We are leaving Milan on July 26 with two adults and one child. I'm finding 185 euro for all and don't know if that price is even still available. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a less expensive train or how about a bus or renting a car one way?
Paula
Two things first. What rail website are you looking at for the quote of 185Euro? Second, how hold is your child? Trenitalia shows children fares from ages 4-12 but does not state anywhere how much the fare is for children under 4. I haven't included child prices in my quotes below.
Next, I'm looking at the Trenitalia schedule for 7/26 and I see a fare of 146.40Euro for two on the fastest and most expensive Eurostar Alto Velocito train. The journey takes just under 7.0 hours with no train changes. For the Italian Eurostar, the cost for two is 135Euro. The journey time is about the same but there is a train change in Rome.
If you can learn to look closely at the train schedules, which is easy on www.trentialia.com, you will see about 3 train runs a day that are in the Intercity (IC) train category. This is a lower and slower train category. These runs take 8.5hrs for the journey because they stop at more places. The trains aren't as nice as the Eurostars but the cost for two is 110Euro.
CLICK HERE to see what I see.
Have you looked at the low-cost European airlines to see if any of them fly between Milan and Naples?
If you're in Italy right now, you can book their Amica fare (bookable up to midnight the day before the train leaves, if there are any such sale seats left) for 41.60 Euro pp...total, 83.20 Euro ($135) for two adults. That's on the IC trains that Larry mentioned earlier. KIds 4-12 can get half price...so the Amica fare for them would be 20.80 Euro ($34). After picking your train, head down to any Italian train station ASAP and book the Amica fares to save 20%. Several airlines fly into one of Milan's three airports, including Myair, Airone, Meridiana, and Easyjet. But with only a week to go, I doubt you'd find a fare that would beat the Amica fare on the train, especially after paying to get from the airport to the center of the city.
You're probably looking at the first-class, standard fare on the Inter-City (IC) train for 2 adults and 1 child 4-12 years. Take the Eurostar second-class for 169 euros. The train is faster, smoother, air-conditioned, quieter, and plush seats are assigned, even in second class. The IC train I was on in June had Hogwarts Express style seating in first class (i.e. 6 seats facing each other in a glassed off compartment with an aisle down the side of the car where 2nd class riders could sit on padded seats that pulled down from the walls. Not the most dignified way to travel. The Eurostar seating has groups of 4 seats facing one another on either side of the central aisle. Each position has lots of legroom with its own fold-out tray and a power connector to plug in your laptop.
