Italy in May
Jan 8th, 2006, 03:00 PM
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Italy in May
My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy from May 16 to May 29. Only mode of transporation will be train and/or bus.
Need transporation advice on getting from Rome (staying 2 nights), to Orvieto (1 night), to Siena (2-3 nights) and Venice (3 nights). Still need to decide where to stay between Siena and Venice for 2 nights - any suggestions?
Thanks
Need transporation advice on getting from Rome (staying 2 nights), to Orvieto (1 night), to Siena (2-3 nights) and Venice (3 nights). Still need to decide where to stay between Siena and Venice for 2 nights - any suggestions?
Thanks
Jan 8th, 2006, 03:25 PM
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You can wait until you're in Rome and go to the special tickets window or office (not just a regular ticket office), and show a list with the dates and the trip segments. They can write you a ticket that covers it all.
Rome-Orvieto is about an hour. Between Orvieto and Siena you'll have to transfer in a place called Chiusi-Chiancano Terme, it's usually quick with only a few minutes between trains. That whole leg takes about two hours.
Siena - Venice is five to six hours depending on trains you take. It goes through Florence - that's where you should break the journey, of course. If you do, watch for which train you take, not all stop in the main station of Florence, some stop in Rifredi instead. From the main station, S.M.Novella, it's a brief walk to the piazza with the duomo and all that - in fact, you can walk the major part of the historic center right down to the Ponte Vecchio and up the other side to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens. So look for a hotel near the station or in the center and be prepared to hoof it. If you do take a cab, don't immediately think the driver is cheating you if he seems to take a lot of turns - the one-way system, especially around the river with the bridges and frontage roads, is hellish, the driver probably can't help it. There are also buses, right outside the train station, look for a little hut where an agent can give you the free public transport map if you ask nicely - it also makes for a great city map.
For trains it's all at www.trenitalia.it - make sure you input the Italian spellings of city names. Also be patient and creative - there are several stations in some cities, and the website is programmed in an idiotic way:
Example: Florence is Firenze, and the main station is called Santa Maria Novella (after the nearby church).
If you input Firenze Santa Maria Novella you get nothing, ditto with Firenze SMN - it only works if you input Firenze S.M.N. (with periods) or S.M.Novella
But guess what, it returns results listing it as "FI SMN"...
The main station in Rome is called Roma Termini.
With Venice, it has to be Venezia - the main station is called Santa Lucia, and it recognizes that but returns it as Venezia S. Lucia.
Venezia Mestre is the station in the industrial port city a few miles up the causeway, on the main through-line, and if that's where a train terminates, don't worry, there are local trains into Venice proper many times an hour, it's only another ten minutes after you get off in Mestre to change trains.
So be creative, and if you can't get results, look at this one which sometimes is clearer (it covers all of Europe but doesn't bring up prices):
http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...p;L=profi&
WK
Rome-Orvieto is about an hour. Between Orvieto and Siena you'll have to transfer in a place called Chiusi-Chiancano Terme, it's usually quick with only a few minutes between trains. That whole leg takes about two hours.
Siena - Venice is five to six hours depending on trains you take. It goes through Florence - that's where you should break the journey, of course. If you do, watch for which train you take, not all stop in the main station of Florence, some stop in Rifredi instead. From the main station, S.M.Novella, it's a brief walk to the piazza with the duomo and all that - in fact, you can walk the major part of the historic center right down to the Ponte Vecchio and up the other side to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens. So look for a hotel near the station or in the center and be prepared to hoof it. If you do take a cab, don't immediately think the driver is cheating you if he seems to take a lot of turns - the one-way system, especially around the river with the bridges and frontage roads, is hellish, the driver probably can't help it. There are also buses, right outside the train station, look for a little hut where an agent can give you the free public transport map if you ask nicely - it also makes for a great city map.
For trains it's all at www.trenitalia.it - make sure you input the Italian spellings of city names. Also be patient and creative - there are several stations in some cities, and the website is programmed in an idiotic way:
Example: Florence is Firenze, and the main station is called Santa Maria Novella (after the nearby church).
If you input Firenze Santa Maria Novella you get nothing, ditto with Firenze SMN - it only works if you input Firenze S.M.N. (with periods) or S.M.Novella
But guess what, it returns results listing it as "FI SMN"...
The main station in Rome is called Roma Termini.
With Venice, it has to be Venezia - the main station is called Santa Lucia, and it recognizes that but returns it as Venezia S. Lucia.
Venezia Mestre is the station in the industrial port city a few miles up the causeway, on the main through-line, and if that's where a train terminates, don't worry, there are local trains into Venice proper many times an hour, it's only another ten minutes after you get off in Mestre to change trains.
So be creative, and if you can't get results, look at this one which sometimes is clearer (it covers all of Europe but doesn't bring up prices):
http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...p;L=profi&
WK
Jan 8th, 2006, 03:32 PM
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Hi Janandjean,
Is this your first trip to Italy? If so, I would add 1 or 2 nights to Rome and 1 night to Florence.
Rome - Orvieto = train, easy, 1 hr
Orvieto - Siena = can't help, I think bus would be best as the train station is below Siena and would require a taxi ride up
Siena - Venice = train, you will go through Florence
Buon viaggio!
Is this your first trip to Italy? If so, I would add 1 or 2 nights to Rome and 1 night to Florence.
Rome - Orvieto = train, easy, 1 hr
Orvieto - Siena = can't help, I think bus would be best as the train station is below Siena and would require a taxi ride up
Siena - Venice = train, you will go through Florence
Buon viaggio!
