We're planning to train from Venice to the Cinque Terre. We need to change trains in Florence and RailEurope.com is giving us a "caution" that we have only 14 minutes to make the change between trains. What is your experience -- is that enough time? We will have 3 kids (youngest is 3), us, and two grandparents (early 70s). We'll have our luggage with us, too.
I'm inclined to think it will be fine, but I wanted to see if anyone can offer any first hand knowledge.
Thanks!
Why are you using RailEurope?
That’s a 3rd party reseller that charges a fee and doesn’t offer all options
Use the actual train company site
https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html
With your group I’d probably look for a connection with more time
That second train is a Regionale though so your tickets will be good for the next train as well
I agree with Christine. You will feel less stressed if you give yourself more time on the transfers. On our first trip, we went from Florence to CT. I think the train left at a one of the farther out tracks and not in the center of the station. There might be a walk involved.
Definitely use one of the real train sites like Trenitalia or Italo. For one thing, you can have the app on your phone to check the schedule. Think about which town you are going to in CT. We went to Monterosso and it was more convenient to come through Pisa.
There are 16 tracks in Florence SMN. The Freccia from Venice will arrive in the center tracks (8-10 likely but I need the exact train to tell you). Trains to Pisa depart on the low numbers tracks (3-5 likely but need the exact train to check). Track 3 and 4 start in the back away from the terminus so it would be a slightly longer walk). You could decrease the time by utilizing the underpass at mid track but there are stairs so you wouldn’t be able to roll luggage. Potentially it could be about 150m
Thanks for the advice everyone!
Do I understand correctly that the Regionale train ticket is valid for 4 hours? So for example, if the ticket is for a train at 1300, we could also take the 1400, 1500, or 1600 train? (Of course I will check the schedule.) That would be helpful flexibility in case we can't make the transfer.
I can't seem to find any itineraries that have more than 14-15 minutes of transfer time in Florence.
I downloaded the Trenit! app which is great and apparently shows the platforms for each train. Are those reliable? If so, that is very helpful information.
Yes, I know about TrenItalia and in fact I had it open side-by-side with RailEurope. But it was only RailEurope that was showing the warning, so that's why I asked.
Unfortunately, you cannot adjust the transfer time at www.trenitalia.com, but you can do it by buying 2 tickets.
example: Frecciarosso 9411 dep Venice at 9:26, arr Florence 11:39 connecting to regional 18367 dep 11:53 to La Spezia. Ticket cost of the Freccia leg can be discounted per what is available for that train, but the regional is always the same price. Now look at the schedule for noon for a regional train to La Spezia. There is a regional train to Pisa Centrale at 12:28 connecting to a regional train to La Spezia arr 14:54. so that gets you to La Spezia 34 minutes later than the 11:53, but gives you 49 minutes connecting time. Both ways the cost is 14 EUR per person. So you could buy the Freccia to Florence as one ticket and the regional connection to La Spezia as the second ticket.
