How to get from Venice to Gavi in Piedmont region
 

My husband and I are signed for a cycling tour in Piedmont which starts in Gavi (Arquata Scrivia train station) on September 17, 2010. We are flying to Venice on September 12 before the tour for 3 nights. We need help to figure out how to get to Gavi. So far I found a 5 hour train with 2 train changes in Brescia and Milan Lambrate. I was looking also in rent inga car in Venice and droping it off somewhere close to Gavi or hiring a private car with a driver/guide. Please recommend. Thank you.

the best site for train schedules in all of Europe that i know is the Wunderbar German Railways site - www.bahn.de - better or at least easier to use than trenitalia.com - the Italian Railways site. Unfortunately 5 hours sounds about right for this trip since there are no high-speed lines involved so whereas on other lines like Milan to Rome trains go routinely at around 150mph trains on these old congested lines limp along at half the speed.

Anyway a good way to access the Wunderbar bahn.de site's English schedule page for schedules all over Europe, including Italy is to go to the home page www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on the link "All European Railway Schedules" or some such wording and up pop the English schedule page of the bahn.de site - just ut in Venice Santa Lucia and Arquata Scrivia and the date and you will get all the schedules - so try the bahn.de site for IME definitive schedules. I reference this home page link because they also give you several useful tips to fully using the site's myriad useful features that may not be apparent at first encounter.

I see several one-connection (Milan) options throughout the day on September 15th, 16th and 17th. The first departure after 7:00 am is 8:58 am (arrives 1:45 pm) and the last is 6:20 pm (arrives 11:44 pm). Journey time varies from 4:24 hours to 4:54 hours, and the fare is 37.55 euros pp in 2nd and 53.05 euros pp in 1st (not considering any possible discounts).

http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

I'd take the train unless there are towns along the way you'd like to explore. The drive would take 3.5-4 hours unless you encounter traffic problems which is always possible.

PalenQ and Jean, thank you so much for your replies. I've checked both sites. One connection in Milan works much better and 1 hour in Milan between trains should be enough, right? Do we need to get tickets in advance or can buy them before the train departure?

I also have a question in the end of our tour. We will finish in Asti and we would like to spend couple of days in the end of the trip before flying back to US. Would one of the cities like Turin, Genoa be a good choice?

One connection in Milan works much better and 1 hour in Milan between trains should be enough, right? Do we need to get tickets in advance or can buy them before the train departure?>

Yes one hour should be enough in Milan even though that is a huge huge train shed with zillions of platforms so track the platform down upon arriving - though at times with so many trains coming and going on the same platform your train will not appear on the overhead monnikers until it actually comes in.

and yes you can just buy your tickets in Venice - though trains rarely fill up IME i would do it when you arrive in Venice and have it all taken care of. Too bad trenitalia.com will not let 99% or so of American credit cards buy tickets as you could do it all online and perhaps reap a tiny discount.

Turin is a good choice for a couple of days. From which airport will you fly home? How many days do you have before your homeward bound flight? Are you willing to rent a car for that time?

You could spend a few days in the Piedmont wine region and then head to Turin and fly home from there, or head up to Milan Malpensa and fly home from there.


You could also consider visiting one of the lakes--Lake Como or Lake Maggiore. Or heading south to the Italian Riviera and then flying home from Genoa.


I've done two recent trips to the regions I mentioned; you can clock on my name and read the trip reports, or look for the reports of others who have covered the same ground.

since the 8:58am and subsequent only one change of train required - in Milan that luda5611 mention and bahn.de confirms involves an IC and then Regional (R) train then this ticket should be much cheaper than if it involved EuroStar City trains or other faster trains and since no regional train reqquires reservations and in fact you cannot even make them on regional trains if you do miss you regional train connection in Milan be sure there will be many subsequent regional trains that with your ticket you can just hop on.

Indeed consider throwing your bags in the left-luggage in Milan Centrale and traipsing into the town center to see the world famous Duomo if you have not!

Thanks again for all your replies.

Ekscruchy, we have not bought our air tickets yet but will do it this week. We'll fly out of Cincinnati to Venice and probably from Turin back to Cinci. In Piedmont we'll ride bicycles Gavi- Acqui Terme- Nizza-Alba-Borolo- Cioccaro di Penango - Asti. I will definitely read your trip reports.

Good. Decide first where you want to go after the tour. Depending on which place you decide, you can either fly home from Milan (after Lake Como or another lake); Turin; or Genoa (if you decide upon the Italian Riviera coast). Turin was our last stop when we visited the Piedmont and we opted to fly home from Milan so we could get a direct flight; the drive from Turin to Malpensa is easy and direct.

of the trip before flying back to US. Would one of the cities like Turin, Genoa be a good choice?>

Either one would be a nice city - i am more partial to Genoa but Turin is nice as well - but often shrouded IME in smog - like Milan.

Actually for a place to relax after traveling around i would opt for Lake Maggiore and a place like Stresa - or Lake Como - and buy a boat pass and just putz around to the plethora of sweet sights around the lake.

Got air tickets today. We are flying back from Turin. On departure day our flight leaves at 7:15 AM. Do we need to stay last night somewhere close to the airport? How close Turin airport to city center?

Also in Venice, how close is the train station from the airport. PalenQ suggested to get train tickets when we arrive in Venice. Is it easy to do so we can have it done before taking vaporetto to the hotel?

Hotel Locanda Vivaldi (3 nights)was suggested to us. Please comment. Grazie.

Turin's main airport is about 10 miles out of the town center and linked by trains that take 20 mins - and early in the morning a cab should not take so long if need be.

I did not realize you are staying in Venice but thought from the OP you were going straight away to Gavi

So from the airport to Venice you have three choices - vaporetto to Venice proper (San Marco - St Mark's Square or to the Lido) - bus to Piazzale Roma and thence by vaporetto or taxi to Piazzale Roma (at end of causeway where cars must park) and then by boat-taxi or vaoporetto to hotel. the airport in Venice is 7 miles from Venice itself

The flight is due at 9AM in Venice where we're planning to spend three nights and then travel to Gavi. So can we buy train tickets on the day of travel to Gavi or should we make a special trip to train station in advance?

Yes, you can spend the night before departure in Turin and then take a taxi, or a bus or train.

Here are some ideas about hotels; we liked the GH Sitea and would recommend; they have good deals on the web:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...mendations.cfm

So can we buy train tickets on the day of travel to Gavi or should we make a special trip to train station in advance?>

Yes you can just show up and buy tickets but then you have to leave ample time before your targeted train in case lines are long - you can use the automatic ticketing machines as well as IME they seem simple to use and apparently take American credit cards- but i guess there can be lines for them as well.

I have not been to Venice airport but perhaps like in Milan Airport there is a Trenitalia desk that sells train tickets so you if so could easily do it there and have it done.

If you take the bus from Venice Marco Polo airport, you will end up in the Piazzale Roma, across a short bridge from the train station and the vaporetto stop. So, when you arrive, you can buy your train tickets as well as a Tourist Travel Card for riding the vaporetti.

About the boats in Venice - do not ever buy a single ticket as it costs about 8 euros i believe and the day-long boat pass costs just a few euros more - or Tourist Travel Card but do not just buy a single ticket esp as you may want to take other boats that day (or a pass for a longer time frame)

Thank you for all the great & useful suggestions.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of Tourist travel card we should buy for three days in Venice (72Hrs ?). We are planning to take Artviva tour of Venice (Venice in One Glorious day) and a Venice Experience Backstreet Tour with Karen/Mike.

I also read in the article about WC card. ???