eating on the train in Italy
 

My daughter and I are taking an overnite train from Italy to Geneva. In the past we have always taken on snacks and some wine but I thought this time we might eat in the dining car IF the food is fairly tasty and not TOO expensive. Thought it might be a nice way to pass the time. So let me know your experiences Fodorites! Thanks, SueC1

You say you are taking an overnight train. Is that the one leaving Santa Lucia at 22.57? Then I don't think there is a dinning car attached to it. That will be too late for most people to dine. People will have already finished their dinner before boarding. You can just take wine and snacks as you have already done. I've taken GVA-VCE night train and it was couchette-sleeper only train. No dining car/no normal seats. Let me check.

If the train has a restaurant car, then eating dinner can help to pass time in the evening. Meals normally have pasta, a main course, cheese or dessert and fruit. The choice is very limited, so it's not a good idea if you're fussy - the main course is usually chicken, pork, beef or veal. The meal isn't cheap, but is quite acceptable, and goes down well with some wine. If you've had a snack lunch, then have dinner on the train, but if you've had a full lunch, I'd suggest just taking a snack for the train.

Same thought as above, are you sure that dining car is offered? On a day train Venice/Geneva I had a very nice dinner in the dining car, good food and not too expensive IMO. But on the night train Geneva/Venice it was all sleepers so you went directly to your cabins.

No there is no dinning car on the above mentioned train and that's the only over night train VCE-GVA.

I once took a dinner at the dinning car of VCE-GVA(dep.17:00-arr.00:00). It was like a 3-course menu including a glass of prosecco as an aperitif. Quality was ok at best or nothing memorable. For about EUR30, it's not a bargain. Still, if you were not tight on budget, it was a nice way to spend the long 7-hr train ride so I don't regret I did it. I do enjoy being served on the train.

I should have said the train is from Rome to Geneva - it departs Rome at 8:30 which I think is right about supper time for the Romans. I'll check to see if it has a dining car. Do you have to order a full meal or clould we just get pasta and wine? But maybe a large lunch with snacks and wine on the train is a better idea. SueC1

Suec, sorry, you never said you would take the train VCE-GVA. Rome is departure 20:38 right? No still there is no dinning car. At least what it says on Swiss railway site. No choice. Eat early before boarding and take some snacks on the train. Have a nice train travel!

If you have a private sleeper cabin for the 2 of you (with bottom bed that makes a sofa), a picnic dinner with wine works out very nicely. I'm not so sure how it would if you are sharing a couchette comparment?

How it worked out for us in a couchette was that four members of an Italian family took over all six "bunks," spread out a very large picnic, and settled down to eat--leaving nowhere for us to sit. And we weren't even offered a bit of anything.

Underhill, That's kind of how I guessed it might work!

Underhill,

If those Italians artrived in the couchette AFTER you did and managed to pull this off I would have started eating anyway.

We paid 26euro each for the three course meal on our train from Rome to Venice. Included gnocchi with tomato sauce, a choice of beef or chicken with spinach then cake or fruit for dessert. Also included water and wine or soda. Actually, the food was pretty good. The kids just had the gnocchi and dessert and they charged us ala carte prices for those (I don't remember how much).

It is expensive, but a nice diversion on the ride.

THANK YOU all so much!

I realized, rather belatedly, that I failed to mention this is a Trafalgar tour. We were told that each of our hi-speed train rides from city to city would be no longer than 3 hours, which sounded much better than the bus tours...or the cruise my husband had suggested. I hope that info is accurate. And, we've also been told they handle the luggage transfers.

As some of you so kindly pointed out, with this trip we're just attempting to see some of the wonderful sights etc we've read about all our lives. (Funny, but this is considered a leisurely tour by Trafalgar. Judging by your comments, that's not the case!) If we were to have to choose one or two places in Europe to spend 17 days, we'd have NO idea where to start. We definitely hope to return and spend a week or so in each of 2 or 3 cities the next time around.
Hopefully, some day I'll be as well informed as all of you regarding this topic.

If you know any reason why I shouldn't believe what I'm being told by Trafalgar, or have comments on Trafalgar, please let me know.

Thanks Again
DeeDee/Maxzine

How can you tell if there is a dining car on your train? We're on the Eurostar from Florence to Venice during lunchtime, and it might be fun to have lunch in the dining car. But if there is not one, we'd want to buy some snacks in the station. Is there a way to tell before actually getting on the train? Also, is there a way to distinguish a "dining car" from a "snack" car (where they don't have seats for dining)?

Maxizine, youn probably replied to a wrong thread?

europhile, you can go to railway sites and check. I use Swiss railway site and that works for long distance trains such as ES, IC trains in Italy too. According to it, all such trains departing after 9am has a dinning car. Try www.sbb.ch with your train (Dep.10.39?).

kappa, yes maxzine did (reply on wrong thread) i already took the liberty of pasting this reply over to the other one called itinerary/confusion or something.

I know it was a discussion about food, but I wanted to barge in with a differet question, since there is so many experts on trains in Italy...

My husband and I will be taking a train from Florence to Venice. Would you recommend buying tickets in advance or wait till we are in Italy.
(We'll be arriving to Rome 10 days prior to the actual train trip).Is there a sugnificant difference in price?

Thank you!