railtravel - Vienna to Venice - bus??
Oct 5th, 2010, 07:27 AM
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railtravel - Vienna to Venice - bus??
I am looking at the DB website for a trip from Vienna to Venice. It does show a night train between the cities but on day routes it is showing a change to a bus??? in Villach? Surely you can do the trip by rail in the day if there is a night train? can any one make any sense of this to me? Thanks!
Oct 5th, 2010, 07:32 AM
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No not any more on most Vienna-Venice connections due to a snafu with the Italian Railways which has decided to axe many international trains, terminating formerly international trains at the border - and then using a bus for the Italian portion. Why? Good question. But is the same as Milan to Nice - for years some direct EC trains but now all Italian trains terminate at Venitmiglia where passengers must change to French trains to get to Nice.
So what you found is I believe to be true.
So what you found is I believe to be true.
Oct 5th, 2010, 07:55 AM
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The bus from Villach to Venice is operated by Austrian Rail and, from what I've read, is a very comfortable and well-equipped highway coach. If you book your tickets well in advance on the Austrian Rail site, you can get a SparSchiene fare as low as 29 EUR for the entire ride (train to Villach and bus to Venice). See here: http://tinyurl.com/38k63ub.
Oct 5th, 2010, 08:41 AM
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Odd - the oddest part to me is why make passengers transfer to a bus? Milan to Nice at least is train to train. I am thinking about a trip for next Oct. (2011) Now I am thinking the days for the night train may be limited or do you think they will keep running that?
Oct 5th, 2010, 12:00 PM
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Right now trains for Venice depart from wein-Meidling station as South Station is under reconstruction - may be done by next Oct.
Overnight trains Rome/Florence/Venice to Germany and Austria seem not to have been affected by Trenitalia's cross-border trains - probably because overnight trains are usually run by a third-party. I would think they would remain but yes who knows.
If GAC reappears - a TrenItalia expert - pose the question to him/her.
Overnight trains Rome/Florence/Venice to Germany and Austria seem not to have been affected by Trenitalia's cross-border trains - probably because overnight trains are usually run by a third-party. I would think they would remain but yes who knows.
If GAC reappears - a TrenItalia expert - pose the question to him/her.
Oct 6th, 2010, 10:24 AM
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Thank you PalenQ - I'll watch for GAC and put my plans for Vienna to Venice next fall in the "maybe" position. I suppose its silly to change plans if I can't take a train but seems like a fair amount of hassle to have to change to a bus - it's a fairly long distance, the night train makes it far more pleasant IMO.
Oct 6th, 2010, 10:38 AM
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According to the timetables on the German Rail site, there is a ten-minute connection between the time the train arrives in Villach and the bus departs. The site suggests that it is a 5-minute walk to make the connection. I assume that the bus station is right by the train station. How is that more of a hassle than making multiple train connections (like Milan-Ventimiglia-Monaco-Nice)?
Oct 6th, 2010, 01:04 PM
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How is that more of a hassle than making multiple train connections (like Milan-Ventimiglia-Monaco-Nice)?>
It is not IF the train to Villach is on time and IF they hold the bus up as i would expect - TimS - do you have any inkling that that would be the case as one would expect? If not you could be waiting in Villach for an hour or two.
and 5 mins to find the bus, put bags under its belly, etc seems hurried - why not 10 minutes?
It is not IF the train to Villach is on time and IF they hold the bus up as i would expect - TimS - do you have any inkling that that would be the case as one would expect? If not you could be waiting in Villach for an hour or two.
and 5 mins to find the bus, put bags under its belly, etc seems hurried - why not 10 minutes?
Oct 6th, 2010, 02:51 PM
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I have no experience here, but my best guess is that if the train is late, the bus will wait. Since both the train and the bus are operated by Austrian Rail, it seems logical that this would be true.
Oct 6th, 2010, 02:56 PM
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Besides the connecting, I'd much rather ride on a train - I know, I know, the bus may be very nice but it goes on the highway, traffic! I LIKE traveling by rail in Europe - watching the countryside glide by. I'm sure I could do the bus if I wanted to bad enough but there are many places to go, I'd just prefer to plan an itinerary that goes by rail.
