Does anyone know how complicated it will be to travel by train from Genoa airport to Florence? Our 19 year old son has just decided that he would like to come on holiday with us but cannot come out to Italy from England until two days after us by which time we intend to be settled in Tuscany. He is planning to get the train from Genoa and originally thought of travelling to Pisa but that will be a long round trip for us to collect him. It would be a whole lot easier if he could get to Florence and we could collect him from there. Any ideas or advice as to where we can find out train schedules etc.

train schedules and fares at www.trenitalia.com<BR>From the Genoa airport, there is an airporter bus going direct to the Porta Principe Train Station. To reach Florence, you change trains at Pisa Central Station.

Thank you for your help. Any idea how long the journey might take?

Travel time from Porta Principe train station in Genoa to Florence takes about 3 1/2 hours --- if you check on the Trenitalia website you'll see frequent runs during the day (InterCity train to Pisa; then change to regional train into Florence). I'm unfamiliar with Genoa Airport, however I think it's fairly close to train station.<BR>

Dear Ms frost,<BR><BR>If you are still in Britain, you might drop into the nearest office of Thomas Cook, go to their exchange window, and ask to see the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Also, it may well be in the central reference library of a city near you. You need tables 5, 610, and 613. Table 5 says that a firm called Volabus has a dozen busses a day for the 7 kilometers to both Genoa railway stations. Table 610 sends him along the Italian Riviera in an InterCity train with buffet car from Genova Piazza Principe at 0652, 0852, and every two hours to reach Viareggio in 1 hour 46 minutes, at 38 minutes past each second hour. There are extras at 1152 and 1545. Table 613 says trains leave Viareggio at 40 minutes past the hour and take 1 hour 46 minutes to Pisa. Journey time from the airport about 5 hours. Passengers can book at the Europe desk in many big stations in Britain, or by phone with a credit card at two offices. Trainseurope Ltd, of Cambridgeshire and London, take credit card bookings by phone and mail tickets to any address. They have the widest access in Britain to rail systems and tickets. http://www.trainseurope.co.uk/ - E-mail [email protected]. Phone 00 44 900 195 0101 - calls from Britain cost 60p per minute, maximum &pound;5, but if the enquiry results in a booking, the cost of the call is deducted from the final invoice. German Rail UK: www.deutsche-bahn.co.uk/ Phone : 00 44 870 243 53 63 Fax : 00 44 20 8339 4700. E-mail : [email protected]/.<BR><BR>When I was 20, in 1957, my parents set me up to take trains from London to Istanbul, and join them in Baghdad. Easy-peasy.<BR><BR>Your son and you are welcome to write if I can help further.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR>

There seems to be different advice coming from Ben and the previous poster. Is it not possible to get a train from genoa to pisa and change to a train to pisa? The journey that you suggest Ben taking about five hours sounds a bit horrendous. Is there any other way?

There are many direct trains between Genoa and Pisa. This portion of travel takes just over 2 hours. In order to get from Genoa to Florence, you have to make a change in Pisa (that's why total travel time = 3 1/2 hrs). Adding the time it'll take to get from the airport in Genoa to the train station, then I'm guestimating grand total will be at least 4 hours, maybe longer. Again I'm not sure of distance between airport and Porta Principe.<BR>

The "Volabus" from Genoa airport to Genova P.P. Train Station takes 25 minutes. Departures every 30 mins.

I am embarrassed to say that I read the wrong table. You can cut to 4 ½ hours thus. Leave airport about 0600 leave Genoa 0652, change Pisa 0858 to 0918, Florence 1021. Then every two hours, plus ecxtras from Genoa at 1152 and 1545.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, looking red<BR>

Thank you everyone for your help. And a special thanks to Ben who gave me help once before about three years ago on train times etc. Keep up the good work Ben.

Better than Thomas cook timetables, it the official Italian railway timetable, Ask fot it at the train station, the north-center volume. Just 2 euro for a very useful book. The fastest way to get from Genova to Firenze is the one through Pisa. I have done it and I can confirm it.

Thank you once again to everyone. You may be pleased to know that we ended up collected our son at Pisa as it was equidistant from us to there or Florence. The information that people gave helped him as I was able to print it out and give it to him and he didn't feel completely ignorant. It turned out to be quite a good experience for him.