Help! We have received a number of suggestions for one leg of our train travel, but I am hoping for the simplist and straighforward route. We will in Levanto and leaving on June 9 for Venice. We want to leave early in the morning with as few stops as possible. It seems we need to take a regional train and then connect with the fast train. I know we need reservations on the fast train, but it doesn't seem we can get them on the regional train. Thanks for any help you can give. Linda
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
There are no reservations for regional trains. There are no seat assignments either. It's first come first served so you may end up standing for a while if the train is really crowded. Donna
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
AFAIK, regional trains don't take reservations. You need a ticket, tho. The regional trains in the CT don't keep absolutely on schedule, so allow plenty of time for the transfer to the high speed train. I would take the earlier regional train to allow for the train being behind schedule.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15174 posts
For the train schedule go to: www.trenitalia.com and enter the following: from: LEVANTO to: VENEZIA SANTA LUCIA Date: June is too far out and the schedule doesn't go beyond a week from now, so use Thursday this week (June 9 is a Thursday). Time: enter 00 Click on search The website will give you all possible train options starting from the first one in the morning. The fastest options will likely be via La Spezia > Pisa > Firenze > Venice rather than via Genoa > Milan. However via Genoa-Milan it requires fewer train changes. I would choose the 8:54 am option (via Pisa-Florence).
Only 2 train changes (in Pisa and Florence) and arrival at Venice Santa Lucia 5h and 26min later. The option with fewest changes is at 7:01am. Only one train change (in Milan) but the journey is over 1 and 1/2 hours longer (over 7 hours). There are also fast options via Milan with one train change only, but they depart earlier (at 5.25 am) or later (at 11:01 am). It's up to you. It depends if you don't mind getting up very early, or if you don't mind arriving a little later in Venice.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3099 posts
The simplest is certainly that IC train that runs up the coast (via Genoa) to Milan. You have a single change there to the train for Venice. We took the 11:01 train but Roberto found an earlier one, at 7:01, so that should meet your "we want to leave early in the morning" needs. Although this might take a bit longer than going the other way, there are so many changes on that route (via Pisa and Florence) that I would be wary. One late train could make you miss all the rest. (Our train from Pisa to La Spezia was 30 minutes late when we went to Cinque Terre so I know it can happen!) Trenitalia doesn't have complete schedules up yet for June 9 so just keep checking back.