Took a recent trip To Italy. Flew into Venice 2 nights, took Train to Cinque Terre(Vernazza) 2 nights, then train to Florence 1 night, Then train to Rome 3 nights, Train to Sorrento 3 nights, then train to Rome again 1 night. Had RS books from 2011 which helped out tremendously. (not sure if issues i had are changed in 2012 or if explained, was able to buy 2011 books used for about $3 each. I had Italy, Rome, and Venice books. below are observations. -Booked Trains 3 months in advanced to get get lowest rate, and used fast trains the most. Using the Train # was the best to find your train. Most trains do not have a track/Terminal # until about 15 mins before the train arrives. -Most common mistake I made and others in noticed, was being in the wrong car/carriage, make sure you pay attention what carriage/car your on. -Used the shuttle boat outside Marco Polo Airport to Venice. Very Hectic, really no formal way to get on the boat, get as close to the entry as possible. May have been this way since I arrived at Noon. Navigating with a map is difficult, since most long streets, the street name changes every block, using landmarks is the best way to find where you are on a map.
-Bought most tourist stuff. Maps/ City Passes at Tabbicchi/tobacco shops, not the TI, since the TI lines were long.
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Redding, CA, USA
1568 posts
Interesting about the Train #'s in Italy. I am use to depending on the platform #. Thank you for your interesting and helpful post about other issues.