Eurostar: Rome to Florence
 

Hi all,<BR><BR>I have read in several guide books that you can take the Eurostar from Rome to Florence. When I look at the Eurostar website, though, all I can find are routes from London to Paris and (I think) Brussels. I took Eurostar from London to Paris a few years ago and enjoyed it. Does Eurostar operate in Italy?

Hi, just go to the rail europe website... You can look up schedules there for eurostar italia. It's at www.raileurope.com.<BR><BR>Hope this helps! I didn't want to take the eurostar (it costs more) but it looks like I have no choice...

What Cheryl doesn't exactly clarify is that the &quot;brand name&quot; Eurostar is used by the consortium (is that the right word?) which operates the high spped train traveling through the &quot;Eurotunnel&quot; (channel tunnel) between London and Paris, London and Lille and Lille/Brussels, and maybe even Cologne and beyond.<BR><BR>But the same name is ALSO used by &quot;trenitalia&quot; - - the Ferrovie del Stato (sp?) - - the Italian National Rail Company, referring to its high speed lines between Rome, Florence, Venice (and maybe a few other destinations). There is no connection between the use of the two identical names.<BR><BR>Cheryl IS/was correct that you can get info about either at www.raileurope.com - - just don't buy themn at their substantially marked up prices if you can avoid it.<BR><BR>For detailed Italy rail info, the website is www.trenitalia.com now.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping, for Emma<BR>

Thank you both for your replies. <BR><BR>Cheryl, I looked at raileurope.com and found the route from Rome to Florence, thanks!<BR><BR>Rex: what I understand from you is that it is basically same name, different company? Does the Italy version compare to the &quot;Chunnel&quot; (excuse me, I know someone got slammed recently for using that term) version? I only ask because I was very pleased with my London to Paris trip, and that is the only rail experience I have had in Europe. The trains were clean, fast, and on time. Also, you mention marked up prices. I found a first class fare, one way, which is all I need, for $50. That sounds reasonable to me, but are you saying I could find something lower if I wait and buy my ticket in Rome?<BR><BR>

Rome to Florence on Eurostar. But the website is Trenitalia.com the timetable is on the website as well. Whether to go first class or 2nd class is your choice. The diff is larger seats and bigger legroom in first class.<BR>If you only want that route in particular my advice is to get your ticket when you get to Italy. From my experience it is cheaper. And yes you can use credit card to pay and the ticket counter agent can speak English. If you can avoid it dont use the machine to buy your ticket. Even local Italians have a hard time using it. I almost gave up bec. in smaller stations like Assisi only have the machine for you to get your tickets. The machine is not user friendly like the airline checkin machines.<BR>Dont forget once you bought your train ticket to always validate it on those small yellow boxes by the wall of the train stations. Bec. if you board a train without validating the conductor could fine you. Bec. train tkts in Italy are valid for 6 months from date of issue.<BR><BR>

Gee this seemed pretty simple at first.<BR><BR>We were in Rome in May. Although we didn't go from Rome to Florence (went from Rome to Naples), the plan is the same.<BR><BR>Check the schedules on www.trenitalia.com.<BR><BR>Eurostar strain will have ES somewhere on the listing line.<BR><BR>We found the main difference between 1st and 2nd class is twofold. The seats are slightly more comfortable (for a few hour ride this really doesn't make much difference) and the type of people you will encounter on the train.<BR><BR>2nd class will have more students, etc.<BR><BR>If you will be in Rome for several days prior to going to Florence and are not travelling in the extreme height of the travel season, I suggest you go to the American Express office and buy the tickets there.<BR><BR>There is an AE office located just to the right (when facing) of the Spanish Steps.<BR>

Well, Emma - - just try going to buy that &quot;$50&quot; ticket at www.raileurope.com and you'll find that they add on an $11 reservtion fee and $15 shipping and handling, for an actual total of $76.<BR><BR>At www.trenitalia.com it takes about 3 minutes to find out that the first class fare os 42.35 euro.<BR><BR>That's a 73% markup for RailEurope.<BR><BR>This forum exists to protect people from that kind of wasted expense.<BR><BR>As for comparing the Channel tunnel train vs Florence-Rome, I have never taken the former (cheaper to fly between London and Paris, and I have never needed to travel between center city and center city for London-Paris).<BR><BR>But the ES service in Italy is true first class in my opinion, especially on the longer leg, Venice-Florence - - very classy white tablecloth dining service (even if it is overpriced; a separate charge), for example.<BR>

Emma:<BR><BR>Yes, italian Eurostar trains between Florence and Rome use the same kind of material as the Eurostar between London and Paris. The same material is also used for the French TGV. It's the ETR500 trains (made in Italy!!!). Trenitalia has started using the name &quot;Eurostar&quot; for this class of trains (there is only ONE train company in italy, more or less) because of it. Also, I must say that in particular on Eurostar trains you will be perfectly comfortable in a second class seat, unless you have extremely long legs ^_^ I also suggest to buy your tickets as you arrive in italy either from the yellow machines that you will find in any railway station or from the ticket selling window at the same stations: it is sometimes cheaper than buying them from a travel agency (some Travel agency will charge you 5% more than the actual price of the ticket). Besides, on a few cases there have been problems with tickets bought from agencies regarding seat assignation: soem seats have ben assigned to two people! Better to go through the tiket selling machies (yes, they accept credit cards).

