Salzburg to Rome via train on May 3rd
 

We are 2 adults and 2 kids (9 years and 4.5 years travelling to Austria and Italy for the first time. We plan to leave Salzburg on May 3rd evening via train for Rome )that would save hotel also.

Can you kindly suggest few other 'tricks' on how to travel cheap from Salzburg to Rome

Have done it cheapest seat61.com/austria regional trains better and cheaper than sleepers head for Venice spend the night
Hotel Ducale nice cheap there for me in thee past orbitz.com
train on down to Rome as you like from there. Safety issues and no sleep train lag issues with sleepers couchettes are no fun noisy crammed very costly for what you get I avoid them if at all possible. skyscanner.net for an econoair if in a hurry.

Happy Trails!

Pack your own food and water. Most trains have a buffet car but the choices are not great and they are expensive. You'll also need water for brushing your teeth.

This has nothing to do with price but choose the train with 1 connection rather than the train with 2 connections.

How much are you really saving on the hotel? How much is a 4 berth sleeper on that train?

There's a direct sleeper from Vienna to Rome, fares from 49 euros in a 4-berth couchette, from 69 euros in a 2-bed sleeper.

It leaves Vienna Meidling around 19:29 and arrives Rome Termini at 09:08.

Book this at www.oebb.at and print out your own ticket.

Or there's an excellent City Night Line from Munich and Innsbruck to Rome, leaving Munich 21:05, arriving Rome 08:54.

Book this at www.bahn.de, from 69 euros in 4-berth couchettes, 99 euros in a 2-bed sleeper.

Thanks Man_in_seat_61
Cant find that fare though. May I request you to check again as it is showing Euro 308

>>>Thanks Man_in_seat_61
Cant find that fare though. May I request you to check again as it is showing Euro 308<<<

Which train? What are your dates?

May 3rd from Vienna to Rome

There is more than one train on May 3 at night from Vienna to Rome. I guess you want the train that does not have any changes but it would be nice to give full information when people are trying to help you.

What train will you be taking?

Salilbawa, there is basically two rail options you have here:
a) catch overnight CNL train Munich-Rome. The train is a bit expensive, but special discounted ticket offered (can be bought via DB website). Offer called "Europa-Spezial Italien". Nuance is that such discounted tickets available only from German station, thus you need to buy ticket not from Salzburg, but from Freilassing, which is just 7-8 min. from Salzburg. Connection will look like this: you board regional train #79042 at 20:09 in Salzburg, at 20:17 it's in Freilassing, then you get off in Rosenheim at 21:28, while Munich-Rome train departs to Rosenheim 21:42 (arr.to Rome 9:08). Europa-Spezial Italien ticket+ 6 berth couchette reservation Freilassing-Rome costs 178 EUR for 2 adults and 2 children of your age. The only thing you need to do is simply by short distance ticket Salzburg-Freilassing for only 4,4 EUR for all of you (at the end you won't even get off in Freilassing since anyway will continue to Rosenheim by the same train, just before Freilassing you'll have one ticket to show, while after it will be already another one).
b) catch EuroNight train Vienna-Rome. Timing was already described by easytraveler. The train departs Klagenfurt 23:40 and there is also discounted tickets available. This time via Austrian Railways website, in your case total sum for Klagenfurt-Rome (2 adults and 2 children) is 177 EUR, but the real problem here is leg Salzburg-Klagenfurt, since it's a bit difficult to do it cheaply, unless you get 9 EUR Sparschiene tickets in advance, but anyway option 'b' is more expensive than going via Rosenheim.

Are you assuming that the price quoted was for all four people rather than each one?

nytraveler, I'm not assuming - I know it ;)
2 adults + 2 children (<6 and >6<14) 6 berth couchette, Freilassing-Rome = 178 EUR (first fare level of Spar tickets)

Since I've posted the previous answer in other topic first (salilbawa asked me there) I didn't see the exact date (May 3). Now taking into consideration the date, it's possible to say that 'etalon' Spar for 178 EUR not available, thus for May 3 same ticket for 4 already will be 238 EUR. While for 178 EUR you can still buy for instance for May 8, that's just to show you the possibility. And you can check it yourself on DB website.

p.s. here comes pictorial (tailored for exact date and connections)

a) DB: Freilassing-Rome - http://i39.tinypic.com/em5ht.jpg
b) OeBB: Salzburg-Klagenfurt - http://i43.tinypic.com/vsp8qe.jpg (2 adults go with 9 EUR Spar ticket, children free) + Klagenfurt-Rome - http://i42.tinypic.com/n2evye.jpg (OeBB system after entering the age of children doesn't give a bed for the youngest)

EuropeTrainsGuideCom: you have been very kind in explaining with pics.

We are 4 people - 2 adults + 2 kids (4.5 and 9 yrs old) from Salzburg to Rome on 3rd evening. As suggested by you, we will book from Freilassing-Rome. It is a very smart move. Thanks a ton...thats very very useful information. Few clarifications pl. Sorry for asking dumb questions.

Queries (ur quote in " "):
1. "Board regional train #79042 at 20:09 in Salzburg, at 20:17 it's in Freilassing"
Query--- We dont have to get down from the train? Will the same train start back?

2. "Europa-Spezial Italien ticket+ 6 berth couchette reservation Freilassing-Rome costs 178 EUR for 2 adults and 2 children of your age."
Query:a) Do I have to buy Europa Spezial Italien ticket and 6 berth couchette reservation seperately or...

