are trains in Italy non-smoking?

As per the Trenitalia website, smoking is now forbidden on trains... Here is their explanation:

FREEDOM TO NOT SMOKE -
Smoking is forbidden in the waiting rooms of stations and the stops, and irrespective of signs displayed in the carriages, on all national trains and, within Italy, on all international trains leaving and arriving in Italy.

So despite signs on some older trains that say you CAN smoke, you really CANNOT smoke. Only in Italy!!!

Ciao,
Ron

thank you, Ron. Also, is there anything special about the CIS from Florence to Milan--or should I just take any train that is a convenient time?

Elaine, Larry and Norm just handled this question, so I'll paste their replies (They are more the train expert than I)... I'm sure they can offer better advice on trains! Ciao, Ron

Norm
Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 1913

That's the Cisalpine train, the name for the Trenitalia service that joins northern Italian cities with Switzerland. They'd be comfortable enough....some are EC trains, others IC...I don't think you'll be able to tell which is yours. Travel times run 5:10 to about 6:15, so pick the one with the least transfers/fastest times. Eventually, on all these routes, you'll transfer to an Italian regional train for the final leg. Check out all the trains available at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html , even if you can't purchase :(

Larry
Elk Grove, CA USA
Posts: 1802

There are two types of Cisalpino trains. One is the EC-category train and the other is the faster "tilting" train (it actually leans into the turns to go faster). The Italians call this train the Pendolino. The www.bahn.de site may not make a distinction between the two but the Italian Trenitalia site does. Under Train No. you will see a train described as a Cisalpino. In the Train Category column for that run, the EC train is noted as an EC train. The Pendolino is noted as a "cis" train. The Cisalpino trains run from Florence, Milan, Venice, Trieste in Italy up through Switzerland and into part of Germany. There are not many cis runs each day as there are EC runs.

Nothing really special about it, except it'll cost you a few Euro less than the ES or the AV fast trains...and a couple of Euro more than the IC trains. Basically, the faster you want to make the journey, the more you'll pay.

Just because smoking is not allowed on trains, dont expect that law to be obeyed! Based on what I read Italians are notoriously oblivious to most laws--especially speed controls.