An extremely common question asked by travellers is whether it's better to travel between Venice and Rome by train or by plane. Without question, if you're connecting at either VCE or FCO to or from an international flight with either Rome or Venice as your final destination, you're usually better off continuing by plane (assuming a decent connection), rather than going into the central city and taking the train. But if you're departing from central Venice or Rome, is it better to take the train or the plane? Let's explore the pros and cons of each method, in this "face-off" competition: BY PLANE: Carriers: Alitalia or Easy Jet Fares: Currently, as low as 49.25 Euros on Alitalia or 40.94 on Easyjet, in each case paying by credit card and checking ONE piece of luggage not weighing more than 23 kgs (AZ) or 20 Kgs (Easy Jet). Fares vary considerably according to date, flight and advance purchase. In some cases, the actual airfare can be MUCH higher. Costs of surface transportation by public transport: you must add 8 or 14 Euros (train or bus) for Rome and 3 Euros for Venice (ATVO blue bus). MUCH more expensive by taxi, water taxi, or Alilaguna water bus. Time: at least 3 hours, 45 minutes (with no delays): 30 minutes to reach the airport; 30 minutes for check-in; 30 minutes for security clearance; 60 minutes flight; 30 minutes to de-plane and collect luggage; 15 minutes waiting time for bus/train; 30 minutes to reach your hotel. Depending on circumstances (such as bad weather), total travel time can be MUCH longer.
Posted by
OP
Los Angeles
425 posts
(continued) BY TRAIN (Trenitalia): Fares: regular second class reserved seat on the hourly AV Frecciargento train: 73 Euros. On the slower IC train: 42.50 Euros. "MINI" advance purchase promotional fares: Effective January 24, 2011, as low as 29 Euros on the Frecciargento. On the slower IC train, as low as 17 Euros. BEWARE: significant restrictions on reservation changes and refunds. Capacity-controlled. Must be purchased no later than midnight of the day beforehand. Other "MINI" fares for the Frecciargento train are higher than 29 Euros, but lower than 73 Euros. Time: On the Frecciargento: 3 hours, 48 minutes (same as total travel time by plane). On the IC train: 6 hrs., 13 mins. "FACE-OFF" ASSESSMENT: With the REGULAR fare for the Frecciargento train and the LOWEST airfare (plus surface transportation costs), VERY SLIGHT ADVANTAGE PLANE (but the train is less stressful for most travellers). NOTE: If you fly Alitalia, and take the Alilaguna water bus in Venice and the nonstop airport train to Roma Termini, your total cost will be 76.25 Euros, or MORE than the regular fare for the Frecciargento train! With the REGULAR fare for the Frecciargento train and a higher airfare, ADVANTAGE TRAIN in most cases. With one of the "MINI" fares for the Frecciargento train, ADVANTAGE TRAIN in most cases. CHEAPEST OPTION: 17 Euros with the lowest "MINI" fare on the IC train. Any comments are welcome.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17446 posts
Nice work! This is great information for anyone trying to decide which way to go. Personally I'll take the Frecciargento or Frecciarosso ES train over the plane even when it takes longer and/or costs more. It is so much more pleasant.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
GAC, You've provided an excellent comparison between the two travel methods on that particular route. However, one important variable to note is the luggage issue for travel by air. If one is carrying "heavy" luggage, there's also the possibility of an expensive Overweight Luggage charge. There are also variables in the times listed. If a lot of flights are departing at the same time, waits for check-in and security could be considerably longer! On arrival, there could also be longer waits to collect checked luggage off the carousel. If one is assessing this strictly on the basis of cost, then there are certainly times when travel by air might be slightly less expensive. On that particular route, I'll gladly opt for the ES / AV trains, as I find travel by train to be considerably more pleasant than by budget air (and no worries about the weight of checked luggage, or it being "misplaced"). The scenery is great too! Cheers!
Posted by
OP
Los Angeles
425 posts
Ken: I'm with you 100%. Your points about the uncertainties of air travel are all extremely accurate, as is your reference to overweight checked luggage on the plane. Twenty kilos is not difficult to surpass. One of the benefits of travelling by train is that no one will ever weigh your luggage. Also, there is usually less uncertainty about the timeliness of rail travel on the Fecciargento, compared to travel by air. And during bad weather conditions, travel by air is usually not any more reliable than by train. Between Rome and Venice, I firmly believe that the train is the way to go, now that the Frecciargento has reduced travel time to under four hours; even more so now that the new "MINI" fares will offer some significant discounts for those who are able to book in advance. But even without the "MINI" discounted fares, the train still beats the plane, when one considers both financial and other intangible factors (not to speak of environmental concerns). I view the "MINI" fares as icing on the cake. And where can you find a fare as low as 17 Euros (IC train with the maximum "MINI" fare), with no real limit on luggage? That's the rough cost of taking a taxi in central Rome!
Posted by
Los Angeles, CA, USA
1003 posts
Interesting stuff. There are also other intangibles such as overall stress, sheer number of transfers (which can add to stress, potential pitfalls, etc), and the fact that when you travel by train (especially in italy IMO) you are experiencing a part of the culture, have the opportunity to talk to "locals," etc., which can't be replicated by air travel for whatever reason. to me, traveling by train is part of the adventure and trip whereas flying is just a logistical pain. To me the train in Italy, at least between major cities, is a no-brainer, unless you need to be at the airport anyway (i.e. connecting flight).