nickitapalmer78

Hi, I am in need of some expertise. So far this site has helped my greatly with previous questions. My son and I will be in Rome in March for 8 days and would like to take a high speed train ride from Rome to Venice one day just for a day trip. Someone told me to book with Eurostar train but it doesn't appear to me that a Eurostar is available in Italy, just France. Anyways, it will be our first time to Rome and we are not familiar with the local trains and which ones are safer, nicer, and faster for our day trip. Safety and time are the biggest issues for my 18 year old son and I will be traveling alone. Also, I saw where there were 2 drop off points in Venice, one on the mainland and the other on the island near the heart of the city. Which is better? It looked to me as if it might be a pain to get off at the mainland then have to be taxi from there to the island. Amy help here is appreciated. Thank You for your time

Saraho

Get off at Santa Lucia train station which is on the islands. Do not get off on Mestre.

mocha_dolce

Yes, you can take a EuroStar train, but Rome to Venice is a long distance for a day trip --and takes just under 4 hours one way. I would recommend at least an overnight in Venice to allow you to see Venice and not be totally rushed.

Try this web site for your planning:
https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?

Andrew

Without an overnight in Venice, you'll really miss it at its best. During the day, expect Disneyland-type crowds around the main attractions like Rialto Bridge and San Marco - it's really obnoxious and off-putting. You can escape the crowds if you know where to look, but with such little time, you'll have a tough time navigating and also trying to find less crowded areas.

Venice is so much nicer at night and in the morning, when it's not nearly so crowded - it is a magical place. I have stayed over on a few visits, but on my last visit just a day stop, I hated it because it was so crowded. I'm glad I have my earlier memories of the calmer times in the evenings and mornings to remind me how special Venice really is!

thursdaysd

Go here for info on train travel in Italy (skip the bit about gerting there from London:

http://seat61.com/Italy.htm

It takes 3:45 for Rome to Venice, or 7:30 round trip. That is not a sensible day trip, especially to Venice which is best seen at a leisurely stroll. Look for somewhere closer to Rome if you want to get out of town.

greg

>>> Someone told me to book with Eurostar train but it doesn't appear to me that a Eurostar is available in Italy, just France.

There are TWO completely different Eurostars.

1. Eurostar that connects France, England, Belgium, and Netherlands. https://www.raileurope.com/cms-image...overview-5.jpg

2. Eurostar Italia connecting major Italian cities.
http://www.railway-technology.com/up...t-branding.jpg

>>> Safety and time are the biggest issues for my 18 year old son.

Others have mentioned the time part. 4 hours one way. I hope you realize that this means 8 hours round trip. Start from when you cares to get up in Rome and when you care to return to Rome, subtract 8 hours. That is how much time you have left in Venice starting from the Venice Santa Lucia train station which is not the center of attractions such as San Marco Square. That is 45 minutes one way, 90 minutes round trip from the train station. Add time to get to Rome station and back from your hotel, perhaps 30 min each, you get 8 hrs + 1.5 hrs + 1 hrs = 10.5 hours travel time to do Venice as a day trip from Rome.

Safety? It is a comparative term. Where are you from?

kawh

either an overnight in venice-- or do the sleeper on that route. (i am a fan of sleepers-- many are not.) you can take the night train, arrive in the morning, have all day, then take the night train home. sleepers cost a bit, but so does a hotel.

thursdaysd

Somewhat surprised to see there is still a night train on that route. However, it gets in to Venice at 05:20 in the morning, and leaves just after midnight to go back to Rome. No thanks. I learned a long time ago not to do back to back night trains, and not to arrive/leave before/after everything was closed.

flanneruk

I can't begin to imagine how anyone can imagine for a nanosecond that safety can be the "biggest issue" for two grown-ups getting a train in a civilised country.

Have you any idea how much more dangerous it is to drive to an airport than to get on an Italian train? As for the danger of living in a country populated by nutcases with guns...

The biggest issue by far is whether it makes sense to get a 3.5 hour train twice in a day.

Most of us are perfectly happy to invest that much time on a drive or train journey for a two-hour client meeting, a 30-minute conference presentation or a visit to a sick relative. For 9-10 hours in Venice it's a total no-brainer.

You must judge your own time constraints. I've done daytrips to Venice four of five times in my life. Each of them was a revelation: the first (a 90 minute stopover on a train from London to Istanbul), life-transforming.

It displays complete insensitivity to Venice to imply that things worth seeing are " 45 minutes one way, 90 minutes round trip from the train station."

Venice-ness hits you the instant your train starts snail-pacing its way along the causeway from the mainland like the opening shot in an arthouse film. It stays with you from the vaporetto stop outside Santa Lucia to the return walk through the backstreets at the end of the day.

Actually these days, with the city's honeyspots choked with people, it's the vaporetti along the canals and the streets away from St Mark's that are generally the most rewarding.

