Train Connections

Hi peter. a few thoughts. if you buy tickets ahead of time, they can be quite cheap; likely cheaper than the rail pass. also if you are returning from la spezia to paris, you could consider flying from pisa to paris on easyjet airlines. or for that matter, change your flight to fly home from florence or milan instead of paris. enjoy your trip!

Thank you for that information. My other question is If I book a train ticket in advance, say about 2 pm .and I miss that train ,can I use that ticket to catch another train.
My intention is to leave Avignon by train stay in Monaco one night then go by train to La Spezia italy. your advice will be a big help tp me. Thanking you again Peter

Booking non-refundable, non-exchangeable discount fare tickets in advance can save you a lot of money, but you must depart at a specific date and time or your ticket will be worthless. Paris-Avignon can be as little as €22.00. Avignon-Monaco can be as little as €25.40. Monaco-La Spezia. Are you actually going to one of the Cinque Terre towns? If so, which one? If you want to take the train from the CT to Paris, there are faster routes than retracing your steps. Taking the train to either Pisa or Milan and flying from there to Paris on easyJet or Ryanair could be cheaper than taking the train - and a lot faster. Be aware that Ryanair uses outlying airports for both Milan and Paris so there is extra time and expense getting to and from them.

peter, As you're travelling from Monaco to the Cinque Terre, it's highly likely that you WON'T have to go through La Spezia first. As you're coming from the north, you'll likely access the C.T. via Genova (which probably means a change at Genova Piazza Principe). I'm not sure a Railpass is a good idea for just a few trips, especially as these DON'T include the reservation fees that are compulsory on some trains. As Tim mentioned, there are some savings are possible for pre-purchasing P-P tickets (which include the reservation fees, where applicable). I haven't looked at the specifics for your trip, but the method I'd probably use would be to purchase tickets for each outgoing journey when you arrive in each city. If you have some spare time during your visit to Paris, you could stop by any SNCF Boutique and arrange all the tickets (if you have a fairly clear idea on your departure dates and times). When in September will you be in the C.T.? Happy travels!

Again thank you. we booked a 2 Bedroom condo in Manarola for the week. And I have been told that I will have to go to La Spezia. one other question to you.is there a big differience in Train fares if not booked in advance. the reason I ask this question if for some reason I missed the train.. Sincerely Peter

To the people who advised me on my trip to France and Italy. Thank you so much ,it makes me more comfortable knowing what to do and without rushing arround trying to catch connections.. Peter

I leave Nice on the 17th sept for Cinque Terre. Manarola. can you give me some advice on connections. I have to be in Manarola by Noon.
Would I to Genova first Pete

peter, The trip from Nice to Manarola is fairly straight forward, however you're NOT going to be able to get there by noon. According to the bahn.de website, the first departure on Sept. 17 is at 06:23, arriving in Manarola at 13:28 (presuming that everything is on time and the French aren't having a strike that day). Travel time is 7H:05M and there are two changes at Ventimiglia and Genova Brignole. Happy travels!