Is it worth the extra money for faster train or first class? Are the train rides comfortable enough to relax and enjoy the countryside? i.e.air conditioned?
Should I book ahead online from the states for the train?
Thanks
Deborah T
Mission Viejo, CA
You don't need 1st class. Seats in 2nd class have enough arm and leg room. It's not like an airplane. I'm not sure about the local Regionale (R) trains, but all higher train categories have air-conditioning. Unless you are going directly from the Rome airport to Sestri Levante, you don't have to have tickets in advance. And even if you are, you can take the Leonardo express in from the airport to Rome Termini and immediately buy your tickets to your destination. Not a big whoop.
Thanks for the information:)
This is what I get Rome-Sestri Levante
Roma Termini We, 30.07.08 dep 08:30 4:44 2 ES, R, EC Tariff abroad
Sestri Levante We, 30.07.08 arr 13:14
What is "ES, R, EC" and "tariff abroad" mean?
Deborah
Mission Viejo, CA
It looks like you got your timetables at www.bahn.de. "Tariff abroad" means that you can't buy tickets from that site online because all legs are outside of Germany. The abbreviations refer to types of trains. ES = EuroStar Italia. R = regional. EC = Eurocity. If you had clicked on "Details for all" after getting the summary timetables, you would have seen the connecting points and the type of train for each leg would have been written out in full.
You can get fares for this route on the Trenitalia site.
CLICK HERE to see what a morning train schedule looks like for 7/30. Note the Train Category column. If you take a run with the A train (Alto Velocito), you are on the most expensive train category and the trip will cost 52.70Euro. If you take the run with the two ICPlus trains (the 9:46am train), the cost will be 35Euro. The ICPlus train is a lower category train but very fast and comfortable nonetheless.
Thanks.. so much :)
I have found my trains, now I am concerned because many of the journey times from Rome to Sestri Levante have a circle with a red "NO" in the middle for buying.
Does this mean that I should at least buy this one now?
What site are you looking at? The Trenitalia schedule that I linked above shows a shopping cart for every run which means that you can buy it. I've called up the Trenitalia schedule and I still see shopping carts.
If you are looking at the Trenitalia site and its not the schedule I linked, then I suspect that you are looking at runs involving an R train. Surprise!! You can't purchase most R train run tickets online from Trenitalia. Thus, you will see the NO. Seat reservations are not permitted on the R trains. It's the local. It's like your local bus system. You buy a ticket, get on, and then try and find a seat. If no seats, you stand. The R train is so much different than the Eurostars.
Larry and everyone thanks for the help on the trains! I actually was looking for a train from Sestri Levante to Siena when the circle with "NO" came up in several columns.
This makes me nervous as my plans have changed so many times as I try and work this out-and am afraid that I will not be able to get three spots on the trains, if they sell out quickly.
I am going to be in Italy from 22 July-leaving back the USA 4 Aug.
Can I make reservations online and buy the tickets in Rome?
You have no need to worry. What your are looking at on the site are Regionale train runs. No reservations are possible on the R trains. Thus, you can't reserve seats. It's first come first served. That being said, you will be boarding an R train north of the CT. You should be able to get 3 seats. If not, you stand. There's no such thing as "selling out" on an R train. It's OK. As I said above, it's like a local bus. As long as you can fit into the carriage, you're fine. As you go through the CT, these trains will be packed like a subway. Not a problem. It's the local culture there these years with visitors going between towns. People get on and people get off. You will find seats. As the train moves south from La Spezia the crowds will diminish. Then, you will be changing trains at least twice. Same thing on these other trains. First come first served.
Even if you could buy tickets in advance, they don't come with seat assignments so it doesn't buy you anything to have them in advance. Please stop worrying. Worrying about something you can't do anything about from the U.S. is not worth it. You'll be just fine. You can buy the tickets you need in advance when you get to Rome. Even try for the limited AMICA fare if it's available (20% discount). When you get the ticket, you'll see that it's an open ticket for 60 days. No date, no time, no train number and no seat reservation.
There is an odd chance that you could be on an ICPlus train for part of the journey. These trains do require a seat reservation. BTW, you CAN buy these runs online.
I just took the train from Florence to Vernazza with a few hours in Pisa. From Florence to Pisa, it was a regional train and from Pisa to the La Spezia, it was an IC train. Both were hot in 2nd class but much cooler in 1st class. The prices are not all that much different and 1st class was worth every penny when it is hot. We were going to go 2nd class all the way until we realized the difference by walking through the different classes. Seating wasn't all that much different.
we have decided to stay around Rome, and found out about a beautiful beach: Sperlonga-2 hours south of Rome.
However when I put in the trip from Rome, under the buy column it states NO for every option.
http://orario.trenitalia.com/b2c/TimeTable?stazin=Rome+Termini&stazout=Sperlonga&datag=30&datam=07&dataa=2008&timsh=05&timsm=00&x=21&y=16&lang=en&nreq=5&channel=tcom
Just do not quite get the meaning of the "NO" thing...
Is this because it is impossible to buy online or is it because there is no space left on the trains?
Some trains don't take reservations and sometimes you are trying to buy for a day further out than 60 days.
We had no trouble buying tickets right before we got on so I wouldn't worry about that.
We got on a regional train in Switzerland and it was standing room only. They don't keep anyone off. You just get on and squeeze in and luckily, people get off pretty quickly.
Deborah, you're just not getting it. The BUY column says NO because Trentialia will NOT sell you a ticket on a Regionale train (R) online for that particular local run. That's why it says NO. It has been explained to you at least twice above.
It has nothing to do with the run being sold out because you can't sell out an R train run. If no seats, you stand.
On this message, I've linked the Trenitalia train schedule to Sperlonga. CLICK HERE to see it. Next, look at the the Train Category column. See the letter R? That stands for Regionale. Not for sale. Most train runs in Italy are on R trains. They don't run the Eurostars to the many of the smaller locations.
Larry,
Thanks for your persistent patience, I am finally getting the message. SUCCESS! :)
I will buy the tickets when I get to Rome, at the Tabachii (newstands) and/or Termini.
Thanks for all the great information.
Last month my wife and I travelled to Venice from Montecatini Terme on a day trip. The morning train was 13.75 euros per person on regional trains connecting through Prato and Bologna. It took 4 1/2 hours to get there. The return trip was on a Eurostar, 2nd class, connecting through Florence for 35.8 euros (1st class would have been 50+). It took 4 hours. Was the Eurostar worth 160% more to save 30 minutes? If the money matters to you then no. Otherwise consider that the Eurostar is air-conditioned (regional trains may or may not be), quieter, smoother, and a plush seat is guaranteed (they're assigned even in 2nd class). Although we had seats all the way on the regional trains, some people had to stand for a few stops before one opened up. In any case the seats on regional trains are comfortable, although vinyl and not fabric, and you see the same countryside.