There's no such thing as a "must see" anywhere, and many of the places getting such labels in Venice nowadays are well worth steering clear of most of the year because of the crowds. But even on the most apparently tourist-choked days, the 95% of insular Venice that's not within 200 yards of St Mark's has lighter crowds than it had when the city was at the height of its powers.

Venice's real uniquenesses - which aren't the medieval bling of its great monuments, but its extraordinary light, topography and ubiquitous architectural craftsmanship - suffuse any visit.

Few things on earth are worth giving up a day in Rome for. A day in Venice is one of them

nickitapalmer78

Thank You guys for all the info. Very helpful and insightful. The reason I mentioned safety being an issue because I am a 38 year old woman who will be traveling alone with her 18 year old son and I had read that the train stations can be a bit "shady" late at night. There are places in the United States (where I live) where a young woman like myself would not be safe traveling alone (including some train stations late st night). It wasn't meant to degrade Italy at all. Just don't want to put ourselves in compromising situations that might could have been avoided all together. Thank You again and really appreciate all the help. First trip to Italy and just trying to cover all the bases, cross my t's and dot the i's.

StCirq

I cannot imagine investing 8+ hours of transport into such a very brief visit to Venice. Among other things, it's almost impossible not to get lost in Venice. You could easily spend all of your very short time there having no clue where you are. I'd save it for another trip.

Man_in_seat_61

'Eurostar Italia' was a brand name used by Trenitalia some years ago, now thankfully dropped and replaced by Frecciarossa/Frecciargento.

It caused confusion with THE Eurostar between London & Paris/Brussels.

kybourbon

None of the responses have included the actual train companies in Italy (all posted resellers, etc.). The fast trains in Italy are either Trenitalia or Italo (not to be confused with Italiarail a reseller). You can book with either, but it will be almost a 4 hour trip one way.

Trenitalia used to have a type of fast train they called Eurostar, but they no longer use that term and haven't for several years. The fast trains on Trenitalia will be the various Freccia and the time on the webpage defaults to the time you access the website. So if you get on the website at 11am it will show trains from that time and later. Be sure to adjust the time as you start your search. There might be some deals for booking same day return tickets.

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en?gc...FUcvgQod26QOxA

All Italo trains are fast trains as they only operate between major cities. Italo has less trains so you would have less time options

http://www.italotreno.it/en

You likely want Roma Termini and Venezia S Lucia for stations.

bvlenci

The former Eurostar trains have been rebranded as Frecciabianca trains. They are now the slowest of the "high-speed" trains, surpassed by the newer Frecciargento and Frecciarossa trains. The very newest train is the Frecciarossa 1000.

As far as I know, Italo has only one type of train, which has "Italo" written on the side. It's also a fast train. Their prices are often cheaper than those of Trenitalia, but they cover only major routes, including Rome to Venice.

I don't see anything wrong with a day trip to Venice. The train is comfortable and you can eat breakfast, or an early lunch, on the train on the way out, and dinner on the way back. That's time saved for sightseeing in Venice. If you have time, I'd suggest buying food in the station rather than on the train, although the train food (from a bar car) isn't truly dreadful.

If you can manage to get the 6:50 Frecciargento Trenitalia train to Venice, you'll be there at 10:35. (There's also a 7:50 Frecciarossa train, if that's too early.) Then you could get the 18:25 or the 19:25 train back, giving you about 8 hours in Venice, or even up to 9 hours.

Italo has only two morning trains. The earliest leaves at 8:15 and doesn't get to Venice until noon, so, for a day trip, I'd suggest getting the earliest train possible, from Trenitalia.

Trenitalia:
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en

Italo:
http://www.italotreno.it/en

Use the Italian names for the cities (stations): Roma (Termini) and Venezia (S. Lucia).

You can get great discounts if you buy early enough (maximum 120 days) but these discounted tickets are not flexible, so don't buy them unless you're sure of the dates and times.

It would be most convenient to get a hotel near Termini station if you consider a trip like this. There are hotels in all classes in the vicinity, from cheap rooms to five stars.

bvlenci

I meant to add that the crowds won't be too bad in March. Carnevale ends on February 28th this year, and Easter is Aprile 16th. Even at the busiest times, you can get away from the crowds with no problem.

We were there last July with my granddaughter, and, it's true, some of the vaporetti were very crowded, as was St. Mark's Square, but the Scuola Grande di San Rocco (with many paintings by Tintoretto, and some by Tiepolo) and the Church of S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (with great works by Titian, Donatello, Bellini, and others) had hardly any visitors, and the surrounding area was quite peaceful. We had to wait about half an hour to get into St. Mark's Basilica.

On an earlier trip in August, with my sister's family, we really enjoyed the Ca' Rezzonico, a sumptuous 18th century palazzo, with many works by the Venetian artists, Tiepolo father and son. Once we were in Venezia for Carnevale, and, even then, if you got off the beaten path, there were no crowds at all.

