Trains

Your question i slightly vague about where you will need these trains, but I can guess - based on the fact that you posted in "To The Boot", am I right that you are only speaking about Italy? If that is right, then you only have to worry about 3 or different train companies. It is like different airlines, or Greyhound and Trailways (as was). The main state owned train company in Italy is Trenitalia, also known as FS historically. It runs between most major towns and cities and has its own website. It owns and operates most of the stations. The train operating portion of the company is divided into three parts based on the type of trains. There are Regionale (regional) trains which stop many places and go relatively slowly, and and are most of the trains in the country, especially off the main backbone of the cities. They require no reservations, in fact none are possible, they often have no a/c, the rolling stock may be new but is often old, and they are very cheap. Discounts are not possible for most people. Tickets must be validated prior to travel. The next step up is InterCity, which for trains crossing international borders is called EuroCity. Older rolling stock, often a/c when working, require reservations so the ticket will be for a particular seat on a particular train, are faster with fewer stops and often can be found on secondary lines and in the south. The top step used to be called Eurostar Italia (still sometimes used) but now called the arrow trains - Freccia in Italian. Frecciabianca (white arrow) is refurbed older stock on traditional rails with very few stops and higher speed. Frecciargento (silver arrow) is new build very fast with very few stops on certain routes, and the fastest on the core route of Naples - Milan via Rome and Florence are the Frecciarossa (red arrow) which are very fast indeed. ... more ...

Diane, for almost all of Italy, you want www.trenitalia.com. They run the Italian trains. www.bahn.de is the official German train website. Bahn.de is the best website in Europe for showing the train runs in to, from, within just about every country in Europe. I don't know why they do this but it's really great and informative. Also, most every country has its own train system and its own train website. In general and with exceptions, if any part of your train journey begins or ends in a particular country, you can buy tickets you can buy tickets from that country's train website. For example, if you are traveling from Paris to Florence, Italy, you can buy tickets from either the French or the Italians. If you would identify the countries in which you wish to travel, we can provide the official train websites where you can not only see all of the train runs, you can purchase the tickets online as well.

... more ... There is a new company .Italo or NTV. It is a private company using the same rails and many of the same stations. I have it on good authority that the reason that it must use secondary stations in Milan and Rome is because Trenitalia's stations arm will not allow it to compete in those two major stations of Roma Termini and Milano Centrale. .Italo trains are the newest, most comfortable and with the best entertainment, and with the smoothest ride in all of Italy yet the prices are extremely competitive. Given a choice they are my train of choice in Italy. They have their own website and booking is really easy with printing off the ticket at home the usual method. If you are in Naples to Pompeii to Sorrento you will use the Circumvesuviana train. It is a private commuter train not related to either of the above. It has extremely cheap cash fares and you buy tickets in Naples. In the north of Italy is TreNord which is the local commuter trains north of Milan. Ask if you need help with those. In the south of Italy are separate regional companies. Ask if you need help with these, ask. The Bahn is the German national rail company which has the best view of schedules on their website but do not sell Italian train tickets. They do provide (pretty spotty) help for TreNord at Verona station. I'm sure it sounds very confusing but it is actually pretty straightforward and many people here can help you through the maze. Just take a few sunflower seeds (modern version of breadcrumbs) and ask for help.

Thanks much to all of you ! Very helpful. Italy only. From Florence to Siena; Siena to Monterosso; then the CT area; Portofino to Malpensa. just an fyi :) Thanks again ! All of the info is great and appreciated. Dianne

The new ITALO trains are wonderful as is their easy-to-use website and free wifi. Have used Trenitalia in the past and purchased tkts in Italy but on a trip to Italy this past July we used ITALO for our main journeys. I easily booked in advance and prices were great.

With Italo, notice that they do not always use the same train station. Not unlike some of the discount airlines. Just be sure you know which stations are in play.

The new Italo trains do seem to be quite nice. But, looking at Dianne's travel itinerary, the Italo trains are not on these tracks. They don't serve Siena, the CT or the Portofino area. It's www.trenitalia.com all the way. Or, from Florence to Siena, there is the SITA bus. Actually, IMHO, the SITA bus is better than the train as the Corse Rapida bus goes non-stop right to the city walls. The train station is down the hill. The SITA bus station is about 800' to the South of the main Florence SMN train station. For Siena to Monterosso, it is best to take the train. You most likely will change trains at Empoli and Pisa. Portofino does not have a train station. The closest stop is S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino on Trenitalia. For Milan, you use the same train station. Mostly all Regionale trains except that you might pick up an intercity train to Milan.