Booking tickets for ES from Rome to Venice: in looking at the details for the trains, one says "bar" and one says "restaurant"...they leave about half an hour apart. Does it matter? Thanks!

Some Eurostar trains serve hot meals in a dining car with tableclothes and cutlery. Others have a walk-up bar with sandwiches, microwaved stuff and the like that people take back to their seats.

The dining car food gets decidedly mixed reviews and it is pricey. However, some people find it a kick to eat a full meal on a train whizzing through Europe and sometimes, if you are traveling during the Italian lunch hour, you may just be very hungry and appreciate the offer of something other than a dry sandwich.

Usually the trains with restaurants also have bar and snack service. So if htere is no difference in price or time considerations, why not book the train with the restaurant on see what you feel like eating in transit?

Hi BRR,

Considering what you get for your money in the bar or restaurant on the train, I suggest bringing a light picnic and a bottle of something if you will want to eat.

The ES* trains have tables.

I was one that was excited to eat a meal on a train just like in the movies...how romantic. The food, however was really bad and quite expensive. Now, like Ira says, we bring our food on the train.

Thanks for the help!

You are wlcome, BRR

I have travelled on Eurostar a number of times and noticed in "coach class" not every seat has a table. (Actually more don't).
Travelled 1st class twice and think all seating had tables. I may be open to correction.

Sometimes 2d class will have seat tables but there is usually a stampede to get them. If you are already struggling with luggage == plus juggling a pile of bread and salume and a bottle of wine -- you may not win the competition.

First class guarantees you a table if you think you'll need one.

My one and only experience of eating a full meal on an Italian train was on the route between Roma and Napoli. My dish -- a mushroom pasta -- was made of fresh ingredients and served piping hot, and while it wasn't great, it was certainly edible. Friends of mine reported a similar experience on the leg from Venezia to Milano.

What killed my appeite was not the food but that the dining car seemed to sway quite a bit, or maybe it was just the sight of everybody's water and wine glasses sloshing, and the waiter being tossed back and forth in the aisle, that gave me a mild sensation of motion sickness.

In general, I try to be on a train during mealtimes in Italy, and I'm not much of a shopper or picknicker or one to carry food aboard. I usually have full hands and full bags that I don't want to put food into.