rml

traveling by train from Rome to Naples Italy read somewhere that most trains need reservations. Is this correct info? also reas that the R train is the slower train.

Jean

I've bought tickets a few days in advance, but I've never made reservations. The Eurostar/AV train is nonstop and takes 70 minutes; the regional train makes 13 stops and takes 2.5 hours.

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

PalenQ

All except slower than molasses in a North Dakota January Regional trains require reservations before boarding and the automatically come with the ticket when you buy it - thus the ticket is for a specific train and cannot be used on other trains unless you change it.

with 2 high-speed trains an hour do not worry about availability just buy your tickets when you get to Rome - an easy place to do this is at the Rome Airport train station, where you can also hop the glitzy Leonardo Express, a dedicated airport train, into Rome.

TimS

Omitting night trains, there are four types of trains that travel Rome-Naples.

Regionale trains take 2hr18min and the fare is 10.50 EUR. No reservations are possible.

All other trains require a seat reservation. The reservation comes with the ticket and is included in the price of the ticket. So long as seats are available, you can buy a ticket until shortly before departure time.

IC trains take 2hr9min and the fare is 20.50 EUR.

EuroStar Italia trains take 1hr45min and the fare is 34.00 EUR.

EuroStar Alta Velocita trains take 1hr10min and the fare is 44.00 EUR.

I quoted 2nd class fares. 1st class seating is also available for all of these trains.

PalenQ

and some of those trains take different routings too - the newest of the ES Italia technology developed by Fiat (i believe) is the AV or Alta Velocita trains and they take an all-new highspeed right of way as do i believe most ES trains but AV technology/design allows them to reach higher speeds than the older ES ones

IC and Regional trains i believe take the old classic rail line that at points goes along the sea.

The EuroStar name was trademarked by Fiat (or whatever Italian company if not them that developed the train) and was licensed to the Eurostar (or to Americans 'Chunnel') trains running under the English Channel between London and Paris/Brussels.)

lattelysh

TimS,
you can catch the EuroStar trains at the Rome Airport train station or must you go into Rome to Roma Termini and catch them from there?

Thanks!

pookymimi

You only need reservations if you have an Eurail or Italy Pass.

To buy regular tickets AV, Eurostar, Fecciarossa or Fecciargento you can do it at the automatic machines or ticket offices, as those come already with seats assigned you don't need reservations. When I used the Eurail pass I had to pay about 15 euros per reservations, when I didn't I bought the tickets on the machines at night.

ellenem

You must go to Roma Termini to catch ES trains. FCO airport train station has only local commuter routes to a number of Rome stations and environs, and the Leonardo Express direct train to Roma Termini. However, you can purchase you ES ticket at FCO to save time at Roma Termini.

TimS

lattelysh,

EuroStar Italia trains depart from Termini. You will need to take the Leonardo Express from Fiumicino to Termini. It runs every 30 minutes and the ride takes 32 minutes. If you wish, you can buy all your train tickets at the airport.

PalenQ

<I bought the tickets on the machines>

and yes the automatic ticketing machines in stations - rafts and rafts of them at places like Termini were IME of playing around with them for hours it seems easy to use and apparently do take American credit cards- according to others although i never finalized my playing around

But if not using the machines then you can have a lenghty wait in line at ticket windows

I find it ironic that the automatic ticketing machines in Italian stations (at least the modern versions but not the older types) so easy to use that they are the contrary of trenitalia.com - one of the most fickle sites around - why do they not just plug all trenitalia.com into the same system that runs the easy to use machines in stations?

PalenQ

EuroStar Italia trains depart from Termini. You will need to take the Leonardo Express from Fiumicino to Termini. It runs every 30 minutes and the ride takes 32 minutes. If you wish, you can buy all your train tickets at the airport>

And when buying the tickets in the airport train station be sure to leave ample connecting time between the arrival of the Leonardo Express from airport to Termini and the ES/AV train to Naples- i'd say 30 mins minimum - for one thing the airport train could be late and more importantly Termini is a huge huge station with zillions of tracks and if i recall right it can be a long walk from where the airport train comes in and other trains depart - not all that easy tracking down the right platform out of zillions either for someone not familiar with the station.

rml

thanks for info