 5 villages via train (you can buy train tickets without card).
The CT card is only needed if you plan to walk/hike the trails.
Check the official CT website for more information:
When is your trip taking place?
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
Kathi,
On that particular route, I don't think it will make a huge difference in price whether you buy tickets in advance or buy locally a few days prior to travel.
It's very likely that you'll be using a combination of Regionale, InterCity or Freccia trains on that route. If you would prefer to purchase in advance and save a few bucks, you can certainly buy the InterCity or Freccia tickets online. However, Regionale tickets are best purchased locally, either using a Kiosk or a staffed ticket office. There are no price breaks for buying Regionale tickets online, and advance purchase Regionale tickets often come with restriction. If you buy these tickets at stations in Italy, you MUST remember to validate them (time & date stamp) prior to boarding the train on the day of travel. If you forget to validate, you may face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot. The InterCity or Freccia tickets don't need to be validated, as they're specific to a particular train, date and departure time.
As Priscilla mentioned above, be sure you're clear on the Italian names of the stations you'll be using.
Here's some information on the Cinque Terre card.....
http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card
- EDIT - The card needs to be validated prior to the first time you use it. For example, if you buy the two day card, it will expire at midnight the second day from the time it was validated.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16769 posts
Ken, I'm pretty sure our park card expired at midnight of the same day validated and not 24 hours later.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
Kathy,
Thanks for the correction. I've edited my reply accordingly.