Hi everyone. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get from my apt in Paris to Rome. I can either:

1) Take a train (long)
2) fly budget airlines i.e. EasyJet
3) fly airfrance (slightly more expensive than #2, but not a lot).

I'm looking to leave on Monday, April 21 or the weekend directly before that.

While I'm here, might as well ask: I will not be satisfied unless I see the CT and go to Florence, but I only have 2 weeks (it's my university spring break) to do it. So, do you guys think I should do Rome, or not, or not Florence, etc.

Also, on getting back: open-jaw, or a night train from somewhere like Torino?

Sorry for all the scatterbrained questions.

Budget airlines are good but I prefer overnight trains. That way I do not lose a day traveling. Plus I find it easy to sleep on a train so I always arrive well-rested and ready to go.

As for Florence...on my first visit to Rome we only went for a week. We included an overnight visit to Florence with this. We took the Eurostar which got us there in 1.5 hrs if I remember correctly. The only downside was paying for two rooms for the night since I did not want to let my Rome B&B go. But we felt it was worth it. So I would say include Florence for an overnight visit.

Thanks! I'm actually thinking of an overnight train when I come back to Paris.

Also: I am sure this question has been asked a million times but I am bad at searching for threads: why can't I buy tickets on the Eurostar from Rome to Paris online? The website just says "No" as in you have to buy them there. ?

Also: I am assuming that the Rome metro system is not like what we have in Paris. Is it really quite low-quality in comparison, I mean, like as bad as the El? *shudder* I'm not a big fan of buses, not even here in Paris even though that's how lots of people say you should "see Paris."

Hi Sheepie,

Can you fly from Paris to Florence or Pisa?

Then you can spend a few days in Cinque Terre and florence.

Two weeks is a long time!

Assuming you have 13 nights (2 weeks):

5 nights in Paris

(fly to Pisa, take train to CT)

2 nights in Cinque Terre

(train to Florence)

2 nights in Florence

(train to Rome)

3 nights in Rome

I don't know how often you get to travel, but if it's not that often, I would try to make the most of your 2 weeks.

Have a great time!!
dina

Whoops, I forgot to clarify that I actually live in Paris (just for the year: am working/studying here) so I'm actually just doing Italy. I don't have a lot of time to travel while I'm here due to lesson planning etc. (help!) so I really want to relax and have fun on my trip.

Not sure about a budget yet, but to me food is more important than sleeping in a fancy hotel. And as long as I'm not in a covered wagon any sort of transport will do.

Making the most of two weeks doesn't necessarily mean rushing around trying to cram a lot in. There is more than enough in Rome to keep a person busy for months, let alone weeks.

If luggage is not an issue, then I would be happy to Fly Easyjet - I presume they fly from Paris into Ciampino airport, which is not too difficult a journey to central Rome.

Florence is probably easiest by train from Rome. From There a further train to CT (Change at Viareggio if I remember correctly).

Oh no, I don't want to cram. I'm worried that the three places are too many, actually.

I may just do EasyJet, although being worried about the environment, I have a vague sense of guilt by flying them. I did do the 1 Parisien 1 arbre thing, though, so that's good, right?

Hi S,

Scenery you can always get.

I suggest:

Fly into Paris and out of Rome.

Fly from Paris ORY to Venice VCE on www.myair.com. (More convenient than Ryanair's Beauvaise to Treviso.)

Spend 3 nights in Venice, train to Florence in the early AM, leave your luggage at the train station and visit Florence.

Train to Rome in the evening - 3 nights.

Fly home.

Alternatively, visit Venice and Florence. Fly home from FLR or PSA.

Enjoy your visit.

It seems no one has addressed your question regarding the Rome subway system so here's my opinion. It is very easy as it is laid out in an X. There are two lines which cross each other. I will caution you though it is infested with pickpockets and unsavory people. So while I would definitely use it in the future for convenience, I would do so with my guard in its most upright position. "They" will get you if you are lax in your personal security.

On the Trenitalia site you can book international routes up to 90 days in advance. However, the final leg must either start or end in Italy. So the only day route you could book would be Roma-Milano-Paris. The other day routes have multiple legs in Switzerland.

