EuroRail- Italy vs. Tickets

Old Mar 29th, 2015, 12:16 PM
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EuroRail- Italy vs. Tickets

Hello All,

My husband and I are visiting Europe for the first time for our honeymoon.

We are thinking of starting in Nice and visiting the following:

Nice (3 days)
Cinque Terre (3 days)
Florence/Tuscany (4 days)
Venice (2 days).

We are not sure if it's best to get a EuroRail for Italy, but since Nice is in France should we just do tickets and we are taking 4-5 major train trips at most...

What would be the wisest option? Please help!!

We plan on doing a lot of walking and only trains/buses- no car rental.

Thanks so much,

S.
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Old Mar 29th, 2015, 12:56 PM
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the pass will not be good for you IMO - trains between Nice and Genoa - only direct trains are on a train line that I believe does not accept Eurailpasses or only does so at a discount.

Trains Genoa to CT are mainly dirt-cheap regional trains and ditto to Florence.

Florence to Venice you could say at www.trenitalia.com if you book way in advance but even at full fare a Eurail Italy Pass is no good for your plans.

For lots on Italian trains in general check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted train tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Mar 29th, 2015, 02:54 PM
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The optimal train, an EC - EuroCity train leaves Nice-Ville daily at 8:90 am (or soon will not sure when service starts) and the next one at about 10:30am - taking about 2.5 hours - 1.5 hours faster than non-direct connections - wise to be on either on those two trains. Check www.voyages-sncf.com for more details and possible discounted fares you can book in advance. Seat reservations are compulsory on these trains - change at Genoa to slow regional trains to the CT (not a high-speed line so no high-speed trains).
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 02:51 AM
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You are not clocking up enough mileage for an unlimited travel pass to make any sense at all.

Book Nice to Monterosso at www.trenitalia.com from around 27 euros

Also book tickets in Italy at www.trenitalia.com - Monterosso to Florence from around 25 euros, Florence to venice from 19 euros.
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 04:36 AM
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Is that 27 euros Nice to Monterosso on the EC direct Nice-Genoa trains or on slower sumpier regional trains in which case you add two hours to an already longer day?

Man - what trains are those fares available on? If not EC trains think twice - cheapest is not always the best despite that being the fodor's/Man in Seat 61 mantra IME.
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 05:26 AM
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>>>Book Nice to Monterosso at www.trenitalia.com from around 27 euros>>Also book tickets in Italy at www.trenitalia.com - Monterosso to Florence>>Florence to venice from 19 euros.>we are taking 4-5 major train trips at most..
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 06:16 AM
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kywildcatbourbon- Is that EC train a Thello train - I think you said that before and that it could be bought in Nice - just to clarify for me if possible - you are a wealth of info on the byzantine Italian train fares and Fodors is lucky to have you.

The EC question comes up because I see direct Nice to Genoa trains now being labeled EC - would Thello trains be labeled or are these in fact different trains?

Thanks in advance.
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 06:58 AM
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The direct trains from Nice to Genova are Thello trains. There are three a day on weekdays, at 8:09, 14:09, and 18:09. They also have direct trains to Torino.

Where have you seen them referred to as EC trains?

You can get advance purchase cheap fares on these trains if you buy them far enough in advance. Discounted tickets are limited in number, and are not exchangeable or refundable. The cheapest fares for these train (and also for EC trains) are called Smart fares. Other discounted fares are Smart2 and Go.

They're not particularly speedy trains, nor do they have modern carriages. Their advantage is that they save a bit of time, and avoid the change of train at Ventimiglia. They cost 60% more than the trip on the two separate trains.
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 07:08 AM
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Nice Ville Tu, 31.03.15 dep 18:09 EC 147
EC 148 Eurocity
Subject to compulsory reservation , 1st class only , 2nd class only , Global price , space for wheelchairs
Runs as EC 147 up to Genova Piazza Principe, then as EC 148
Milano Centrale Tu, 31.03.15 arr 22:50

bvienci - thanks for your expertise too! This comes from bahn.de - EC trains - 3 or 4 a day - some only to Genoa this one to Milan.

I guess Thello could run EC trains too?

again thanks!
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 09:50 AM
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>>> Is that EC train a Thello train >>Where have you seen them referred to as EC trains?>>The cheapest fares for these train (and also for EC trains) are called Smart fares.
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 11:25 AM
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I'm just wondering if railpasses are valid on those EC trains - I know they are not on Thello or at best get a minor discount? Of course if you go for the cheapest discounted ticket and don't want flexibility it would no doubt be cheaper than burning a day on a pass.
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 01:56 PM
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>>>I'm just wondering if railpasses are valid on those EC trains - I know they are not on Thello or at best get a minor discount?
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Old Mar 30th, 2015, 02:07 PM
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Correction. I think I figured out how to book a pass code for the Thello train on Trenitalia's website. Select your train and when you do a fare box appears where you can see all fares choices for that train. Below the box, click "view other offers" or "vedi altre offerte" on the Italian version. This screen is defaulting to the GO fare. Click the down arrow on the Go fare box and scroll down to Special. Then you will get a box to enter the code/pass. The fare that appears is the 25% discount.
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Old Apr 2nd, 2015, 05:25 AM
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Again kybourbon thanks a lot for that work! One thing with a pass if you only get a discount then you do not have to burn a day on a flexipass - just as long as the pass is valid for its overall validity period - so a pass can save some money without using a day on a pass at times here.

Thanks again.
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