Alice,<BR><BR>While I have read numerous posts of yours giving great info about Italy, you are quite wrong about the Eurostar Italia (ETR 500) trains built by Fiat being used anywhere outside of Italy!<BR><BR>Emma, <BR>Eurostar Italia is a service name used by Trenitalia/FS (the Italian state railway) for its fastest and most comfortable trains. <BR><BR>On the other hand, the Eurostar company which operates the rail service between Paris/Brussels and London is a totally unrelated entity. Confusing, isn't it?<BR><BR>The Eurostar trains to/from London are produced by Alstom, a French company, not Fiat. The same company also builds the trains for the French TGV, AVE service from Madrid to Seville and the Thalys trains which run between Paris, Belgium and The Netherlands. <BR><BR>So, you won't be taking the same trains in Italy as those which go to London.<BR><BR>For Eurostar Italia schedules, you can go to:<BR>www.trenitalia.com<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

Aaah, didn't want to take Eurostar? I have some experience with the Italian National trains. Believe me, for the very little difference, Eurostar is worth every Euro.<BR><BR>Last trip from Rome to Naples, the FT train abruptly stopped at a siding about half-way. We were told we need to get off the train and catch the 2nd train going to Naples. The second train was a World War II troop train which we found ourselves squeezed into a room with two bunks. <BR><BR>We did meet a very nice older man and his wife, from Naples, and it turned into quite and adventure.<BR><BR>But, if you would like a quiet uneventful train ride on a nice train stick with the Eurostar.<BR><BR>

Andre:<BR><BR>I didn't say that ETR 500 (built by Ansaldo breda in Pistoia, once in Sesto San Giovanni, this means exactly in the two towns where I live and &quot;ETR&quot; is the name of all trains made by breda ever since the 1950s) are used anywhere except on two cases I am pretty sure about: Eurostar trains from London to Paris (and according to the picture of a Europstar I am seeing right now, well it looks exactly like an ETR500 in white an yellow!) and TGV (I have used it so this is a first-hand information). Alstorm might produce more ETR trains (as its site does sy that it produes Pendolino, and that's the other name od ETR500) but the thrain has been engineered in Italy by Breda in the 1980s.<BR><BR>Ken Slanker:<BR><BR>Italian Eurostar trains are managed by the very same society that manages all the other trains and that you call &quot;National Trains&quot; (Trenitalia).

I haven't read through all the responses and someone else has probably offered you this advice but check out the trenitalia website www.trenitalia.com which will give you all the timetables for the Eurostar as well as other trains in Italy. <BR><BR>I used it to organise my recent trip and it was accurate although at that time you could not make bookings on line and I actually used a local (Australian) travel agent (CIT World Travel Group) who will do the bookings for you.<BR><BR>I paid extra to have my ticketing done, my seat confirmed and it was well worth it and saved having to line up at the stations and also to have to have my tickets validated.<BR><BR>Also I travelled 2nd class Rome to Florence, Florence to Venice, Venice to Rome and found it quite adequate and comfortable for these short journeys.<BR><BR>There is also a dining car where you can purchase food.

topping<BR>

Danielle:<BR><BR>Yes, you can book that long in advance, but except for the busiest periods one or two days in advance are usually enpough even for week-ends. In August and the days around Christmas and Easter, though, booking 3-4 days in advance is safer (although I have often found muy seat even booking the day before leaving).

This is not the forum to be arguing about different types of train, but the London-Paris Eurostar trains are similar to TGVs which are quite different technically from Italian Eurostars. On board, I'd say the Italian trains are better - they have a bar with an espresso machine (the London-Paris trains offer only instant coffee), and there is a restaurant car that does proper meals.

We took the eurostar fast train from Rome to Florence in October. We did book our seats and purchase tickets through AAA travel before we left. It's a quick trip. Here are some pointers: pack light. Negotiating on the train first class or not can be difficult if you have alot of luggage of even something bigger than the standard 22 inch carryon.

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Just a reminder: you do not have to stamp your Eurostar tickets before getting on the train. All seats are reserved for that time, that day. So you cannot use them again. Also, you get a refund only if you cancel your reservation no later than 24 hours before departure.

Attn: Rex, Santa Chiara and others<BR><BR>I too am trying to budget out our Italy travels. Yes, when I go to the Trenitaila home page and check out times and prices for Rome to Florence it says it's 29Euro for a 2nd class ES (Eurostar) ticket. But then on a news release on their web site (use the link below, or click on the scrolling news headlines under the timetable search tool on the home page)<BR><BR>http://62.110.170.238/en/hotnews/nov1.htm<BR><BR>It says the new ES price should be 51Euro. Has it changed since the news release was published (it is older), or is the web site price of 29E wrong, or are there other fees on top of the 29E (reservation fees?) that make it total 51E in the end? Thx.