cape

Our plan is to travel from Naples on 12/28 to Ancona on the east coast and rent a car. Has anyone taken a train recently, Naples to Foggia and then up the coast? I can't figure out from the Trenitalia site if there is a significant time difference in that route as opposed to going back through Rome. Any sense on the reliability and crowdedness post Christmas. There will be 2 adults and 4&7 year old girls. Thanks...not so much info on this site about the marches and the east coast.

nnolen

Hi there.
According to the Trenitalia site, it would take you anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5 hours to get to Ancona via Rome.

If you route through Foggia (which will require you to change trains in Caserta and Foggia), it would take you between 5.75 and 7.5 hours to do it.

A lot depends on the kinds of trains you book - Eurostar is the fastest and most reliable and also requires seat reservations, so you would be guaranteed a spot.

ellenem

I just traveled through this area a few weeks ago by train, though not your exact route. I traveled north to south, Cesena (just inland from Rimini) to Molfetta (just north of Bari). Then from Molfetta to Rome.

There were a number of choices for Cesena to Molfetta, both ES and IC trains. They all took about the same amount of time. The ES trains moved faster and made less stops, but you had to change once or twice, sometimes with as much as an hour wait at the connceting station. We chose the IC, which mad more stops, but we could ride the same train straight through. Though it is not required, we paid extra to reserve our seats on the IC since we definitely wanted seats together and it was a holiday weekend. With kids, I think the less change of trains the better.

For Molfetta to Rome, the best option was a ES that I had to connect with in Barletta, a few stops away from Molfetta. I had to wait almost an hour, but I had only one bag so it was simple to sit in a cafe and wait.

Check the schedule for (1) number of train changes and (2) total time of trip (I think shown at far right).

GAC

Your best bet if definitely to travel by Eurostar Italia (ES) train with one change in Rome Termini.

Departing Naples at 7:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m., you'll reach Ancona in 5 hrs. 23 mins., with a 20 minute layover in Rome Termini. Total fare is 40.17 Euros in second class and 57.43 Euros in first class.

I have travelled this route. The ES train from Naples to Rome is usually the most modern ES equipment (ETR 500). From Rome to Ancona, an older model of ES is used (ETR 450), without a restaurant car but with snack service on a rolling cart, and maximum speeds are not as fast as on the ETR 500. Crossing the forests of Umbria/Le Marche north of Fossato di Vico/Gubbio is scenic.

You really don't need to travel in first class on ES trains, in my opinion.

GeoffHamer

There are not many connections each day from Napoli to Foggia. A more frequent alternative is the hourly bus which goes from outside Napoli Centrale station and takes about two hours to Foggia, stopping again outside the station. From Foggia to Ancona, there is a good train service, much more frequent than from Roma to Ancona.

cape

Will try again...Thanks so much for ya'lls imput. Very helpful. Please comment on the scenic qualities of these train trips for me.

GAC

There is a roughly 30 minute stretch of track between Fossato di Vico in northeastern Umbria, and into the northwestern border with Le Marche which is very sparsly populated and full of beautiful mountainous scenery. The train slows down as it traverses this wooded terrain. Beyond lie the plains of Le Marche, somewhat dull and dreary, in my opinion. The trip from Rome Termini to Ancona on the ES train takes 3 hrs. 15 mins.