Eurail Italy Pass
 

I haven't traveled by train in Italy before and need some advise. I start my trip in Milan, then will take trains to Florence, then on to Orvieto, Rome and lastly Venice. Would it be cost effect to buy an Eurail Italy Pass for 4 days or buy individual tickets for each leg of my journey? We will probably want to travel first class due to luggage issues.
Does anyone also know how long it takes to travel from Rome to Venice by train? I would want to take the most direct and fastest train there. Appreciate any information.

Rome to Venice is 4.5 hours on the fastest train.

I suspect that if you plan to take the fastest trains (ES), buying a pass won't save you any money. ES trains require a supplementary fee that usual negates any pass savings.

You can check fares at trenitalia.com--just plug in fake dates for some time in the next month. Railsaver.com will help you compute pas versus tickets--be sure to check "only if it saves me money."

Hi J,

You can get the prices for each leg of your journey at www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

((I))

When you arrive in Italy, find a travel agency which won't be hard to do. When we were in Spotorno (a small town north of Savona)we went to a travel agency in town and bought tickets for a couple of up-coming legs of our trip. She spoke English, took time to advise us and even found an express train that we hadn't seen on trenitalia's website! My in-laws said they always use the travel agency for train tickets..no additional charge and very good service. We had a luggage question which she answered for us too.

This method sure beats standing in a line at a train station and dealing with someone who may not speak English, is rushed, and expects you to ask for exactly what you want and when you want it!!

Good Luck.

Ooops, as to your question, the others were right-on. Check, but I think buying individual tickets for what you've described is going to be your best bet.

Hi Jam,

I will be in Germany/Italy next month. I thought about the pass, but after pricing it out and only realizing that I will be taking to train trips (Munich - Venice and Venice - Rome), it was cheaper for me to just purchase the point-to-point tickets. But that's only two trips, you have a few more. I would think the prices would be pretty close, but like others have mentioned, if you have to purchase a seat assignment on top of the pass price, then I'm guessing individual tickets will be the way to go.

check out raileurope.com too. There are mixed reviews from what I've read, but I actually went with them and had no problems. Also, italiarail.com

Good luck!

Italian 'Eurailpasses' almost never make dollar$ and $ense$ for the typical journeys like you outline - for one thing with the pass you still must pay 15 euros extra to ride crack trains like you'd want to take between those cities.

go to www.trenitalia.com and compare regular prices, which also include the 15 euros supplement charged to railpass holders.

I always encourage obviously novices like you - at least rail wise to call BETS (800-441-2387) as they are about the only place in U.S. that will answer such questions on phone without obligation - you can also buy individual tickets thru them but you'd pay a bit more than in Italy. But for someone who wants no hassle and everything taken care of so you just have to show up for the train, then a few extra bucks may be well worth it.

But IME buying tickets in Italy is fairly simple and you will be able to get on most any train you want - but buy tickets in advance if possible - can do at any station in Italy all at once. And on trenitalia.com you may be able to get one of the elusive advanced discounted fares - but note that that site causes untold frustrations to Fodorites as they say in posts - so trying to save a few bucks many come at a bit of exasperation.

But Fodorites such as TimS and Ira and others will happily IME help you thru it if you pose questions here.

In any case no pass for you! NEXT!

Try going to www.trenitalia.com and see if you can print out your own tickets and you may find a discount price.

If that don't work just buy them all at once at a travel agent like esd said or use the idiot-proof machines in stations that in English walk you thru it. I played around a lot with these automatic ticket machines in Jan and found they are indeed idiot-proof as i was easily able to use them.