As our trip to Italy grows nearer (though not fast enough, IMO) i am starting to get a little nervous that I may have trouble with the train system there. I have heard things like how they don't announce what track a particular train is on until 10 minutes before it leaves. Is this true? Also, are the tickets easy to figure out and the departure boards easy to understand? I'm sure I sound overly concerned, but I don't want to end up on the wrong train or something... Any train tips or advice to make my train experience more comfortable?

I found getting to the station early is good for dealing with stress.

The departure boards are really simple to understand. I have found, as you said, in Italy that they often don't post on the boards the track until shortly before it is to leave. I found by asking someone who works there (on the platform), they can tell you which track the train will arrive/depart, since it's usually the same track and the workers generally know that stuff.

I don't remember if there is also a sign posted by the tracks -- they have this in Spain, France, and most other countries I've been to -- where they print the itinerary, usual track number, along with a description of the location of each car number. If they do have that, if you get there early, you can familiarize yourself with that as well.

If you have a reserved seat, look at the ticket, since it will tell you the car number (posted by the doors of each car on the train), then find your seat on that car (sometimes the numbers are posted on the cabin door itself, sometimes in the window of the cabin.

Finally, if you do screw up, don't worry; there's usually another train that comes along fairly quickly going to the same place, or you can go to the ticket counter and they'll help you replan.

This applies to every train station in Europe.

You wait in front of the HUGE departure board in the station hall. You will start to see your train #, destination, about 30 minutes before, but no track number just yet. Every so often the train info will be moved to the front of the board as it's getting cloer to departure, and at some point a track will be added to the sign. You proceed to the track and board. The ticket will NOT give you the track #. All you have to worry about is boarding the right car. If you have a sleeper, 1st class or 2nd class, but otherwise don't worry about anything else. The cars are clerly marked. You will have enough time to casually walk to the ramp and board.
Have a great trip!

When you look at the Departure Board, it is usually more helpful to look for the train # that you are taking, rather than the destination.

For example, if you are taking a Eurostar train from Florence to Rome, very often, the train's last stop is Naples instead of Rome. Therefore, on the Departure Board, they will list the train as going to Naples. Whereas if you look for the train # instead, you won't miss it as easily.

Also, in the big stations in the main cities, there are bulletin boards everywhere that have posters which list all the train arrivals & departures (listed by the hour) and their tracks. Again, it will be easier if you know the train # you are taking. However, sometimes the station decides to change the track if the train is early/late, so always double check with the up-to-date Departure Board.

Lastly, know the Italian names of the cities you are going. (Florence=Firenze, Naples=Napoli etc)

Hi Amanda. While your concerns are understandable, you should be just fine. We've dealt with late platform switches and several strikes in our travels and I concur with the advice to arrive early to relieve stress. Don't be afraid to ask questions. First class can often be much less crowded out of the big stations like Milan. The departure boards are easy to understand but often non-existent in the smaller towns. Italy can sometimes be chaotic, but stay alert and your travel skills will carry you through.

Thanks, guys! The info you gave me really helps, and if I find myself there and I am totally lost, at least I can put my 3 years of Italian classes (in high school 6 years ago!)to good practice!

Taking the trains are pretty straightforward, and pretty easy. The only time when we had a little trouble was in Bologna, where there was only a small area where you line up to buy tickets, and the track numbers are not very clearly numbered--it took a while for me to get oriented. But my Mom who's pretty sharp noticed that the track we were supposed to be on was opposite to where we were, so we had to figure out how to get across (and not by crossing the tracks with luggage in tow!).

When we made it, a train came by 5 minutes later--no clear destination on the front of the train, no train number. So we asked a young man who was hopping on the train, and that's how we managed to catch the right train from Bologna to Florence!

In Florence, there are very clear indications which track is which, so you shouldn't have any problems. I don't know about Termini in Rome....

Good luck and have fun!

Lil

In every station in Italy there are boards with printed posters of the usual schedules for Partenze (Departures) for that station, on a yellow background. Find the time and train you are taking, and the column furthest to the right will show the platform (binario) that that train USUALLY departs from. 99% of the time it will in fact use that platform, unless some other train being late throws things off.

That's why you need to also keep an eye on the big board, but most of the time, even if there is a change, it will be to a track near the usual one, so if you position yourself near the usual track but where you can still see the board, you'll be pretty safe.

In larger stations, there is also a rolling display and/or a TV screen at the head of the track which will update as soon as new info for that track is posted.

And don't be afraid to ask - even the Italians are left wondering sometimes, so you won't look stupider than anybody else.