Would you rather have an extra flight to your desitination or a train ride once you've landed???

Now - why? Would cost be your deciding factor? Time? Comfort? Something else I haven't thought of?

Easier to give you good advice if you tell us excatly where you plan to travel.

I tried all that, but then erased it as I tend to get wordy...

Leave Rochester NY for Florence/Pisa/Bologna - would fly into any of the above. Problem is, requires two changes of plane, whereas flying into Milan doesn't. So - three plane rides, or two planes and a train at the end.

I like the train as you can see some sights, start having 'travel related experiences'. I like the plane as you just sit back and arrive. Price and lenght of travel times do not differ much.

The train is better, by far. Eliminate as many plane changes as possible.

I absolutely agree..fly into Milan (which may end up being cheaper than flying to the other-mentioned airports)...do yourself a favor and take the easiest course to Centrale and then take an Italian Eurostar (if available) to the final destination.

I do Jacksonville to Florence several times a year and ALWAYS choose the flight option whenever it is available. It is a double connection for me as well, either through Charles de Gaulle or Milan.

Why? My luggage meets me at my final destination; I don't have to collect all my stuff, then get to the station, buy a ticket and load my stuff on the train and then ride. Overall, IME, it's quicker and easier at least for me because I can never sleep on the flight over and I am exhausted when I get there and want to make it as easy on myself as I can.

I have done it both ways and I find it less wearing to just make that last short hop on a plane. Plus I can enjoy a nice cup of cappucino at the airport and get acclimated!

I'm with kfusto.

If it involves a change of airplane terminals, I usually prefer the train. I'm not that great a flyer, so trains are always a less stressful option for me.

Hi t,

If you are booked on one ticket and have a decent interval between planes, I would take that route.

A train will require you to get to Milan centrale by bus and then schlep your luggage onto the train.

We did an interesting thing on a similar trip in Italy. We flew into Milan and rented a car. Then we drove down to Genoa and drove down the coast towards Pisa. We stopped at a couple of pretty seaside towns and drove by the mountains where Michelangelo got his marble. Stayed in Pisa, looked at the tower, dropped the rental car off at the airport, took the bus to the train station and left for Rome.

We fly tourist class, so it is very cramped. I always look for an opportunity to take a train rather than to fly. You get better scenery from the train, and the seats are comfortable and not at all cramped, and you can even walk around easily. The trains often have diners; if not you can bring your own food and not worry about turbulence spilling your wine. One other factor is that the train stations are usually closer to our final destination than the airports. In Florence, for example, the train station is within easy walking distance of the Duomo; the airport isn't. Same for Pisa. I haven't been to Bologna but I bet its true there, too.

I like getting to and from trains better than planes. No long rides out to far-flung airports.

I like getting on and off trains better than planes. No checking luggage. No queuing for check-in or security. No working your way down a crowded aisle. No searching for a place to stash gear. No waiting for 100 idiots to get off before you can.

I like being on trains better than planes. More room. No turbulence. Possible to change cars to escape from heathens (<i>e.g.</i> children, footballers).

I would eliminate plane changes if at all possible. I have had misdirected luggage 7 times, 6 of which were because my luggage missed the connecting flight. There have also been many occasions where my first plane left late so I missed the connection and got delayed many hours. I do not live in a hub city so I always have at least one stop somewhere, but I try my best to limit my stops to one.

I love trains, but I totally agree with kfusto here.

Fly all the way.

If the train station were actually located in/at the airport that would be fine. However, this is NOT the case in Milan - as IRA noted, schlep thru airport terminal, bags on the bus to city-center, off the bus over to the train... Sounds like work.

I have to laugh reading all your responses. Tey sound like the very same argumentsthat has been going on in my head when I search for flights!

Checking on Pisa (Ideal first three days is the Lucca area, but can change for better flights)Viamichelin says it will take 2hrs and 44 minutes, and an estimated $18 Euros by car (not counting rental cost). Fastest train is 3:47 and is 21 Euros pp in 2nd class. Flights are all over the board!

Therefore, I might end up using kbrennan's idea and driving! I wasn't planning on renting a car until after the first few days, but perhaps it will simplify things to have one for 10 days, and just not for the last 3 or 4 in Venice.

Still would love more views, when we drove to Lake Garda after arriving last time we were TIRED and said we didn't want to do that again...

I say if the connection can be made at the same airport in minimal time, then continue flying. But a train is much more relaxing and more comfortable after a long flight. It just doesn't make sense to do a lot of transferring into a train station if you can continue flying from where you are in less time.

The idea of just changing planes at the airport, especially, but not only, if the bags are checked through to the final destination, appeals to me a LOT more, then, as described, collecting the luggage, shlepping to a train station, buying the train ticket, getting luggage onto train, getting luggage off train etc.

If I'm already in a city center, the decision may be different.

For me, alot of it depends on the schedules. Mainly, I want to get to my final destination as quickly as possible. I've done both, and actually prefer riding on the train - it's more relaxing, and I enjoy looking at the scenery. However, the train is better with minimal luggage. Also, as one poster already mentioned, the train stations are usually closer to the city centre &amp; hotel.

Hi trav,

&gt;..Checking on Pisa ...Fastest train is 3:47 &lt;

There is a direct train from Pisa Airport to Florence. 1:30 hr 5E.

See www.trenitalia.com/en