Buses are often a better option than trains in Italy as travel time can be the same and cheaper.>

Can buses go 155 mph like many mainline Italian trains - how can they be faster?

And are there even say buses between Rome and Venice?

No buses are not often a better option where there are both rail and bus links - but in a few cases like Rome to Sorrento the bus is faster because it goes direct.

And for the Tuscan hill towns like Siena - can go by train but buses more direct and cheaper

But i would not say <Buses are often a better option than trains in Italy as travel time can be the same and cheaper> as a general rule of thumb.

>>>And for the Tuscan hill towns like Siena - can go by train but buses more direct and cheaper<<<

Rome/Siena by bus 5€, travel time 3 hours, no changes involved.
Rome/Siena by train 13€ - 20€, travel time 3- 3 1/2 hours, must change trains in Chiusi
Train drops you outside of town where you must bus or taxi to center. Bus drops you in the historic center.

Milan/Siena bus 5€ travel time 4:30 no changes
Milan/Siena train 58.20€ travel time 3:30 must change in Florence.
Train drops you outside of town where you must bus or taxi to center. Bus drops you in the historic center.
http://www.sena.it/index_e.htm

Florence/Siena bus 6€ travel time 1:15
Florence/Siena train 6.20€ travel time 1:30
Once again, the train is not dropping you in the center and you will have to bus or taxi.
http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze-Siena06.pdf

Train routes that involve R trains won't usually have AC. The buses will have AC. On trains you have to keep an eye on your luggage. On buses your luggage is stored underneath. There are dozens of bus companies all over Italy and on many routes you can bus in the same amount of time as you can train. Just because you are unaware of them since you are only interested in railpasses, doesn't mean they don't exist and aren't excellent sources of travel in Italy. Your stalking me on every thread I post and essentially calling me a liar is getting old. I will not be bullied by you when I'm giving accurate information just because I'm not interested in pushing high priced railpasses.

I am mystified as to why people with black skin carrying black trash bags on the train shock tourists -- especially tourists who then snap at other people for not knowing about their presence.

Why were you shocked, alibi123? Hadn't you heard about this? And what is shocking? You were expecting everybody to look like Sophia Loren?

Any Italian can also tell you about the American tourists whose appearance and manner of speaking makes them so visible -- and guess what they are stuffing into their luggage to take home? Cheap stuff, illegally imported, with fake labels. Shocking, no? (Yes, I know. They're white and anything but hungry. They're overweight.)

Bmyer, if the sight of dark skin flips you out, you might be shocked to travel in Europe. Or even in America. I'm trying to think where you can go these days without seeing such people.

What is shocking in Napoli is the poverty of both Italians and immigrants -- although I think it doesn't shock some people at all, no matter where they encounter it.

Crime in Venice is not common, but we were in the right place at the right time to witness a police chase, Venice style, straight out of the Keystone Cops. Alt! Ladro! ( Stop! Thief!), blowing of whistles. African hand bag seller (specialising in fake Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton bags) runs through the campo at high speed, hurling bags behind him as a diversion, closely followed by policeman with whistle. That endurance training on the Veldt paid off for the chased, and he got away. Closing scene – cop returns, spends time kicking and stamping on the bags.

Priceless.

zepppole, I would like to buy you some gelato and some pizza for your sister. What's your point? Do you need someone new to bully? Yes, some of us are inexperienced, sheltered and less wordly. Newsflash. We get out and we learn. We don't turn bitter.

Defensive, obviously. But to scour forums for people to attack, what's in for you?

We are staying at the Il Nido in Sorrento. It is outside of town but it does have a shuttle from 08:00 am to 11:00 am
and from 3:30pm until 11:30 pm (10 min ride) and our room has a view of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. It is very reasonable and Trip Advisor has good reviews.

Here is the link if you want to check it out.

http://www.ilnido.it/en/home.html

oohlala...I stayed at Il Nido last year. The views are beautiful! The family that owns the hotel are wonderful and always happy to help you. The restaurant is good - nice breakfast and dinner, if you want to eat in, and it is very peaceful. For the price, you get more than you pay.

bourbon - thanks for pointing out that there are regular bus service between say Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, etc. And that they are quicker than the train.

My only point is that your mantra over and over that railpasses are rarely cost-effective in Italy is wrong - and when you say it i will set the record straight - you call it stalking i call it setting the record straight - that in many cases a railpass can indeed be a good investment in Italy - but not in nearly all cases. But to say never is misleading.

And no buses are not quicker for the routes most tourists will take - Rome-Florence-Venice-Milan-Rome axis - only to places like Siena that are poorly served by trains

to imply that you can scoot around Italy just as quick on buses for what the average tourist does is not correct IMO

we're going to be at Il Nido in October - it really sounds divine. We got the last room with a view - lucky.

allib, the problem is not that you're inexperienced or sheltered. The problem is, you made a grossly racist remark (or was your "Little Nigeria" qualification meant to advertise the Naples train station???), and zeppole said what had to be said about that. If anything, she could be chided for being overly polite with you. But there's certainly no reason - and certainly not for you, of all people!!! - to add insult to injury, or insolence to racism. You know what? People like you simply should stay home, both physically and electronically: i.e. away from Naples as well as away from Fodor's. Sorry BMeyer for my off-topic posting, but this was simply too much to let it pass without a comment.

Maybe I am reading this differently, but I don't think that is racism. I had not really traveled and when I first went overseas and saw how many American "white" tourists there were I was shocked. I have not been to Naples but I have been to Athens and when the Turkish men were peddling umbrellas and toys every time I walked by it was uncomfortable. Not because they were Turkish but because they were annoying and shoving things in my face and following me. Its not racist to be surprised by how many people of the same assumed nationality gather on one train, especially if the nationality is not of the country you are in. And especially if they are all trying to sell things. Perhaps by assuming they were Nigerian, it was a little racist, unless this poster knew for a fact that is where they were from. That's like saying China Town is racist or Little Havana. However, a simple observation is not racist. Expecting to see Italians in Italy is not racist either. Everyone makes assumptions...

And no, dark skin doesn't bother me...

Thanks for the helpful bus and train information. And I wont be purchasing any fake handbags:]

Also when the Greeks asked if I was German, I was not offended either. Even though on a few occasions some older Greeks told me they hated Germans (WWII).

I apologize to each of you that I offended for it certainly was not my intent, or for this to turn into something that would not benefit the OP. We embrace our Little Italy's and Little Havana's, Chinatown,etc, and they are tourist destination with risk as in in city.
Naples is known for being "seedy" and to be politically correct I certainly wish I'd left it that. Some may look it at as racism and racial profiling, but Nigerian crime in Naples is a fact, and has been for some time.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan...africa-naples7

http://www.eutimes.net/2010/01/immig...es-fight-back/

I'll take your advice franco. Caio!

Oops. correct spelling very necessary.....Ciao!
Bmeyer, I appreciate your last post. I am not racist. But, I was concerned about my safety in Naples and on the Circumvesuviana, particularly as the train doors closed and the men who had previously lingered on the platform, till that very last moment, came aboard and separated to surround my friend and I. Now I get on fuller cars and choose who is next to me, regardless of their skin color. I don't say this to scare anyone away from doing this train ride, I simply say, Heads Up!! Good travels to all!

allib123, thanks for sharing that. I figured I can get a swimming pool etc anywhere else but that view for that price...PRICELESS! :-) And reading the Tripadvisor reviews you can tell they are a very nice family.
Did you make any day trips to Pompeii, Amailfi, Positano and Capri?
BMeyer, you can also check out

ParcoPrincipi.HotelinRoma.com

A room with a view is in 700 Euro range.