Train between rome & forence-Do we need to make reservations?
 

We are a family of 5 traveling to Italy the last week of July. We fly to Rome and plan to continue our trip in Florence and Tuscany.<BR>We need to commute from Rome to Florence and back. We planed on taking the train.<BR><BR>Do we need to make advanced reservations?<BR>It seems to me that buying the tickets in the station would be less expensive.<BR>Since we are party of 5 the cost is high, would it be advisable to rent a car instead and drive?<BR><BR>Will appreciate any advice.<BR>Dor<BR>

<BR><BR>We bought our tickets for the train the day before in Rome at a travel agent (which are on every street corner it seems). We left on a Saturday. I have heard that the weekends are the busiest, but we had no problem.

Departures on the Rome to Florence run are hourly, so making reservations days in advance should not normally be required.

You can easily compare the cost of renting a car vs. train tickets. My guess is that renting the car is less for a party of 5. Personally, I'd make seat reservations on the train, just for my own peace of mind, but this can be done at a travel agent while you are in Rome without paying the premium of buying your tickets stateside (through CIT Tours, for example).<BR><BR>Here's some other food for thought to help you decide on the option of renting a car. I wouldn't rent a car just for one-way transport between two cities, even if cheaper, just because of the hassle factor or getting in and out of those cities. Also, you don't want a car in either Florence or Rome, but you can park your car for a few days in Florence at either the Sta Maria Novella train station or at the Piazzale Michelangelo and take a cab to your hotel. Everything else in central Florence is walkable.<BR><BR>Generally, renting a car for 3 - 4 days is the same cost as renting for a week in Italy (check this out with www.autoeurope.com - they have the best rates) so parking it and using it for the return to Rome makes some sense(better yet, drive yourself directly to FCO after spending your last night in Orvieto). There are wonderful things to see in the countryside between Rome and Florence and the autostrade and country roads in this area are very easy to drive. You don't say where else you are going, but if you have a few days and want some contrast to your city experiences in Roma and Firenze (which I would do) then visit some of the wonderful hilltowns in these regions and stay in an agriturismo or two, especially ones where you dine with the other guests. This is so much fun.

In Italy there are different types of train. If you are going to travel with Eurostar trains you will need to make a reservatio. Tne seats can usually be booked one day in advance or oin the very day of your departure (just make sure to book the seats some hours before you mean to leave Rome). On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays it may be harder to find empty seats so that it is better to book at least one or two days in advance on these days. Booking is free and it can be done at the station or at a travel agency. but most travel agencies charge some extra for train tickets.<BR>On Intercity trains you do not have to book at all. The trip takeas a little longer (2 and a half hours, half an hour longer) and the train is slightly less comfortable although cheaper. Seat booking on these trains costs 3 euros for each person. You can stiull buy your ticket at the train station or at a travel agency: no differences from the above. i suggest you to book the seats if you are going to travel on the weekend or on Friday, do it a couple of days in advance.<BR>A few very cheap Interregionale and Espreso trains also go from Rome to Florence. The yare really cheap and also really slow and rather uncomfortable (no air condidtioning, no catering, small seats and very little space for luggage). these trains, in most cases, do not allow booking, so you just buy your tickets at the window or from the machine as you arrive at the station, a few minutes before the train departure time.

Thank you so much Alice for the information.<BR>Does all those trains depart from the same train station (Termini in Rome)?<BR><BR>Thanks again<BR>Dor<BR><BR><BR>