I'm getting married in Italy! A few questions...
 

Our families will be joining us, and we are helping them plan their trips. What are the distances in TIME (by train and bus) between the following cities:

Rome --> Florence
Venice --> Florence
Florence --> Positano

THANKS!! :-)

Where are you getting married and are you both US citizens? Church or civil? Rome to FL is about an hour and a half, Venice to FL is about two and a half to three hours and I do not know about Positano. I am sure IRA will see this and give you the site for the Italian trains.

One last tid bit about getting married in Italy - it takes 7 years to obtain a divorce...that is the good news, it used to take 20! Not that this should concern you. Good luck!

We are both US Citizens and are having a civil ceremony in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. We have a FANTASTIC wedding planner in italy who is handling all the details for us. Thanks for the info!!

*HILARIOUS* about the divorce !!!!!!!!

Palazzo Vecchio! That is one well connected wedding planner!!!!!

Thonglori,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

I don't know if there's a direct train from Florence to Naples, but you could take the train from Florence to Rome ( about an hour and a half) then catch the Eurostar from Rome to Naples ( about two and a half hours.).

From Naples, you can take a local train to Sorrento ( I think it's about an hour, as I remember) then take a SITA bus to Positano ( about 40 minutes). With luggage, however, you might consider hiring a private driver. By car, the trip to Positano takes about an hour and a half from Naples ( depending on season and time of day) and runs about 120-140 Euros.

You can also take a boat from the port in Sorrento to Positano, but again, with luggage, this seems like it would be hassle.

Good luck, and have a great time!

As regards the train from Florence to Naples, I would suggest to look in the www.trenitalia.it web site because there are some ES trains departing from Milan that stop first in BOlogna then in Florence , then in Rome and eventually continue up to Naples, so there is no need to change train in Rome. I have just come back from relatives visiting and took the 10.00 am trai from Milan and arrived in Rome at 14.30 but this train continued to Naples. I think this train stopped in Florence at 1 pm or so (because it takes about 1 1/2 hours from Florence to Rome). Then from Naples you can take the private car to Sorrento rather than taking the local train and then the SITA bus (too much of a hassle).
COngratulatuions for your WONDERFUL wedding!

Are you serious about the seven year rule! Where did you find that out!?
(she says nervously......)

Can I make a suggestion, once you return, you might consider having a civil ceremony in the US, as well. Down the road, life may be just a bit easier with a marriage license issued by a US municipality. Even if it something as simple as needing to replace a lost marriage certificate.

We had friends who were married in Portugal last summer and their attorney strongly advised them to do this for a variety of reasons.

Sorry, meant to add good luck and congratulations.

Hi Thon,

Your wedding planner should have been able to arrange this for you.

Train schedules and fares are found in English at http://www.trenitalia.com/en/

Rome/Florence ES* 1:36 42/29E

Venice/Florence ES* 2:49 39/26

To get from Florence to Positano you take the ES* to Naples. There are direct ES* trains that stop in Rome. You don't have to change trains.

Florence/Naples ES* 3:36 63/42

From Naples you either take the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento and then the SITA Bus to Positano about 1 1/2 hr aboout 10E

OR

Hire a private limo about 90E.

I recommend the limp for a hoeymoon.

Have a long and happy married life.

If you marry in a civil ceremony in Italy, you are considered legally married by all U.S standards. Likewise, you can obtain a divorce in the U.S. and not need to return to Italy to do so. (I speak from experience.)

Also, it is my understanding that it now takes "only" five years to obtain a divorce in Italy.

Thonglori,

Have a great wedding and wonderful life. Auguri!

I got married in 1969 and I don't know where my marriage certificate is and have never needed it.

Viamichelin is a good site just to get an idea of distances.

Thanks ellen for clarifying the divorce question - I have a cousin who was married in a civil ceremony in Italy and is now considering a divorce.

Can I ask which wedding planner you are using. I too am getting married in Florence next May at the Palazzo Vecchio. Just wondering how smoothly things were going for you...