Train travel for 2 routes

Use this site for your train journeys.

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Venice-Venezia S Lucia-Bari Centrale

Roma Termini- Siena

Use the info drop down for change stations.
For your second trip, your change should be in Montepescali which is by Grosseto

Thank you Gerri four the site on train travel.
PS. When you use Google Maps you have to indicate train stations or else it may just use a location in the middle of Venice to take a bus. There are multiple non changeable trains from Venice train station to Bari. But I'm not sure if they're high speed trains or if reservations are needed.

I've taken the train along the west coast, specifically the Freccia from Rome to La Spezia via Grosseto, and it wasn't as scenic as I thought it would be. To get to Siena using that route, you'd need to go from Rome to Pisa and then take regional trains from Pisa to Siena. The trains from Rome to Siena via either Chiusi or Florence are 1.5-2.0 hours faster, so you'd arrive in Siena about the time you'd arrive in Pisa using the west coast route. Note that Trenitalia sometimes uses Pullman-style buses instead of regional trains between Chiusi and Siena, but they depart and arrive from in front of the train stations.

Did you follow the link given? It will tell you what the train type is, if you need a reservation , all the intermediate stops, and various prices.

Peter, when you look up trains on the Trenitalia website it will show you the train or trains required, and their designations.
I looked up a random date and got many options involving 1-2 changes. If the train is a a "regionale"no reservations are required, if it is a "Frecciarossa" or "Intercity" you do. In practice you just buy a ticket from A to B (Venezia S. Lucia to Bari Centrale) and one ticket includes all the trains and reservations where needed.

IMHO Google is not the place to look for trains.
Trenitalia is the company that runs the majority of trains in Italy.
Train times for next September are not yet decided, times past June will not be available until about May. Just pick a random date the same day of the week before then, times will be ~90% the same.

Peter, the train journey to Bari from Venice will be very long: the shortest is a minimum of 8 hours on Frecciarossa and Frecciabianca trains - both high speed - with one train change in Bologna. Pre-purchasing tickets in advance can often save you some $$. Personally, I would fly this distance versus sit on a train that long.

Use the Trenitalia website Gerri provided to research your trip from Rome (Termini is the most-used main station but it can depend on where in the city you're staying) to Siena, and Siena to Grosseto. You will have one train change between Rome and Siena but where that is depends which option you chose (how early/how fast you want to get there).

Siena to Grosseto will be on a slower regionale train with no reserved seats: you do not need to buy tickets in advance as the price on that journey will not change. You will need to validate (time-stamp) those tickets before getting on the train.

Editing to add: I am assuming that you are not trying to go from Rome>Siena> Grosseto on the same day? That you're intending on staying in Siena for a night or so? If not, then your route may be different than I've indicated above.

Thank you all for your input & Trenitalia train site. My first mistake on Google Maps, the trip from Grosseto to Siena, when I inlarged the route, I could see it's a bus not a train! Thank you for the input on the route going up the west coast is not that scenic. We do have 20 days, so spending the time on the train going south to Bari I figured could be interesting and relaxing. On the northern part Journey, I did want to go to Siena, which I probably will do by train through Chiusure, and then after a day or two, up to Florence. Looking into late afternoon/ evening Wine Tours in both places, to hopefully see the golden Vineyards during sunset. In between the two, we will be spending five or six days on the Amalfi Coast also.

I'm with Kathy, a flight from Venice(VCE)>Bari(BRI) takes 1:25. Available on both Easyjet and Volotea airlines. If you do decide to fly, just make sure to allow time to arrive at your gate 11/2-2 hours beforehand.

Thank you all for your Insight and information. I'll take a look into the flight. I really don't need the extra time in Bari, I still have two days after taking the train. Its more about relaxing and scenery on the coastline.

Peter, I'm having a really hard time figuring out the order of your itinerary and how you intend to travel between some of the other places on it. Could you publish it in its entirety?

My wife & I are in our 60's, 2 backpack, w/ 1 small carry-on. Exp. doing this in S. Africa & Swiss/ Aust/ Ger. (We do enjoy scenery more than viewing every ancient building & church.)
Sept 1-20, fly in/out (Venice. 2 nights,) than train to (Bari. 3 nights). Bus to Naples, over to port, 1:00+ water taxi to( Sorrento. 2 nights.) (take trip to see pompei/ Vesuvius) bus to [Amalfi/ ?Positano/? Praiano?) not sure yet 2.5days 2 nights]. ...Bus & train to( Rome via Salerno. 1.5 days 2 nights). Train to (Siena, 2 nights) (1st wine tour) bus/train to Florance. 2.5days 3 nights..) [Chianti at Sunset Wine Tasting Tour from Florence)? View city. Train back to Venice 1 day. Next day back home. We are flexable to any adjustments & days in towns.

The fastest itinerary between Venice and Bari does not follow the coast but is through Bologna, well inland; you will rejoin the coastline at Rimini. There is a railway cutoff between Ferrara and Rimini, but as only slow trains run that line it would probably add traveling time.

