Train travel to and from Rome

I find train rides over 3-4 hours to be unpleasant. Fly one of the budget air carriers. Distances between those cities are great.

I've done both trains and budget airlines in Europe. With the air travel concerns these days, I find airport lineups can be long, frustrating and boring. Plus getting to and from airports only adds more hassle and extra transfers/connections. Trains leave and arrive in the centre of town where we stay. These trips I'm considering are definitely long, longer than I've done before but I've never had an unplesant train trip. What is it that makes it so for you, David?

We have never regretted taking the train instead of flying, even if it is a whole day on the train. You can at least get up, move around, have a meal. That said, we take long trips so giving up a day on a train does not detract from our time touring. It's kind of a rest day for us on a long trip. (3 weeks or more.)

I've taken the high speed train from Milan to Rome, the journey consisted of half tunnels and half countryside. Some nice scenery through the hills but they were mostly glimpses caught between tunnels. At 3 hours it was a comfortable and pleasant enough journey however if I was starting in Strasbourg I would opt to fly straight to Rome.

Strasbourg to Basel will either be a TGV to the main part of Basel SBB Bahnhof or a slower (perhaps older or perhaps of the new units) TER to the old French part of the Basel SBB Bahnhof. Both share the same tracks but end in different parts of the station. These days the only difference between the two parts of the station is walking past the closed and empty immigration booths entering the main station from the old French section. Walking time is about 5 minutes or less. Although there are the Vosges Mountains a bit of a distance away, I wouldn't say that this part of the ride is particularly scenic.

Basel to Milano is probably via Zürich (say if it is via Bern) which means a long long tunnel which is open now - the Gotthard Basis Tunnel - which takes the train at high speed completely under the Alps. The scenery you will see in Switzerland is all lowland.

Milano to Roma is partly of lowland farms and mostly frequent tunnels.

Are you looking at current schedules? The term EuroStar for Italian high speed trains - while still technically correct - is very rarely used these days. The brand is a coloured arrow, the Freccia, and then the Italian for White, Silver or Red for progressively faster trains. Most nonstop or limited stop Freccias in that corridor are Frecciarossa, the red arrow.

I don't do night trains anymore
The route from Rome to Munich is, for my money, the most scenic of the routes you have mentioned. Over the Dolomites, through the Brenner Pass and through the foothills of the Alps into Munich. Tunnels and open country between Florence and Verona.

Thanks for the feedback, folks. Obviosuly there are some train enthusiasts among you. Like Laurel, these long train trips are part of a month long stay so I don't mind taking the day to relax on a train or spend the night on board.

Nigel, your information about the train trip from Strasbourg is quite helpful. I was thinking about tunnels in Switzerland but wasn't expecting that there will be lots of tunnels in Italy as well. I guess the Swiss ones are longer. According to Rome2Rio.com, the route for our train does go though Bern (not Zurich) and it seems to go through a long tunnel after the town of Brig. This may be the famous Gotthard Tunnel which appears to be quite long but it does allow for a much faster trip.

Is there a reason you do not do night trains any more, Nigel? I think the day trip does take the route you mention via the scenic Brenner Pass and of course, a night train doesn't allow any scenary. The Man in Seat 61 recommends that trip. Choosing between the two alternatives will be difficult.

I'll post my decision later this month as I plan to book the tickets early, expecially if we decide on the night train. Bye for now, Gerry

the route for our train does go though Bern (not Zurich) and it seems to go through a long tunnel after the town of Brig. This may be the famous Gotthard Tunnel

If you are going through Bern, you are not going through the Gotthard Tunnel. Your route is:
Basel - Olten - Bern - Spiez - Lötschberg Tunnel - Brig - Simplon Tunnel - Domodossola - Milan
You can trace out this route on the map here: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/karten/karte-sts-pass-gueltigkeit.pdf
The Alps have two big ridges, with the Lötschberg and Simplon Tunnels going through the two ridges, and Brig in a huge valley in between. You do get some views before and between these tunnels.
For example, this is a photo of the rail line near Spiez: https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8847/18386908079_0930ee5958_b.jpg

rome2rio is good for showing you what methods of transport are available. But to show the exact times and routes for a rail trip you need to go to a rail company website. For example DB: https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml

If you select Strasbourg to Roma, and a date and time, you will see the times. Click on "Show details", to show the individual trains involved. Then click on "Map view", or click on each train number to show all the stops that train makes.