You could also book the Roma-Paris direct night train on the Trenitalia site. However, since you live in Paris, you could easily book it on the SNCF site and avoid having to register on the Trenitalia site, a process that can be problematic. If you do it as soon as the booking window opens (90 days out), you can get a PREM'S fare of 35€ for a bunk in a six-person couchette or 60€ for a bunk in a four-person couchette.

personally Id take the budget airline - quick, easy and fairly cheap.
Re the sleepers, Id be cautious if its not a top tier train - my daughter and her boyfriend had a very bad experience a few years back on a sleeper to Paris from Rome with some creepy low class characters- I think you want to be cautious which train you book.

I missed the question of the Rome Metro. I would recommend an integrated transport ticket - available from machines (With English language option) at most metro and railway stations. They are valid for all trains, metro, buses and trams within a certain radius of central Rome.

It has been 5 years or so since I was last in Rome, but I remeber them being less than €20 for a week.

Thanks for all your responses! I think I'm going to open jaw it into Rome, out from Milan. Prices actually seem pretty reasonable on Air France flying out from CDG, which is a plus because I don't really want to have to go to Orly or Beauvais because, well, I live closer to CDG. I have to get up the nerve to buy them!

RE: the metro thing, thanks for info on that too. The whole Rome-infested-with-pickpockets thing is a bit intimidating, but I'll check out that transport pass; I'm assuming it's like a Navigo or the fading Carte Orange ...

RE: myself on pickpockets--comparing Paris and Rome, is Rome a lot worse? My mom's bum got felt up on an escalator in Gare du Nord at midnight from a late Eurostar, but that's pretty much it.

Thanks again!

Now I have to find hotels! Ah!

I am flying Vueling air from Paris to Rome. I picked them because they were cheaper then Air France and flew out of CDG ( staying with rellys who live nearby).
Vueling is a Spanish airline, ( cheapo) but uses new planes( soem of the budget airlines seem to use other airlines old planes, LOL ) and has good prices and the review I read about it were good.

I think night trains waste time, a flight is less then 2 hours, you can catch a morning flight and be there in a wink, plus since Vueling flys into and out of main airports the commute to airports is not bad. I also priced them out, and they are more expensive then my flight,, plus I know I would not arrive refreshed but tired, that is a waste to me. If prices were cheaper they would still be an option for a budget minded traveller though, specially a young one who can sleep anywhere as opposed to an old wreck like me, LOL

If you haven't booked your flight yet, check out www.harefares.com (a route finder). When I put in the Rome to Paris (CDG specifically), it returned seven different airlines that fly that route. You still might be able to get a better deal than Air France. Good luck!

Wow Kammie, that harefares is really cool! How do you guys find all these websites? For some reason blu express isn't working with my browser, but all the others seem to actually be a bit more expensive, plus I want a Milan-Paris on the way back. Hmm. We shall see.
Too bad you actually have to plan traveling--I do much better seat-of-my-pants.

Sorry to resurrect this one, but am having slight travel crisis.

I have 6 days left in my trip and I don't know where to go? Rome and Florence are set; I'm trying to keep moving north back towards Paris. I am wobbling between:

Venice (ira might get me if I don't go here)

CT-love outdoors, but would it be nice in end of April? Transportation questions also ...

or a smaller city like Lucca or Siena ...

To recap: I like the outdoors, walking etc. animals, food, food, food, Dante, food, Petrarch, food, cobblestones, Botticelli, Titian, vino, and food.

Am leaning toward CT ... any suggestions?

If you are that crazy about food, I'd opt for anyplace besides Cinque Terre. How about Bologna, the capitol of fine Italian cuisine? And Bologna is a nice town to walk around in, has lots of students, lots of history, etc.

You can take a day trip to Venice from there if you want, or go there first from Florence for a night and then backtrack to bologna for a few days. Or skip Venice and go to Parma and Modena which are nearby, the homes of prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, etc.

Bologna is in the middle of the railroad lines so there are lots of options for travel and a short ride into Milan for you flight home.

I recommend flying. It's a quick flight between Paris and Rome. Have fun.

Did you book the flight out from Milan? You could take the train to Genova for your Ligurian fix then go to Piedmont, a completely different capital of food than Bologna. Then fly out of Torino.

(Agnolotti and Barolo v. Ragu and Lambrusco...)