enamorada

Hi, there. I'm going to Italy on September, and I'm planning to move from city to city by train.  I'm planning to stay a few days in each city (Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples...).  In terms of coordinating the train trips with the hotel check in and check out times, what is best?  Is it more convenient to travel during the evening or during the morning?  I just don't want to carry my luggage around for too long, just get them to the place where i'll stay. Thanks in advance for any ideas you may give me.  Enamorada

ira

Hi E,

>I'm planning to stay a few days in each city (Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples...). ...<

Not my idea of a pleasant visit. Rome, Florence and Venice ought to take about 2 weeks.

How much time do you have?

However, hotels usually expect you to leave by 11:00 and arrive after 15:00.

rex

I think a different answer might apply to each segment. Venice lodging is expensive so I think it makes sense to maxinize your visit _day_ time per night of stay... therefore, travel there (from Milan) to arrive around noon, and depart to coincide with the supper hour (you can eat a nice meal, albeit overpriced, Venice-Florence).

Florence-Rome is short enough (95 minutes) that is not as crucial, although again, if you do it at lunch time, you can kill two time-consuming activities with one time period (pinic/sandwiches at your seat probably better than what they sell onboard).

And finally Rome-Naples, similar consideration even though it's a longer trip.

I agree, at least in part, with ira. If you do nothing else, allocate a minimum of three or four nights to Rome.

2... + 2 or 3... + 2 or 3... + 3 or 4... + 3 = 12-15... for these five cities, which is rushing, though not insane.

Best wishes,

Rex

GeoffHamer

I don't understand the problem. If you arrive before the "check-in" time and the room is not ready, leave your luggage and come back later when the room is ready. If you want to leave after the "check-out" time, leave your luggage at the hotel and pick it up later. Even the cheapest of hotels will look after luggage for you. Big Italian railway stations all have left luggage offices, so you can leave your luggage there as well.

rex

I didn't perceive the question as posing a "problem" - - more just asking for advice, based on experience.

GeoffHamer

The subject of hotel "check-in" and "check-out" times is raised on this forum from time time to time, and it always puzzles me. Do hotels in the US really have rigid times when you must be out of the building? I've arrived at and left hotels at all hours of the day and never thought of "check-in" times: if I arrive and the room isn't ready, I leave my bag at reception and come back later; if I want to leave a hotel, I take my bag to reception in the morning and collect it later if necessary. Is there really a difference between hotels in the US and those in Europe?

enamorada

Thanks a lot for your advice.

I didn't thought about leaving my luggage in the hotel before check in or after check out. Thanks GeoffHamer for the advice.

And I know my trip is kind of packed. I'm just trying to take a quick look around because this is my first trip to Italy. But still I'm planning to stay 4 day in Rome and 3 day in Venice. I'll stay 2 days in Milan, Florence and Naples. But I'm still deciding about my itinerary, I'll probably have more questions.

Thanks Rex for your advice on how to coordinate the trips with meals and lodging, I'll take that into account when scheduling the train trips.

nessundorma

For me the bigger concern in deciding when to travel between cities in Italy is making sure I don't miss the lunch hour.

ellenem

To answer the poster'd orignal question, I like to arrive in the new town by about noon. This gives time time to check into the new hotel, get into the room or just leave bags if the room isn't ready, and then have a nice lunch and the rest of the afternoon for touring.

For your itinerary,
Mialn-Venice 3 hours
Venice-Florence 3 hours
Florence-Rome 1.5 hours
RomeNaples 2 hours
a train between 9:00 and 10:00am would be my choice for each city.

enamorada

Thanks a lot ellenem and nessundorma. I'm going to take your advice. I'm very excited about this trip.

rkkwan

Depends on your style of travel and interest.

For me, I like to take the train in the morning. Arrive in destination and don't need to keep looking at my watch all day. Also, the train ride itself is an event for myself, as I love looking at sceneries during the day.

However, for others, riding the train during the day is a waste of shopping/sightseeing/museum time. Instead, ride the train late afternoon after a whole day of going around. Get to destination and sleep.

Christina

geoff, all hotels have rigid check out times when you must leave, US or Europe. If you decide you aren't checking out until 5 pm, you will probably have to pay for another day's room. That's the same thing everywhere. If you are asking whether US hotels insist everyone be at the desk at one particular time because you can't check out at 8 am, only at noon, no. YOu can always check out early, just not late. You can usually leave your bags at the hotel if you do have to check out before you are ready to leave town, and you can usually leave them there if you arrive before the room is ready.

The check-in time is really kind of funny and not rigid anywhere, as you can almost always check in if a room is ready, and if the room isn't ready, you can't even if it's 4 pm and "checkin time" is 2 pm. Well, I suppose you can check in at the desk, but you can't get into a room if there isn't one cleaned yet. That's the same thing in the US as in Europe, in any hotel where I've been.

MaureenB

When we visited Italy this past May, we stayed in lovely little hotels and B&Bs (found mostly through the help of this forum). A couple of them did not have 24-hour desk service (particularly in Florence and Santa Margherita Ligure), so those hotels were very strict that we check in by a certain time in the evening. Be sure you are in contact with your hotel, and understand their requirements and they know your train schedule. You don't want to arrive too late and find no one able to give you a key!

susanna

I actually like to take the train mid day.It gives me the morning to have a last look around, a bite to eat and buy a picnic for the train ride. I take the train during the day when many of the shops and restaurnats are closed. I like to arrive and check in mid to late afternoon, change and then go out for the passagiatta (sp)which to me is when the town wakes up and comes alive.

wally34949

When I was in London, the train was more expensive during the morning rush hour and the prices were lower after about 10:00 a.m.

When I was in Nice, I couldn't sleep. Finally, I found myself runing to catch the 6:00 a.m. train out of town.

I would recommend catching the train around 9:00 a.m. so you are not rushed in the morning and arriving in your destination around 4:00 p.m. so you can get refreshed before getting tired again. If it was only a perfect world!

clevelandbrown

I would try to avoid the rush hours, and I like to ride during the day, when I can see the scenery.

Ideally, I take my time checking out breakfasting, and catch a later morning train; I don't like train food, although some of it is actually good, so if our trip extends over lunch-time, we pack a picnic of local foods and beverages. And as others have suggested, if you arrive prior to check-in, just leave your bags and enjoy a few hours finding your way around town before checking in. Incidentally, we have left bags before checking in and after checking out both overseas and domestically.