Diretto Trains in Italy-bad idea?
 

I've read that these trains often run late. Has anyone had much experience travelling on Diretto trains? We may take one from Levanto to Pisa S. Rossore.How late do they tend to run?

I know we could also take an ICplus into the central station in Pisa but for several reason S. Rossore may be better-just not sure if we can rely on the Diretto trains.

I took many regional trains last January and all were fairly on time - in fact all were exactly on time if i recall. As they stop a lot they are much slower - but like the one i took from Rome to Florence it stopped at lots of sleepy stations and this was joy to me as i enjoy stopping at stations and seeing what's going on.

It's the Slow Travel way - ES trains often bypass towns and most stations on their new high-speed tracks of tunnels and wind barriers. So if not in a hurry and you can just hop on these trains with your pass or ticket - can't even reserve. and if buying tickets these are dirt cheap. i experienced no crowded except leaving Viterbo when a whole gang of school kids mobbed on - but as usual only for a few stops and again it was neat to see how Italian teens acted - i noticed it was rather rowdy until two policemen waded thru the train and they instantly became silent.

On that route you could take, I suppose, one of the few InterCity services which might be a little more prompt.

I think you can "rely" on all of these possibilities but it isn't as if they are hours late when they are late.

Lateness is going to vary from day to day I would think...how one could predict anything for certain I am honestly not sure.

Trains in Germany were endemically late - those in Italy i took were always on time. InterCity trains you can also just hop on without reservations and are quicker because they don't stop as much.

Pal...please do not make blanket statements..people might think they are true.

Thanks for the replies.
How is the luggage space on the Diretto?

The Diretto from Levanto-Pisa Rossore actually takes only 15 minutes longer than the Levanto-Pisa Centrale ICplus for a total time of 78 minutes. So I'm really leaning towards taking this one.

I mean I'm leaning towards the Diretto train.

Dukey - maybe i phrased it wrong but i spent a week peripathetically peregrinating on German trains and nearly all were late

did same in Italy and most were right on time.

i was just reporting my experience and did not mean to say that was generally true. In the Germans defense snow did hopelessly snarl trains one day there.

And if you've read posts from Germans here they are complaining loudly about the DB being overstretched and endemically late these days.

regards baggage - have same overhead racks and ones i was one were sparsely full so i just put my pack in the next seat. Not a problem

Pal

Thanks for the helpful feedback.

I appreciate your thoughts about stopping at the sleepy train stations.
I will remember your reaction to the mob of teens- what a positive attitude. I admit my priority has been getting to the next stop quickly- I had not fully considered what I might be missing.

thanks mm:

i wouldn't call them a mob - they were rowdy only in the way a bus load of schoolkids are - i felt no threat at all and rather enjoyed an experience i'd never get on a Eurostar trains, etc.

One more question re diretto trains. How much of a difference is there between 1st class and 2nd class?

well i had a first class Eurailpass and i was in first class on trains that had them and was about the only one in it, except when the school kids invaded first class after all second class was jammed. and second class usually was sparsely full too so i don't think it makes much different.

comfort level seemed about the same.

again some will only be 2nd class and you aren't usually on these trains very long.

Just curious what time of year you were travelling that trains were so
sparsely full?

I rode many in the last week of January and i don't think this is a slow season for train travel - summertime of July and August is slower they tell me when folks are on vacation. But i've ridden such trains lots at various times and can rarely recall a crowded train but i'm sure there are - especially commuter trains near large cities at rush hour.