You are here: Home / Archives for Transportation

How to travel around Italy by Train

Mon, Apr 25, 2011 By 3 Comments

There is no better way to see a country than through the window of a train. Driving ties you up with directions and parking concerns. All you see from a bus is the highway or the person crowded in next to you, and flying may be fast and convenient, but it reveals nothing of the beauty of the countryside.

Why travel by train in Italy?

Take the train from town to town in Italy, and discover the country’s breathtaking colors. Bright green vineyards, purple fields of fragrant lavender, sparkling blue waters dancing in the sunshine off the rocky shores, pretty pastel homes in coastal villages; this country is a delight for the senses. Taking a train is the perfect way to travel from Rome to Venice, from Florence to Naples, from Castelfranco to Capri.

View from a train in Italy

Watching the countryside go by from an Italian train

A trip from Rome to Venice on the train not only eliminates the hassle of renting a car, driving, and finding a place to park in a city where all the roads are canals, it also gives you a chance to see the very heart of the countryside, while you sip a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio from your seat. The trip takes anywhere from four to six hours, passing through Florence and Bologna on its way. Make sure to book a train that arrives at Venice’s Santa Lucia train station, or save money by choosing a train to Mestre station, but be aware, you’ll have a longer trip into the city from there.

Types of trains in Italy

Train station in Milan

Train station in Milan

Italy’s trains range from commuter trains to world class EuroStar Italia trains, with comfortable sleeper cabins for longer, overnight trips. Also, contrary to what you might have heard, the trains actually do run mostly on time. There are all kinds of packages and passes that you can choose from as well, from spur of the moment single tickets for a quick day trip, to one month rail passes that can have you touring the entire country from the Swiss border to Sicily.

Italy train tickets and reservations

You’ll find the price of train tickets depends on where you are going, what kind of train you are booking, and what class of seat you choose. The Eurostar trains (ES) are the fastest, and require that you reserve a seat ahead of time. Intercity trains are also quite fast, and offer both first class and second class seats. Reservations are required on the newer Intercity Plus trains. Regional trains (or Regionale) are cheap and efficient, but may be more crowded during the morning or afternoon commute. Keep in mind that your ticket on a Regionale train guarantees you the trip, but not necessarily a seat.

Check out the Trenitalia website (http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html)  for every kind of option, including booking passes, train tickets and even departure times ahead of time.

Boarding a train in Italy

No matter what kind of train ticket you have purchased, remember to validate that ticket once you arrive at the train station. Look for a yellow box on the platform and insert your ticket. This will print the time and date on your ticket, making it valid for your journey. Skip this step, and you may face a fine.

Once you’ve remembered to do this, just find your train, get on board and relax. Just lean back in your seat and get ready to experience all the colors and the beauty of the Italian countryside.

Filed Under: Transportation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Vespa Scooter Museum – Pontadera, Italy

Tue, Jul 21, 2009 By 15 Comments

Zooming around the streets of Rome on your scooter… That would make me nervous, but the Italians sure do it! (Of course driving a car in Rome makes me nervous too, as does being a passenger in a Roman taxicab!)
Danger aside, the scooters do make a lot of sense. It saves on gas (expensive in Europe), and it’s a whole lot easier to find room to park than a car!

The famous maker of Italian scooters is Vespa, and they have a Vespa Museum in Pontedera, Italy, not far from Pisa. If you’re ever in the area, check out the museum. And if you’re not in the area, you can check out this video instead!

Filed Under: Transportation Tagged With: , , ,

Italy Travel: Getting there and getting around

Tue, Nov 11, 2008 By 7 Comments
Your trip to Italy will go a lot easier if you’ve got your travel plans figured out ahead of time.  Unplanned travel in a foreign country can end up being difficult, and could provide unfavorable results if you are not able to experience things as you would have liked.  Here are some tips on Italy travel – getting there, and getting around once you’re in Italy.

Getting To Italy:

There are a few ways to reach Italy, so it will depend on where you live. For those who live overseas, you have the option to fly by a commercial airline or arrive by cruise ship. Visitors who live in Europe can reach Italy by train that can be another option besides flying.

  • Flying into Italy is by far the most common way to reach the destination of your choice. In order to book your flight into Italy you can use a travel agent or search for flights online through a trip planning website such as www.kayak.com. Not only can you search for flights one-way or return, but you can also coordinate hotel availability for the duration of your stay. Most overseas flights into Italy are overnight trips; so planning ahead is essential if you need to arrive into Italy on a designated day.
  • Another way to reach Italy from North America is by cruise ship. Although this takes a lot of time that you could otherwise spend touring Italy, it is a glorious trip with stops to some major ports for the tourist attractions.
  • For those who are already in Europe, traveling to Italy by train is a great way to experience the countryside. This is an extremely flexible option for those who want to visit some major destinations within a set amount of time and want to avoid all that goes along with driving in another country such as renting a car, paying gas and mileage, as well as parking when you reach the cities you want to visit. You can purchase 1st or 2nd class tickets on most lines.  Information on tickets, lines, and times, is available at the Trenitalia web site.

Getting Around Italy:

Once you have reached Italy, there will be much to explore and experience. In order to make good use of your time while there, take some time beforehand to plan how you’ll get around in Italy.

  • Renting a car is a popular way to visit destinations that are off the beaten track and are not as popular to most tourists. Since major flights and trains do not reach the remote towns a car is a perfect solution to experience the countryside and explore parts of Italy that have not been commercialized with tourism.
  • If you plan on touring the major centers of Italy, renting a vehicle may not be the best choice for you since parking can be a problem in some places and it can be difficult to drive in an unfamiliar city while making your way around Italy. For popular centers such as Naples, Rome, and Venice, renting a vehicle is discouraged.
  • Traveling by train while in Italy is a cost-effective way to travel across the country without spending too much time (and missing out on attractions!) For some, a trip to Italy is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you would not want to miss anything By purchasing a rail pass you can go right from Naples up to Rome and onto Venice without having to rent a vehicle and plan a trip by car.
  • Of course the easiest thing to do is to take an organized group trip to Italy!  There are many options, including culinary trips, walking trips, and trips for women.  The group will have all your travel plans pre-arranged, so all you need to do is show up on time. :-)

No matter how you travel to Italy, or get around once you’re there, be sure to do some research and prepare yourself for the difference in culture and lifestyle. Real Italy cuisine is quite different from the North American Italian eateries that we’re used to, and that’s just one of the differences in lifestyle.

Filed Under: Transportation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,