I'm sorry all - I know I've already asked this a dozen ways. I am trying to get from Toulouse, France to the Cinque Teree in Italy. Surely there is shorter trip duration than 15 hours? I went thru the DB website and the shortest duration I'm getting is 15 hours. At that time I think I might have to rent a car in Toulouse and drive and deal with the obnoxious drop off fee in Italy!
Any other ideas?
I think you can do this trip by train, but in several legs. Toulouse to Marseilles, Mars. to Nice, Nice to Genoa, Genoa to La Spezia. And after that, the local train. I think this can be done in 8-9 hours. If disabled or hauling lots of luggage, rent a car, or fly to Pisa and take a train from there. On and off trains all day is not for the faint of heart.
Are you looking at Toulouse to Genoa (Genova) Italy? You will have to catch a local train into CT so I would search to the main stop and not worry about the local train until you get there.
You may be getting only local train information because it's the only train that continues through to CT - just a guess.
Good luck.
Chris - I sent you the driving Mapquest directions from Toulouse to La Spezia (about 9 hours of Beautiful driving. Told you where you could leave the car and avoid trains and planes - Just not necessary - It's a Gorgeous road trip. And, as I mentioned , be sure to get an IDP certificate.
Greg
Greg that sounds perfect!!!!!!!!!!
I'll go check now & see if I get it...
If you don't want a long train ride and you don't want to pay the rental car drop off fee, you could fly Toulouse-Paris Orly and Paris Orly-Pisa, both on easyJet. Then take a train from Pisa to the Cinque Terre town of your choice.
Swan,
The fastest train route has only two connections (Nice and Genova), but it does indeed take 15 hours.
Seeing the countryside from ground level while traveling faster by car than by train might well be worth paying the rental car drop off fee in Italy. Greg is certain of it and he speaks from experience!
Tim - exactly...we will have 4 children (15, 12, & 2 10's) so changing trains a million times, just isn't gonna work. THe drop off fee seems like nothing. Greg has totally sold me on the drive and the vistas it brings.
Chris
Isn't France just a lovely country? The only travel infrastructure they build is Paris to out in the Province and from out in the Province back to Paris. According to French logic there is no need to get from one place in the Province, say Toulouse, to another, say Nice. The only place where you could possibly want to go is back to la capitale. That's why train trips from a city like Toulouse to a city like Nice take ages. But the drive is fantastic and easy! You might want to consider stopping at Carcassonne, Sete (lovely, even for just an hour or so, like a little Venice), the Carmargue...
Andreas - Carcassonne, Sete are both on my must see list. We actually have a neighbor that grew up in Sete and has told us many wonderful stories about the town.
Once I got over the drop off fee I was convinced driving was the only way to go. Too many lovely things to see.
Chris