Andrew

nickitapalmer78: <i>The reason I mentioned safety being an issue because I am a 38 year old woman who will be traveling alone with her 18 year old son and I had read that the train stations can be a bit "shady" late at night. There are places in the United States (where I live) where a young woman like myself would not be safe traveling alone (including some train stations late st night). It wasn't meant to degrade Italy at all. Just don't want to put ourselves in compromising situations that might could have been avoided all together.</i>

The "shadiness" mostly means in regards to pickpocketing and theft not so much physical safety. Violent crime is rare in Europe, at least for tourists. You need to use common sense when traveling - watch your possessions, make sure you know where your wallet and passport are, etc.

But you need to be careful of your possessions EVERYWHERE in Italy you travel, not just the train stations.

That said, with two people, I wouldn't be worried about "physical safety" at all, actually. I think you'll be much safer than in many cities in the US. But pickpockets can target anyone, even people traveling in pairs. So be watchful!

bvlenci

Sometimes, though, two people traveling together get wrapped up in conversation and forget to keep their eyes peeled.

Violent crime of any kind is rare in Italy. Pickpocketing is your main risk, but it would almost never happen on a high-speed train. Pickpockets want to make a quick getaway after lifting a wallet, and the high speed trains make very few stops. They much prefer buses and metros, or any crowded place, including St. Peter's Basilica.

Which reminds me of my favorite tips in that regard.

1. Keep a little money and a few bus tickets loose in a pocket or small purse, so you don't have to pull out your wallet in crowded places, under the observant eyes of a pickpocketing team.

2. On the metro platform, stand well away from the turnstile area. There are sometimes partners working both sides of the turnstile, with one signaling to the other where your wallet is.

3. On buses and metro cars, stand (or sit) as far as possible away from the doors. That's the favorite hunting grounds of pickpockets, to aid the quick getaway.

4. When boarding or alighting from public transportation, let all the pushers and shovers go ahead of you, and try to get on or off among the last. Pushing and shoving is often a distraction so that the partner of the shover can lift your wallet without your noticing.

5. Don't keep valuables in any accessible place, including backpacks or front pockets. Some people say they keep their hand on the wallet in the front pocket. That signals where it is, and if a thief gives you a little push, you'll automatically raise your hands to keep your balance, and there goes the wallet. I know a few people who lost something from a front pocket, and couldn't believe the dexterity of the thief.

6. Try not to look rich. Leave the jewelry and designer bags at home.

I've never had anything stolen in Rome, or elsewhere in Italy, and I've lived here for 18 years. That's partly luck, but I also have an eagle eye.

LaLaItaly

Venice is a bit tight to do in a day trip form Rome, but if you really want to see it then I advise you plan your day's itinerary in advance. It's easy to get lost and you'll want to see the best of the sights but still have time for you and your sons to relax with a glass of prosecco (made in the region).

You can always hire a guide or do a Walking and Boat tour in Venice, which condenses your sightseeing into a set number of hours. You also get told what you're lookign at and learn more about the floating city, which makes the experience a lot more fulfilling. There are lots of great companies out there!

If you're not 100% set on Venice, then I'd suggest Florence as a much better day trip. You can get there in 1h30 form Rome by train (check the website mentioned above: http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en)

Florence is small like Venice, but a lot easier to navigate. But regardless, I'm sure you'll both have lots of fun in Italy. I moved here 5 years ago and wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

Here are some videos to watch that might help you plan your time here:

"Florence in a Day - Day Trip from Rome"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlbJQUVTWaw&t=263s

"How to See Rome Without the Crowds"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laEaWPqfT1k&t=4s

Buon viaggio!

tonfromleiden

Why not stay a night in Venice? It is a pity of all the time and cost to get to and from Venice just to enjoy it for a few hours. Get a decent, but cheap hotel near the railway station. Just pack some overnight things in your daypack. It's after all just for one night.
Regard it as an investment to enjoy the city, instead of running around to see one or two highlights, and with the uneasy feeling you have to be back at the station in time.

bvlenci

I once took my sister's family to Venice for a day, from our home in Le Marche. It was an even longer trip, but they had a wonderful time. It seemed a bit crazy, because they thought they'd be back, but since then my sister has become somewhat disabled and probably won't return to Italy.

Our trip was even longer than the trip from Rome, because there are no fast trains on the route, and because we live half an hour from the train station. We did as I suggested above, bringing along a breakfast to eat on the train, and getting sandwiches at the station to eat on the way back. For lunch, we just had ice cream cones, to save time.

We took the vaporetto up the Grand Canal, walked through St. Mark's Square, took a <i>traghetto </i> (gondola taxi) across the canal, and visited the Ca' Rezzonico. We ate our ice cream cones sitting in a shady little square where a group of students was celebrating the <i> festa di laurea </i> /(graduation party) of one of their friends. Then we walked along sthe side of some of the smaller canals, and sat by a bridge for a while watching someone's household furniture being loaded on a gondola.

One of the biggest pleasures in Venice is <b>getting lost </b>, so I wouldn't make any elaborate plans. I always think that when you have a very short time in a new place is precisely the time to <b>not</b> try to see the important things. If you've already seen the "must-sees", you won't have the incentive to return.