kimmidwife

I am doing a tour through Tuscany and Rome on Go Ahead Tours in June. We are spending 4 nights in Montecanti and have one day free to do what we want.I really want to see Venice (not in the itinerary), my husband could care less about it. Is hopping a train in the am and returning in the pm a possibility? What trains? I just want to walk the streets and soak in the ambience oh, and ride a gondola. He will stay back and paint the country side.

ellenem

The fastest train (ES) available from Florence to Venice takes 3 hours. If you don't mind that amount of time in each direction, a daytrip is possible since there are frequent departures.

TimS

Go to www.bahn.de for complete timetables. Click on "Internat. Guests" to view the site in English. Enter Firenze and Venezia Santa Lucia as your stations. If you leave Firenze at 06:37 and change in Bologna, you'll arrive in Venezia at 10:03. If you leave Venezia at 19:57 and change in Bologna, you'll arrive at Firenze at 23:31. If you take direct trains, you'll get to Venezia a little later and have to leave a little earlier. For fares as well as timetables, go to www.trenitalia.com. The site is also viewable in English.

PalenQ

I say go for it - you may never get back to see what i consider to be the world's most beautiful city - surrealistically so.

Gondolas cost much more than the train fare probably - for a cheaper water experience hop the Vaporettos - public water buses from the Santa Lucia station and go down the Grande Canale to San Marcos for a few bucks.

Personally a gondola ride would be last on my list for such a short time there but hey if that's what drives you go for it - i think you may be looking at a ton of money as a single traveler however.

kimmidwife

Thanks for the train directions. I don't need a private ride and will do the public Vaoretto. I'll be going the day after we arrive so I can catch up on sleep if needed on the train--but I probably don't want to miss the countryside. I want to be back in Florence by 8pm as I have to get back to Montecantini--I'll check the schedules. Am I OK buying tickets when I get there? I imagine my tour guide could help me with this.

TimS

If you buy your tickets as soon as you arrive in Firenze, you'll be fine.

ira

Hi K,

>Is hopping a train in the am and returning in the pm a possibility?

Yes.

Should you? No.

Drag DH away from his landscapes and make it an overnight.

Any person who considers himself a painter and doesn't want to see Venice is ......

ripit

If you plan to be back in Florence by 8:00 PM, then I definitely wouldn't bother going to Venice. You'll be spending as much time travelling (7 hours) as you would have to spend in venice. You will only have time to see the main sites around St. Marks during peak midday hours, which will be packed wall to wall with tourists (esp. in June). IMO you will miss the true charms of Venice. If you could at least spend a few hours after dark, I'd say give it a shot, but really you are probably better off going another time when you have more time to spend.

kimmidwife

I would be going on Sat the 9th. Staying overnight is not an option as we have an excursion to Lucca the next morning. I'm OK with the time spent traveling and I can"t count on a return trip--4 kids--2 in College etc.For the 7 hours that I have, what are the must sees?

ellenem

For the seven hours you have, take a vaporetto from the train station and ride all the way along the Grand Canal to a stop at San Marco. Try to get a seat outside in the front or back for a great view of the canal, palazzos, and the Ponte Rialto.

Visit Piazza San Marco. Go inside the basilica. Take the elevator to the top of the campinile if the line is short. Have a beverage at one of the cafes in the piazza and listen to the dueling orchestras--expensive, but you are paying for this magical experience.

Then I would spend the rest of the day meandering the back streets, making my way back to the train station. You might want to do so by crossing the Grand Canal at the Rialto so you can see this spot.

To be back in florence by 8PM you'll have to catch an ES train by 5PM.

kimmidwife

Sound good. I'm going to take the 6ish train back and talk hubby into meeting me and then journey back to Monecantini--do I need a bus or what?

pat

Did a day trip from Milan to Venice. By the time we got there, we had little time to see venice, before we had to go to the railway station again, to catch the train back. What I remember about the trip is the train ride, which was pleasant. We went back the following year, and saw Venice with more time available. I say skip it unless you have more time.

kimmidwife

Thats Montecantini

TimS

Actually, it's Montecatini.

On Sundays the earliest you could leave Montecatini would be 07:18 and your route would require changes in Prato and Bologna. You would arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at 11:28. The other six days of the week you could leave Montecatini at 05:35, change in Prato and Bologna, and arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at 10:03.

For the return you could leave Venezia at 18:32 on the EuroStar Italia to Firenze, change to a regional train, and be in Montecatini at 22:32.

See the timetables at www.bahn.de and www.trenitalia.com.