Getting Around Italy Solo

Geoff, It's actually a bit of an advantage to travel to Siena by Bus, as passengers are dropped in the main part of town, rather than at the bottom of the hill where the station is located. I've used Buses on a couple of occasions, and found them to be quite pleasant. If you have luggage stored in the hold, it's a good idea to be vigilant to make sure no one walks off with it at bus stops. The Bus from Rome to Siena departs from the vicinity of Tiburtina station, but that's easily reached. You should be fine buying a ticket on the day of travel. I'd suggest checking the Sena website to determine which Bus you want to take, and get there WELL in advance of the trip in case there's a queue at the ticket window (which I've encountered on occasion). There are lots of departures on the current schedules, and the travel time is ~3H:05M. Adult fare is currently €22. DON'T forget to validate your ticket prior to boarding! For travel to Maranello, the method I'd use is train to Modena (as short as 3H:20M, with one two changes) and then Bus to Maranello. I believe you'll use the #800 Line, Buses depart hourly and the trip takes 30M. Have a look at This Website for details. When you depart Maranello, reverse the route and use Bus to Modena and then train to Venice (the rail trip will be as short as 1H:56M). Note that your destination station will be Venezia Santa Lucia station. You'll have to research departure times on the Trenitalia website. If you're planning to visit the Ferrari factory, I believe tours are restricted to owners with pre-booking, so you may not be able to get in there, but the Museum is open to visitors. Happy travels!

Vernon, Thanks. My thoughts exactly on transit methods. Depending on my time, I might take a cab for the round trip between Modena and Maranello. Bus travel will be a first for me. I want to get to Maranello early to see a few of the auto museums before departing for Venice the next morning. I believe you are saying there will be one or two train changes from Siena to Modena, but, none from Modena to Venice. Is this correct? Changes can be challenging, but, I'll do some research on Trenitalia. Thanks again for all the information.
Geoff

Ken: Sorry. Thinking about Vernon Canada.

Geoff, Regarding the trip from Modena to Venice, there will usually be one change at Bologna Centrale (I forgot to mention that). The trip from Modena to Bologna is only about 20-minutes, and then there will be a short "layover" before the train leaves for Venice. Have a look at the Trenitalia website for all the details. When you arrive in Venice, be sure to wait until after you cross the causeway and get off the train at Venezia Santa Lucia (there's another Venice station called Mestre). Changing trains is usually fairly straightforward, but if you're concerned about that you might have a look at the "Rail Skills" chapter in Europe Through The Back Door. You could also have a look at This short video for a tutorial from Rick. It describes Holland and Germany, but may provide some information that helps. Note that some of your trips will require a compulsory reservation, which will be included in the cost of your P-P ticket. You'll be assigned a Car No. and Seat No. Cheers!

Ken: One more thing: Do you happen to know if I can buy train tickets on line directly from Trenitalia, stating that I am from the U.S., without being transferred to another ticket site? Last year, with TGV, I had to state I was from the UK in order to prevent that from happening. I suppose I can just give it a try and see what happens. Thanks,
Geoff