We will be traveling to Italy for a second time this May for 16 days. The first time (20 years ago) we traveled by car. This time we plan to travel by train. Venice to Vernazza, Vernazza to Florence (leaving Florence we plan to take a car to and around Tuscany), driving back to Florence to drop off the car and then finally taking a train to Rome. While in Rome we plan to walk and take local transportation. We fly back to the states from Rome. Questions-
1) is there a train pass we can purchase that will cover all of our train travel while in Italy or is it best to purchase tickets individually for each trip?
2) Is it best to purchase individual trip tickets ahead of time (this coming week) or wait until we get to the train station at each location?
3) What is the difference between standard, economy and business class and is business class worth the extra money?
4) Finally, we have read about traveling through Milan and through Florence to get from Venice to Cinque Terre. Is one route better than the other?
Thank you for all your help. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Chicago
7854 posts
There is no need for a rail pass. And you can buy your tickets now to save.
Take the fastest route with the least amount of connections from Venice to Vernazza based on the time you want to leave.
https://www.trenitalia.com
This site has information on what the train classes are like
https://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23270 posts
You have three levels of fares on all trains except the Regional trains. Super Economy, Econ, and Base. The first two are discount tickets, limited in number available per train/route. Come with restrictions - mainly no change - and of course locks you into that specific schedule. The advantage is that you can have significant discount and the disadvantage is no flexibility. For Regional trains there are no discount and no reason to be purchased in advanced. Personally don't think business or first class gives you any advantage except a slightly wide seat. Leg room is about the same. The seating for first class is 2 x1 across and standard or second class is 2x2 across.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
russo,
A few thoughts on your questions.....
To begin with, it would be more efficient to travel Venice > Florence > Vernazza > Rome, as that will minimize travel times. However I imagine you've got all hotels booked so you'll have to work with what you have.
- Yes, there are rail passes for Italy but they're usually not the most cost effective option. Keep in mind that passes do not include the compulsory reservation fees for the express trains, so you'd still have to buy those out-of-pocket. Even with a pass, if you're caught without a valid reservation for the train you're riding on, you'll face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot.
- You can only save money on tickets for the express trains, if you're able to get Economy or Super Economy tickets. Those usually sell out quite quickly so you'll be stuck with Base fare (the highest tier). Base fare is the same price you'd pay for walk-up tickets bought on the day of travel. Note that the discounted tickets are usualy non-refundable and non-changeable once purchased. With tickets for the express trains (Freccia and Intercity), you MUST be willing to commit to a specific departure, as the tickets are specific to train, date and departure time. If you try to use the ticket on a different train than what is listed, again hefty fines. With Regionale tickets, it doesn't matter whether you buy in advance or buy on the day of travel, as prices are always the same. With locally purchased Regionale tickets, you MUST validate them prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or again hefty fines. You'll be using a combination of train types on the trips you mentioned so it's important to know the rules for each.
- The difference is basically price and slightly more comfortable seating. IMO, don't waste money on the higher classes as standard seating is perfectly comfortable.
- Whether you travel through Milan or Florence to reach the Cinque Terre, you'll get there just the same. I prefer the Florence route, but that's just personal preference.
"Any other suggestions....."
As you'll be using a rental car, note that each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. You'll also have to be extremely vigilant to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in many Italian towns. Each pass through one will result in hefty fines, which you may not know about until several months after you return home. As you plan to return your rental in Florence, be sure to do some research on the best location to return as Florence is just about saturated with automate ZTL cameras. Roberto or one of the others can provide information on that.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
For the Venice to Vernazza trip, your decision may come down to travel time versus number of changes. Trains via Florence tend to take less time but sometimes require more changes. Trains via Milan tend to take longer but sometimes require fewer changes. One isn't necessarily better than the other, it's just a matter of personal preference. Train changes are easy, so I always opt for less travel time.