Hi,

I am planning to travel to Florence this May and would like to seek some advice from the experts out there. I have read the prior posts and they have been most helpful. TQ!

My questions are related to:

a) Is the Eurorail and Trenitalia the same? My family and I (3 of us) wld like to use Florence as a base and move around by train for day trips etc. Should we buy the multi-day passes from (Eurorail or Trenitalia)?

b) Is it cheaper to buy it in advance or should I buy it at the station?

c) Wld love to move around the Tuscany countryside - any recommendations? Is it "safe" to drive...? Advice etc?

Any help you can provide would be most appreciated!

Tx in advance!

Re trains. I would buy tickts as you go ( or inadvance from trenitalia.it for cheaper advance fares). Italy train fares are not that expensive and generally a rail pass is not cheaper.

It is cheaper to buy ES tickets in advance to ge them for E29. Otherwise for the regional trains just buys as you go.

Sorry never been around Tuscany in depth so cannot help.

Wilees,

Thanks for the very quick response!

Sorry, what is ES ticket and how do I buy them in advance, as in thru internet, or show up and buy (how many) days in advance? Seems like silly question but absolutely no idea!

Thanks for help!

It is perfectly safe to drive around Tuscany but it is murder to drive in Firenze itself or park there. The usual thing to do is spend as long as you like visiting Firenze (with perhaps day trips to Pisa and Sienna by train), then rent a car in Firenze (or Pisa or Siena) and then explore the smaller towns.

A variant on this is to pick up a car in a Tuscan city (Firenze, Siena, Orvieto) but head right away to a villa or farmhouse in the countryside, and then day trip to as many towns as you like, including Firenze, as often as you like, returning each night to your countryside location.

The advantage of option one is that you're not commuting into Firenze, and therefore can get an early start on museums, etc, and you are right near your hotel all the time. Also, if you want to enjoy nights in the city and a variety of restaurants, you want to be in town.

The advantages of doing option two is that the cost of lodging outside the city is considerably less (thereby helping defray the expense of the car), and you escape the crowded busyness of Firenze, which tires some people. It may also be good if members of your party just want to relax some days in Italy, or are children who need a pool or running around time, or for people whose real draw to Tuscany is wineries, etc., not museum-going.

ES is a eurostar train, this is the fastest and most expensive train in Italy at the normal rate but there are special offers available which lowers the price to €29 or €39 for the journey.

These special prices are available in bother first class and second class compartments but you have to book in a train station to get the first class seats.

The earlier you book your trains the more likely you are to get the reduced price seats - otherwise a day or two in advance is usually enough expect in August and other holiday periods.

Very rarely is a train pass good value in Italy.

Helen is right, however, I think that you can book first class online. At least the price for 1st class is set at 29E if you select the fare special.

Maybe you can but I have never been successful online for 1st class but have if I went to the station for the same train. Anyway it is a good idea to try. You can book tickets from 2 months and less before you travel - no more than 60 days before to be exact.

Regarding train tickets - if you are only talking about relatively short distances in Italy (Rome to Florence, Florence to Venice, Milan to Florence, etc) the cost of the Eurostar (the name of the trains that do those routes without a ton of stops) is only about €30 anyway, so not alot of savings to be had. If it's a very busy time you might want to get them a few days ahead of when you want to travel, but the same day usually works. For even shorter distances (Florence to Pisa, etc) you just buy the ticket when you get to the station - they are very cheap (about €5 for most journeys). The only thing you should consider buying on-line before your vacation would be tickets from Italy to another country (e.g. Venice to Paris).

Re driving in Tuscany - very safe and easy. It's by far the best way to see a lot of the small towns, if that is your goal. Driving/parking in Florence would be quite difficult.

If your main goal is to see Florence, with a few days trips (the very easiest are Siena - by bus, 1 hour; and Pisa/Lucca which are usually combined into one day - about 1 hour by train) then I would not rent a car. If your main goal is small towns, I'd rent a car and do Florence at the begining or end of the trip for a few days before or after dropping off the rental car.

Hi G,

> Is the Eurorail and Trenitalia the same?

No. Raileurope (Eurorail)is a ticket agency. Trenitalia is the Italian national railway.

Train schedules, prices and tickets are at www.trenitalia.com

>Should we buy the multi-day passes ...

Usually, NO. Enter your itinerary at www.railsaver.com and click "only if it saves money".

>Is it cheaper to buy it in advance ...

For short rides, NO.

>Wld love to move around the Tuscany countryside ....

For how long. Are you planning a motor trip for a week or just a few daytrips?

If the latter, take the train or the SITA bus. See http://tinyurl.com/b9mja

Hi everybody,

Thanks a ton for the info..been most helpful.

Now to plan and then later I will be back for more help!

Thanks again - much appreciated.

You are welcome, G