We are traveling from Naples to Bolzano. Should we take the train (7+ hours) or fly. It looks like flying from Rome is only slightly more expensive. The downside to flying is we don't see any scenery but we save quite a bit of time. Is the scenery worth seeing?
Posted by
Portland, OR, United States of America
59 posts
I'm not sure you'll save as much time as you think. Unless you're flying direct from Naples directly to Bolzano, you need to add up all your connections to see the total air travel time, wait time at airport, train station, etc. You aren't flying international, but you'll still need to get to the airport early, potentially sit on the tarmac, etc. At a minimum you have connections for: Naples train station to Rome Termini Rome Termini to airport security check
your flight So, look at the schedule for Naples to Rome and then pad to get from your platform, buy train tickets for Fiumicino airport, get to the Fiumicino train, do the half-hour ride out to the airport (trains leave every 30 minutes, starting at like 5:52 AM), go through security, make your flight, etc. I see a 6 hour, 13 minute train from Naples to Bolzano if you leave in the afternoon. Anyway, my point is that flying requires making more connections, hauling luggage, negotiating more spots where you need to be aware of pickpockets, etc. vs. a single easy, though slightly longer train ride, where you should also get to see some nice scenery.