Jan 8th, 2006, 09:59 PM
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Trains and busses are the only way I travel when in Italy. You can easily catch a train from Roma's Termini station to Orvieto (trains leave every 30 minutes in the morning, every hour in the afternoon. The trip is non-stop and takes 1 hour). The train from Orvieto to Siena takes just under 2 hours. All trains from Siena to Venice's Santa Lucia train station stop in Florence and take 5 hours (there is a train that gets there in 4.47 mins).
Some ideas of where to stay between Siena and Venice...I would recommend stopping and staying in Verona. It is the home of Romeo and Juliet, not to mention its famous Roman arena. It is a charming, elegant, rich city that I am certain you would like. From Siena you would take a train into Verona's Porta Nuova station (the main station adjacent to the city centre). I went to Verona this last February and really loved it. Alternatively, you could stop in Bologna, as an other option.
Refer to the www.trenitalia.com website for Italian train information and departure times. On the L side of the page, you type in your city pairs (i.e. Roma and Orvieto, then the day you will be traveling there in May, i.e. May 19) and it will bring up a schedule for that day's departing trains. I always print those sheets out and bring with me on my trips so I am prepared when at the train station. It makes it easier when reading the departure boards, asking at the ticket office, or looking at the monitors, as I can quickly spot my train time and binario (track #).
Some ideas of where to stay between Siena and Venice...I would recommend stopping and staying in Verona. It is the home of Romeo and Juliet, not to mention its famous Roman arena. It is a charming, elegant, rich city that I am certain you would like. From Siena you would take a train into Verona's Porta Nuova station (the main station adjacent to the city centre). I went to Verona this last February and really loved it. Alternatively, you could stop in Bologna, as an other option.
Refer to the www.trenitalia.com website for Italian train information and departure times. On the L side of the page, you type in your city pairs (i.e. Roma and Orvieto, then the day you will be traveling there in May, i.e. May 19) and it will bring up a schedule for that day's departing trains. I always print those sheets out and bring with me on my trips so I am prepared when at the train station. It makes it easier when reading the departure boards, asking at the ticket office, or looking at the monitors, as I can quickly spot my train time and binario (track #).
Jan 9th, 2006, 05:13 AM
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Hi J,
Rome to Orvieto is one hour by train. I would do it as a daytrip from Rome rather than dragging luggage and changing hotels for one night.
I would also add one more night to Rome.
You can take a bus from Rome to Siena.
http://www.senabus.it/
More convenient than the train.
I would do 2 nights in Siena
From Siena you can visit San Gimignano by bus
http://www.sangimignano.net/bus/
Then take the bus to Florence for 2 nights
http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal
Train to Venice. www.trenitalia.com
I would add a night to Venice.
Have a nice visit.
Rome to Orvieto is one hour by train. I would do it as a daytrip from Rome rather than dragging luggage and changing hotels for one night.
I would also add one more night to Rome.
You can take a bus from Rome to Siena.
http://www.senabus.it/
More convenient than the train.
I would do 2 nights in Siena
From Siena you can visit San Gimignano by bus
http://www.sangimignano.net/bus/
Then take the bus to Florence for 2 nights
http://www.sitabus.it/wps/portal
Train to Venice. www.trenitalia.com
I would add a night to Venice.
Have a nice visit.
Jan 9th, 2006, 10:59 AM
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Hi Jan and Jean, I'll be in Italy in May too and have started a thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34716171 to see if anyone wants to meet for dinner or drinks. I have 5 people already for one night in Florence. If I calculated your dates correctly, you'll be in Venice the same time as me (I arrive Venice the 21st from Bologna and fly home the morning of the 25th). If you are interested in meeting for drinks and/or dinner, please let me know (mjpileggi @adelphia.net) or post a message on the link I provided.
I'm taking the train (or bus) while in in Italy. As a suggestion for you, one mid-point for you would be Bologna. I see someone already suggested Florence.
Thanks!
Monica
I'm taking the train (or bus) while in in Italy. As a suggestion for you, one mid-point for you would be Bologna. I see someone already suggested Florence.
Thanks!
Monica
Jan 9th, 2006, 02:58 PM
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This is our first journey to Italy. We are attending our daughter's wedding in Venice on May 26th and wanted to have the opportunity to explore the country on our own.
When staying in Rome, we have reservations at the 4th floor bed and breakfast - has anyone stayed there before? We wanted to see Civita di Bagnoregio because it sounded so enchanting and decided to stay overnight at Hotel Romantica Pucci.
We're looking for another bed and breakfast for Siena. I thought if we stayed in Siena for 3 nights, we could do 1 day in Siena, 1 day in Florence and 1 day visiting San Gimignano and Volterra (I think Lucca might be too far to encompass that day trip). Afterwards, we were thinking either Bogogna or Verona. If we did Verona for 2 nights, I thought we could see Padova also.
While in Venice we are staying at Ca'Dalisera, once again, anyone have any experience with this B&B?
We wanted to go B&B's for our adventure - any suggestions would be so helpful.
Thanks, Jan
When staying in Rome, we have reservations at the 4th floor bed and breakfast - has anyone stayed there before? We wanted to see Civita di Bagnoregio because it sounded so enchanting and decided to stay overnight at Hotel Romantica Pucci.
We're looking for another bed and breakfast for Siena. I thought if we stayed in Siena for 3 nights, we could do 1 day in Siena, 1 day in Florence and 1 day visiting San Gimignano and Volterra (I think Lucca might be too far to encompass that day trip). Afterwards, we were thinking either Bogogna or Verona. If we did Verona for 2 nights, I thought we could see Padova also.
While in Venice we are staying at Ca'Dalisera, once again, anyone have any experience with this B&B?
We wanted to go B&B's for our adventure - any suggestions would be so helpful.
Thanks, Jan