Thank you Chris F. for that valuable information about the train system and routes. Rome2Rio is a great site for considering travel options but I have used the bahn.com website for train schedules but didn't realize there was lots of detailed information available. One thing that did confuse me was the note: "runs not every day, 3. Apr until 19. Sep 2018; not 8. until 27. Apr 2018 ". If I have selcted the specific day I want to travel and it shows me the trip, can I be assured the train will run on the day I've selected?

One thing that did confuse me was the note: "runs not every day, 3. Apr until 19. Sep 2018; not 8. until 27. Apr 2018 ". If I have selcted the specific day I want to travel and it shows me the trip, can I be assured the train will run on the day I've selected?

Yes, if it is listed on the day you selected, it is planned to run on that date. The "3. Apr until 19. Sep 2018; not 8. until 27. Apr 2018" is just provided as extra information. I take it the date you selected was between 3rd to 7th April or 28th April to 19th September. Looks like this is a summer extra train.

Hi Gerald,

I used to work on the night train from Rome to Munich and I know the route and carriages intimately.

In September it will get dark about an hour after you leave Rome. The sunset as you speed north should be beautiful. It will get light again when you are still in the Austrian Alps near Salzburg (the Nightjet doesn't go to Munich as the crow flies - it takes a longer route through the Alps). That sunrise will also be exquisite. So I heartily recommend the Nightjet.

As for accommodation: if you are two or three people, go for the sleeping car, if possible even the deluxe sleeping car with en-suite toilet and shower. I hate waking up at 3 AM and wondering if my bladder is full enough to warrant getting dressed and dragging myself to the shared toilet at the end of the carriage, or if I can manage to go back to sleep.

If you are four to six people, you can have two compartments next to each other and an opening between them, so you all have access to your own bathroom.

The sleeping cars are only ten years old and very good, with power outlets etc., but no Wifi.

Hope this helps.

Thank you Edward. I was hoping to get a comment on the night train I am considering and your comments have decided me to do it. Your comments about the sunset and the sunrise make it difficult to decide which side of the train to sit on.

I especially appreciate your comment on the deluxe compartment as I wasn't sure if it was worth the extra price. If I could select a regular compartment next to the toilet, it wouldn't be too difficult getting up at night but I gather one can't choose your compartment. I gather they assign them depending on the various configurations reserved beforehand. I understand there is only one deluxe compartment per car - is that true? If so, i better book my deluxe compartment as soon as the tickets go on sale, which I think is 6 months beforehand. Which website do you suggest I use to book my tickets: www.bahn.de or www.nightjet.com or www.oebb.at ? I will be doing this from Canada and printing the ticket at home. I'll be continuing on from Munich to Passua on the same day so the bahn.de site may be best.

Thank you for your help. Any other suggestions you have, Edward, would be most appreciated. Best regards, Gerry

Hi Gerald, I'm glad I could help you. The sleeping cars have three deluxe-compartments - compartment numbers 6 (berths 32-36), 8 (42-46) and 10 (52-56). I do not recommend getting compartment No. 1 next to the shared toilet, as you will hear the flushing whenever someone goes, and also because that compartment is rather cramped.

The first week of September is already open to booking, so you can snap up your tickets any day now. The cheapest fares are still to be had. Two people in a normal sleeping compartment costs €218, two people in deluxe comes in at €258. The €40 extra spent on deluxe will, in my view, make a huge difference in comfort. I think they are the difference between €218 wasted and €258 really well spend.

As for booking, I recommend that you use the Nightjet site. That is where I was quoted €258. Bahn.de wanted €358 for the same thing.

For the sunset you will want to be sitting on the left hand side, facing forwards. But I cannot foresee which way round your carriage will be on the given day.

Here are pictures of what to expect. This is a rail geeks' website run by some very dedicated Czechs.
http://www.vagonweb.cz/fotogalerie/A/OeBB_WLABmz-7290.php

One more thing: one compartment can have a maximum of three people in it. If I say compartment No. 6 has berths 32-36, that means berth 32 on the bottom, berth 34 in the middle and berth 36 at the top.

Three people can book this as a triple (we called it T3 or Tourist in the day), two people can book it as a double, and a single person can get it as a single. Then you are not put in a compartment with strangers.

Some people travelling alone choose to book one berth in a triple or double. Then they may or may not end up sharing with strangers. The upside is that it is cheaper.

How many are you?