The section between Rimini and San Severo follows the coast - at some stretches you will be literally running by the sealine. This means that even fast trains aren't that fast. South of San Severo the route is inland but it gets much faster. Globally, it is a very long trip. Most people living in Bari now consider flying to/from other Italian places as railway routes to/from Bari are so long.

Long and there are also many tunnels that make trains going even slower.

May I ask why are you taking a bus from Bari to Naples?

Where did you find a water taxi from Naples to Sorrento? Is it expensive? Why don't you just take the train from Napoli Centrale's underground level?

Note that in season many tourists take the ferry from the Amalfi Coast villages to Salerno. From Salerno to Rome you can choose between trenitalia and Italotreno high speed trains. Same from Rome to Venice via Florence and Bologna. Italo runs less trains than Trenitalia, but they are usually cheaper.

Where did you find a water taxi from Naples to Sorrento?

Dario, I think he meant a ferry? He had a previous question about ferries from Naples to Sorrento, anyway. It does involve a transfer from train station to port whereas a train to Sorrento, as you pointed out, would eliminate that extra transport piece.

7 moves in 17 days is sort of a lot of time tied up in transfer processes, IMHO, but...
I'm curious as well why a bus to Naples from Bari.

Well...now I may need some shifting around!🤔
As far as the "flex bus & Marino bus, would only be if I don't want a rushed morning. The train from Bari to Naples seems to run only at 7:17AM! or 1:30(to late). I can take a bus to Foggia & than train to Naples also. No great set in stone plan, I wouldn't be buying tickets out, till we arrive. One thing I totally understand about everyone trying to get from point A to B the fastest, but in our case with 18 days on ground +2 travel, we want to see "country" & experiences at a little slower pace. [[1 caveat, if my wife's reletives aren't going to be home or avaliable..we're eliminating Bari...but I probabaly still would enjoy the train ride! We will know soon hopefully. As far as the "water taxi"?? Yes I meant Ferry! Again for a different exuberance & nicer view than a train. I have no rush to get to Sorrento. I believe 1.5 days is plenty. ( Not going to Capri.) My main expectation of magnifico! Is staying in a cliff side apartment either in Amalfi or Positano, not sure yet..any sugestions?😉 Also seeing the Tuscan wine area at evening & enjoying some glasses.

That 7:17 is a good connection. All the way across the country on a high speed train towards Rome, then a a short 40 minute connection to turn left into Naples. Only 3 hours and 43 minutes for the whole comfortable journey.

I agree that there aren't any more fast connections then until 13:14 (arrival Napoli Centrale at 17:11) but there are other slower trains, mostly taking 6 hours plus or minus.

How long does the bus take, and will it be as comfortable as a Frecciargento? Heck, it even has a bar car.

If you don't like the 12 minute connection time in Caserta that's no problem. The train from Caserta is a Regionale one for which reservations aren't used, and there is another 54 minutes after you arrive, getting you into Naples at 10 before noon, just 50 minutes later than the shorter connection.

I'd just rent a car in Bari and drop it off in Sorrento or Salerno. You could also spend a night in Matera along the way.
I agree that the 7 AM Freccia train leaves too early (and you'd waste 40 minutes at Caserta to change train). At the same time a car is ten times more comfortable and 2 times quicker than a bus going through the mountans.

Thank you all...will reconsider a few options. But not renting a car from Bari or a flight to Bari. I'll just sit back with a few extra bottles of wine and enjoy.🤠

My notes on an eventual Trenitalia trip from Venice to Polignano a Mare, just south of Bari. Plenty of train changes, but we travel light & it would be an adventure. Booked in advance, just over 60 Euro apiece is a bargain in my book. To break up the trip, we're planning on staying in Ascoli Piceno in Le Marche, an homage to Zoe. Possibly a one night stay in Bologna.

Venice/Ascoli Piceno 41,70

Venezia S. Lucia 10:25 Bologna Centrale 11:52 1h 27' Frecciarossa 9419
Bologna Centrale 12:42 Ancona 14:29 1h 47' Frecciabianca 8809

Ancona 15:05 Ascoli Piceno 16:45 1h 40' Regionale 7009

2 nights Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno/Polignano a Mare 19,40

Ascoli Piceno 12:05 S. Benedetto Del Tronto 12:50 0h 45' Regionale 7004
S. Benedetto Del Tronto 13:16 Bari Centrale 17:00 3h 44' Intercity 605

Bari Centrale 17:11 Polignano A Mare 17:40 0h 29' Regionale 22283

Thanks for your recommendations, looks adventurous and exciting. But I will be going to Bari, and using that as a home base for 2 days. Bari is where my wife's relatives live, so I will be using that. But we also are going to take a trip to..Polignano A Mare, Castellana Grotte, & Alberobello.( very interesting whitewashed huts with conical roofs. "Trulli")
PS. The 7:07 +/-am Venice to Barie is only 12 stops & no changes. The 8:30. 9:40, 10:30 etc only change is Bologna.