Trains: Paris>Venice connection in Milan

Robert, In my experience, 15-minutes should be quite adequate (but don't stop for coffee!). When you disembark from the Paris train, walk to the end of the tracks and have a look at the electronic sign board for "Departures". Find the details and track number ("Binario") for your next train. Even if they've changed the track number or whatever, the electronic board will have the most current information. One point to note is that sometimes they don't list a track number for some trains until 15-30 minutes before departure. You can double-check the information on the large paper charts (but use the electronic information primarily). You'll probably be dealing with compulsory reservations on both trains, so be sure to use the car and seat no. that's listed on your ticket. Be sure that your destination station is Venezia Santa Lucia and not Mestre. Milano Centrale is a bit chaotic, so be prepared for that. Also, be sure to wear a Money Belt and watch your luggage! Happy travels!

Do not buy your tickets from Rail Europe. Their fares are inflated. If you book well in advance (up to 90 days allowed) on www.tgv-europe.com, you can get a Prems fare as low as €30 for the Paris-Milan leg and your total fare all the way to Venice will be €61.00. To keep the site in English and to avoid being bumped to the Rail Europe site, choose Great Britain as your country of residence. Choose to pick up your tickets at any SNCF station or boutique in France. 15 minutes is enough time to make the connection. Be standing at the door when the train pulls into Milan so you can be the first one to get off.

A couple of things, Robert. Don't know if you have your tickets yet, but RailEurope has a bit of reputation around here of separating travelers from the contents of their wallets more than others.... Also, "Autres" is French for "others". RailEurope is a French site. TRN is short for train in French. So your second train is showing as other train 9729. It is, in fact, an Italian Inter City train, so will appear on the screens as IC9729. Here's the information on the journey from the Bahn : Paris Lyon Th, 17.02.11 dep 07:42 TGV 9241 EC 9241 TGV Subject to compulsory reservation, Global price, Bordrestaurant, space for wheelchairs Runs as TGV 9241 up to Bardonecchia, then as EC 9241 Chambery-Challes-E dep 10:45 St-Jean-de-Maurienne Arvan dep 11:29 Modane dep 11:55 Bardonecchia dep 12:15 Oulx-Cesana-Claviere dep 12:25 Torino Porta Susa dep 13:17 Novara dep 14:13 Milano Centrale Th, 17.02.11 arr 14:50 Transfer time 15 min. Adjust the transfer time Milano Centrale Th, 17.02.11 dep 15:05 IC 9729 Intercity Subject to compulsory reservation, Global price, Snacks and beverages available, space for wheelchairs Brescia dep 15:53 Peschiera del Garda dep 16:13 Verona Porta Nuova dep 16:29 Vicenza dep 16:56 Padova dep 17:13
Venezia Mestre Venezia Santa Lucia Th, 17.02.11 arr 17:40 You need to be on the ball as you arrive into Milano. You also need to right on it for the 07:42 at Gare de Lyon. They often don't post the platform early in the morning until close before departure; and the station has both a blue area and a yellow area quite a distance apart. Bon chance...

Robert, first click on Nigel's link to the Deutsche Bahn website (then click on the German flag at the top and center of the page for English); the German train site is the most comprehensive for searching European train schedules - not just the German ones. (stay away from RailEurope, for a multitude of reasons!) Now, put in your info - it'll look like the sked that he laboriously typed out (he must like you). (OK - it looks pasted...) Let me know when you get to the train sked choices showing the one he'typed out'...NOW... Look to the right BETWEEN TRAINS: it says in boldtype "Adjust the transfer time". Click on that. Where it says "Alternatives", click on "Arrive earlier in Milano" then click "Find alt. connection". You'll see that you can transfer in Torino on ES 9623 and go non-stop (skipping Novara) to Milan, arriving at 14:40; you now have 25 mins to transfer to your EXACT SAME train in Milan. Now you have 2 transfers instead of one, and although the transfer at the station in Torino allows 34 mins, it's a faster train so you get to Milan faster than with your original itinerary. It ain't much, but if you're really worried 10 more minutes is wonderful to have! I WILL say to be prepared for anything although MY experience isn't terribly common...A few years ago I was supposed to travel from Florence to Paris, via Milan. Our Florence - Milan train was soooo late we couldn't make our train connection to Paris. So with this new itinerary you now have 10 more minutes... Also, I don't know what day of the week, nor when you'll be traveling, but be sure this train is running the exact day you want to travel - lots ot trains don't run every day... Good luck!

FWIW, according to Wikipedia (ALWAYS to be taken with a grain of salt!), the Paris trains use tracks/binario 1-3, and the Venice trains use 7-13... And my post is moot if you've already purchased these tickets...

Thank you all for the information. Much appreciated. This leg of my trip is on Wed, May 11. I do like to plan well ahead, and I dislike hectic travel.
Oh, for a transporter!

Robert, I just checked the tgv-europe site for 11 May. If you book NOW, you can get a combined fare of €60.50 (I was 50 eurocents off in my previous post). You'll be given two arrival choices for Venice. Be sure to pick Venice S Lucia.