Edward - you are a wealth of information on night trains and I appreciate your help and advice. We are a married couple, both aged 77. We have travelled on trains before in Europe, mostly Italy, and have always enjoyed the experience. This will be our first time on a night train. We plan to take one from Rome to Munich and then go on to Passua in the morning. The. date will be September 17 so the tickets should be available for purchase soon. I have practiced the purchase process on the bahn.de site using an earlier date but did not get to the point where I could select a specific compartment. I'll use the NightJet site and select a deluxe compartment (#6, 8 or 10) for 2 persons. I assume they will make up the berths as requested - would the bottom and top berths be best or bottom and middle?

Also, thanks for photos of the compartments; small but efficient. We're looking forward to the nice extras. Bye for now, Gerry

Unfortunately none of the sites allow you to specify a compartment or berth number - only the category.

Nightjet.com and oebb.at are essentially the same, as the NightJet is run by ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railway company. Whichever of the two you start with will lead you to the same interface.

It is still a week at least until the tickets for your date become available. As it saves you €100, why not familiarise yourself with the Nightjet.com booking system and then come down on your tickets when the time comes. To get a deluxe compartment just for the two of you, you want to click Compartment with 2 beds and shower and toilet (double deluxe). You should then be given berths 32+36 or 42+46 or 52+56.

In the double setup you'll have two beds on top of each other. This type of carriage doesn't have two bottom bunks in the same compartment. The upper bed will still be low enough to see out the window - but you will need the ladder. Make sure it is securely fixed before climbing up.

The train will not have a restaurant car, and the food sold at the mini-bar is mediocre at best. I'd recommend you get yourself kitted out with a fabulous Italian picnic with some nice wine and then enjoy the scenery. Your beds will probably already be made up, but you can ask the attendant to put up the seats and the table - it is his job to make you feel comfortable.

I really loved working that train. It is such a pity my employer - Deutsche Bahn - gave this lovely train to the Austrians. Otherwise I might have been your attendant.

Edward - your advice just keeps getting better - thank you ever so much.

We'll take your suggestion about the Italian picnic dinner with a bottle of wine and enjoy it while we watch the sunset; hopefully we'll be on the left side of the train. I'll practice the purchase on oebb.at and let you know how I make out.

I plan to take a train from Strasbourg to Rome on Sept. 11. This is also a long trip but the scenery should be great (except for the tunnels). I'll likely book this trip on the Deutche Bahn site but I'll also check on Trenitalia. Do you have any suggestions or comments on this trip?

When I was doing research on night trains I did learn that Deutsche Bahn decided to get out of the night train business because they thought people would not use them after so many discount airlines started flying these longer distances in much less time. I'm gald that the Austrian railway took over that business because I beleive there are are lots of people who prefer the train over flying and have the time to enjoy it. I'll be taking trains from Frankfurt to Bruges and Munich to Passau so you may yet be on the same train as us.

Thanks for all your help. Bye for now, Gerry

I booked our NightJet train trip from Rome to Munich today at a cost of 238 euros for a 2 person deluxe compartment. Edward - thank you for your help and suggestions. I used the oebb site and everything went well. I chose the Bahn website to book my follow-on tickets to Passau. I opted for printed tickets as I don't have a smart phone although I'm thinking of getting one before this trip or perhaps buying a cheap "throw away" phone in Europe since so may people use them for texting, etc.

I also wanted to book train tickets for two other trips earlier in September: Frankfurt to Bruges and Bruges to Amsterdam but I was unable to do on the Bahn website: something related to "Tariff abroad" not possible. I'll try another site.

Since these posts are related to a specific train trip which I have now booked, all that remains here is to thank everyone for their suggestions and ideas. This Forum has been very helpful in the planning of our European holiday. Thank you all. Gerry

Hi Gerry, I'm glad we could all help you and that your booking went smoothly. I also hope you have a really great trip.

As for Bruges: I just tried www.b-europe.com/en (the Belgian railways' official website) and got prices in the low €40-50 corridor for Frankfurt-Bruges early September. It should also work for Bruges-Amsterdam.

Yes, Edward, the purchase went smoothly. I have learned a lot about train travel through this forum and by trial and error. It seems that if trains don't originate or end in Germany the Bahn website can't sell tickets internationally. I will have to go to another counties railway site for that or use something like RailEurope or Loco2. I also learned that you need to be very careful in entering all your data when buying an international ticket because it is not printed in English and hence, for me, difficult to check after printing it.