Query b) http://i39.tinypic.com/em5ht.jpg It shows price as 238, whereas you said it will cost 178. whereas the same pic shows Euro 174 for 4 persons in compartment in day couch. What do we mean by 4 persons in compartment? These compartment day couch seats can be made into beds or not? Where can I see the pic of how the day couch seats.

Which one finally should I click in the pic http://i39.tinypic.com/em5ht.jpg
the one with 6 couchette for Euro 238 or the one in day couch for Euro 174.
OR should I take the OeBB: Salzburg-Klagenfurt (Euro 18) + Klagenfurt-Rome (Euro 208) totalling to Euro 226.

Kindly advise

Thanks once again for all the help

<<We dont have to get down from the train? Will the same train start back?>>

Not you don't have to leave the train. #79042 it's Salzburg-Freilassing-Rosenheim-Munich regional train, thus Freilassing and Rosenheim are just midway stops for it. Agenda for you is simply to have two separate tickets for one train ride (one will be Salzburg-Freilassing-Rosenheim, while for next segment Freilassing-Rosenheim you already will use your Freilassing-Rome discounted ticket)

<<Do I have to buy Europa Spezial Italien ticket and 6 berth couchette reservation seperately or...>>

No, in such discounted tickets the fare is already a sum of the ticket and reservation, so no extra charges anymore, but see below regarding 178 EUR

<<It shows price as 238, whereas you said it will cost 178>>

178 EUR it's theoretically lowest fare. Since, when I as writing first post, I didn't know the particular date I've used example of the cheapest fare available with in advance purchase (-->178 euro). But for you date it happened to be already sold out, thus the only available ones are a price level higher - 238 EUR

<<Euro 174 for 4 persons in compartment in day couch. What do we mean by 4 persons in compartment? These compartment day couch seats can be made into beds or not?>>

It's seating compartment, will look something like this - http://www.treinreiswinkel.nl/webbeh...pg&w=400&h=535 Seat slide a bit, but still it's not beds.

<<Which one finally should I click the one with 6 couchette for Euro 238 or the one in day couch for Euro 174.OR should I take the OeBB: Salzburg-Klagenfurt (Euro 18) + Klagenfurt-Rome (Euro 208) totalling to Euro 226.>>

The choice is totally yours, since departure and arrival times in both cases are pretty much the same, in both cases you'll need to make one change and total fare is not very different if to compare two 242,5 (238 for Frei.-Rome and 4,4 for Salz.-Frei.) vs. 226 EUR

Thanks a ton EuropeTrainsGuideCom

Have booked the one from Salzburg-Freilassing-Rosenheim_Rome, as felt that with kids changing post 2300 hours will be difficult. Your guidance is very appreciated and it saved lot of money also. Thanks once again.

From Rome, we are going to Florence on the 7th. Should we Prebook online or buy on the stations. Is there any advantage in buying online in Italy or the fare is same.

Any secrets of saving on Rome - Florence(travl on the 7th); Florence - Venice(travel on the 8th May) and finally venice - Milan(travel on the 9th)

In Italy, there are discount fares called Mini Fares. These must be purchased in advance. Check Trenitalia to see if any are available for your dates. There are also family fares.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD

Mini Fares
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

Family Fares
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

<<Should we Prebook online or buy on the stations. Is there any advantage in buying online in Italy or the fare is same.>>

Yes, TrenItalia offers a limited amount of special promo fares (offer called MINI). This particularly makes sense in case you plan to travel on high-speed trains, for instance in case of Rome-Florence cheapest MINI tickets for the 2nd class start only form 9 EUR, while regular full fare is 45 EUR. For May 7 there is one evening connection for which there is still 9 EUR tickets available and quite a few for which 19 EUR MINI tickets are still sold (http://i44.tinypic.com/24vpngw.jpg ). Same MINI tickets can be as well purchased for Florence-Venice and Venice-Milan journeys.
The only inconvenience is that such MINI offer tickets are tied to a specific train, so no flexibility here.

In case you want some flexibility, but still don't want to pay like 45 EUR, then there is another relatively cheap option for domestic Italian trips - instead of high-speed trains use slower regional ones. They definitely not that fast, but ticket for direct regional train Rome-Florence cost only 17 EUR and you can buy it even 5 min. before departure. Again same trick is possible for your other trips (Venice-Milan there are a few direct regional trains per day, while with Florence-Venice you'll have to change)

Also, just as a piece of info, TrenItalia has a special 'family offer', which in some cases might be an ok deal as well. More info here - http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

Thanks
Kindly advise where can I book online Regional trains

Very Surprisingly, When I tried to book the ticket between Rome and Flornece, I did not see MINI fare when I entered 2 adults and 2 kids. But since I saw your post and pic, I tried only with 2 adults and I got a MINI fare also.

Seperatley on clicking on the fare which I got for 2 adults and 2 kids, I got a breakup, which was higher for kids and lower for adults.

Pl suggest a way out

>>>Kindly advise where can I book online Regional trains<<<

No need to book in advance tickets for regional trains. Such tickets are not tied to any particular train, they only valid for certain amount of time after validation, so you just arrive at the station, buy ticket for regional train and board next train on the segment you want.

>>>When I tried to book the ticket between Rome and Flornece, I did not see MINI fare when I entered 2 adults and 2 kids<<<

Yep, that's a small system deficiency, when you enter children MINI tickets aren't showing up, but counting children as 50% off regular fare. The solution is simply to enter children as 'adults' (nobody would complain that you bought children an adult ticket), obviously that makes sense only when MINI is cheaper then 50% of the full fare.

p.s. as far as I know, currently only children <4 travel for free (but without seat)