Need advice on transportation
 

I'm planning a trip in the following order:
Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice, Verona, Swiss Alps, Paris, London. I would like to travel by train but I am overwhelmed with all the information about the different options and I need help please.
Thank you!

Check out this website: www.seat61.com
I have found it immensely helpful for all kinds of transport information, especially in Europe.

Check out www.rome2rio.com. It gives you all the different options for getting from A to B.
And www.seat61.com as LelieC says.

I would forget traveler cheques completely, most places in Europe don’t want them, and a rail pass is only good if you plan to spend a lot of time on trains. The local trains in Italy are quite cheap, but the Eurostar fast trains are becoming quite expensive.
I absolutely agree with your luggage suggestions. It is possible to travel with just the outfit your are wearing and 2 others if you pick the right things

@ gracy12 - are you answering the OP as I don't see where they asked about traveler checks or luggage?

'Eurostar' fast trains are not expensive if you book in advance. You can get a fare, say from Rome to Venice for as little as 19 euro. Sometimes you can't be flexible AND save money.

Use www.trenitalia.com and click on the UK flag (top right corner). The stations you need are the Italian names - Roma Termini (Rome), Venezia Santa Lucia (Venice), Firenze Santa Maria Novella (Florence). The time you wish to travel needs to be 24 hour clock style e.g. if you want to travel after 1pm you put '13' in the box.

Don't be worried about trains in Italy. It's easy and convenient to travel by train.

I suspect from the non sequiturs in this and other posts that English is not gracy12's native language.

<I> I am overwhelmed with all the information about the different options</I>

There are no different options if you want to go by train. Book your Italian sectors on the Italian rail site, book Switzerland to Paris on either the Swiss rail site or on the French rail site. Book Paris to London on either the French rail site or on www.eurostar.com

The sooner you book your trains, the more money you will save.

also look at railpasses - like the Eurail Select Pass for 4 countries - it could be nearly as cheap as a series of discounted 2nd class tickets and the pass if over 25 is first class - a definite perk IME of years of European rail travel - cheapest is not always the best.

Anyway for loads of great info on European trains and passes and discounted tickets - check www.seat61.com - the guru of discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Discounted ducats are sold in limited numbers on each train and often sell out weeks/months early - they are non-changeable non-refundable usually so you lose any flexibility. If you want the freedome to chose which trains to take once there then those fuly flexible full fare tickets can cost an arm and a leg - thus a railpass can be priceless for those who cherish flexibility to chose which trains to ride once there not set their trains in stone weeks in advance.

But for folks who know exactly what trains they want to take and wish to have everything buttoned down discounted tickets - and they do exist in first class too - can be nifty - have every ticket in hand and just show up at the station (on time or you will lose the value of your ticket usually) - but navigating several national railway web sites can be time consuming and flummoxing at times - especially ones for France and Italy that have given scores of Fodor's posters fits.

The Chunnel train Paris to London should yes be booked way way early at www.eurostar.com - you could save literally $100 or much more than just showing up at the station in Paris and buying, always possible too - but Chunnel train tickets are sold in tiers with the deepest discounts selling out way early - so the early bird doth get the proverbial worm here.

and also check first class as at times discounted first class Chunnel train tickets can be not much more than the cheapest available 2nd class tickets and first class on these trains is WAY way nicer than 2nd class - you even get a free full course meal with unlimited booze in first class.

It's not a long train ride so normally 2nd class is fine but if first class is not much more go for it.

The major cities you list are easy to figure out. You could even just buy train tickets as you go along. Cinque Terre and the Swiss Alps are trickier to get to, and get around once you are there.

one problem with a railpass in Italy is that for all but slower than molasses in northern Michigan in January regional trains you must get a seat reservations with a pass before boarding and that costs 10 euros - a supplement if you ask me - so that work against railpass freedom and also mounts up if taking several Italian trains. You best bet I think is what kerouac suggests above. In any case do NOT wait until Italy or France, etc to buy tickets as walk-up tickets can be so so pricey.

suze, not sure what you mean by, "Cinque Terre and the Swiss Alps are trickier to get to, and get around once you are there."

I don't know about the Cinque Terre, but the Swiss Alps are dead-easy to get to and to get around within by train. In fact, all of the mountaintops and the prettiest villages are closed to vehicles, so getting there by train or cable car is the only way.

I know you are very familiar with Vevey and Montreux and that area of Switzerland, but I seem to remember your saying that you hadn't visited the German speaking portions of the country. I also seem to remember that you would drive with your friend in her auto. If those things are true, you may not have a good base of knowledge for public transportation in the Alps (particularly in the Berner Oberland).

s

The Jungfrau Region is so so easy to get around in by public transit - toylike trains and aerial gondolas going off in all directions everywhere - and the 5 Terre is too - trains trundle between each of the five lands frequently as do boats in season.

This is not a hard trip to do BY RAIL and you are, IMO, best leaving the itinerary as planned, particularly the Florence-Venice portion and then the Venice-Verona portion.

You can probably get better and faster rail connections between Florence-Venice rather than routing yourself through Verona; stop off on the way back in Verona and then take the train to Milan and change there for your trip into Switzerland. You can go as far as Brig and change there for your routing into the Bernese Oberland/Jungfrau region which will, IMO, give you the best views/sense of the "Swiss Alps" that most people think of when they use that term.

You can go as far as Brig and change there for your routing into the Bernese Oberland/Jungfrau region which will,>

Well several trains will take you from Milan thru Brig to Spiez, where you change always to get to Interlaken-Ost, jumping off point for trains to the Berner Oberland/Jungfrua region that dukey and I agree on are the ultimate in the Swiss Alpine Wonderlands.

I am sorry this poster has chosen NOT to respond to anyone's advice. It really makes me reluctant now to even bother with some of these people.

@Dukey1 ... yah, its helpful (and polite) for the OP to respond and be a part of the conversation that they started
...but...if they don't...
contributions are still very valuable and worthwhile

I for one read many posts and learn tremendously from them when planning. Of course I post a few questions too, but always research other posts first ... many times that avoids the necessity of me posting another similar question and thereby cluttering up the board and stealing the time of people who do reply.

Maybe one of those who think they will be notified when they gat a response. Or not serious about the trip. Or????

It happens all the time.

Not so frustrating as those who get a lot of responses and then come back and accuse the responders of being rude or snarky or whatever.

Or those who decide all of the reponses are wrong based on info they get from who knows where.

I'm with elgebewa - lots of others read these threads who may be interested in the same thing but may be afraid or reluctant to enter the debate or the fray at times!