I will be landing in Rome at 8:30 AM and want to take high speed train to Naples In early September. What is the earliest train time reservation should I make to be safe. It was recommended that I make train reservations before leaving USA .

It's always a risk booking on arrival day in advance. Your flight could be delayed and also depends how long it takes for luggage to show up at baggage claim, etc. If your plane is on time, you process through fairly quickly, you may have your luggage by 9:30 or so. You would then need to go over to the train station and catch the local train to Rome. Those trains depart every 30 minutes so it's possible you could have to wait 1/2 hour if one has just departed when you get there. Travel time to Rome Termini is 30 minutes and you need some time at Termini to locate your Naples train.

I'd just buy both train tickets, the one to Rome's Stazione Termini and the one to Naples, at the airport train ticket office after you arrive. That way you don't need to allow a lot of time in case the flight is late, the immigration line is long, etc. Odds are, you'll just be standing around. Yes, you'll pay a little more for the Naples train buying on the day.

Yes and no problem rarely getting on trains - especially in first class where there are IME often lots of empty seats - so do not fear not being able to go as the two Italian train experts above say. For lots of great info on Italian trains check out www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html. Check www.trenitalia.com for schedules and if coming back to Rome then you could cement yourself into some non-changeable discounted ticket that you should order as early as possible - to save 20 euros or so perhaps.

I agree with buying the tickets at one of the machines at Termini...although they can sometimes be a bit difficult to find unless you know where to look. If you are using a credit card make certain you use one of the machines which accepts them; debit/ATM cards also work...you simply need to supply your four-digit PIN.

Do NOT even think about standing in line for one of the ticket windows although there may be a short wait to use one of the machines.

Also, you do NOT need to accept any help from those "friendly" bystanders who will offer it. The machines have an English language option and the steps are pretty easy to follow.

Hi P,

Our plane landed at 08:30.

Because of a delay in delivering luggage, we reached Roma Termini at about 11:00.

There is a nice cafeteria if you get there too early.

a real nice cafeteria - in the concourse on the east side - northeast corner - great local foods and also a bit of the old walls that once encircles Rome right inside the dining area! A great safe place to wait for a train... or as a meetin gplace to meet others.

I found the automatic ticket machines in Italian stations so so easy to use so it should be a snap for anyone, even dullards like myself!

http://www.romatermini.com/en/store/...chef-express1/

chef Express is the name of the fantastic cafeteria in Rome Termini -= lots of tables so never a problem sitting there is comfort whilst awaiting your train.

Sounds like I should not plan too far ahead on train. I was just trying to schedule my taxi pick up in Naples to take me to our hotel in Positano looks like i should plan early afternoon arrival in Naples

Taxis have set fees in Naples and to the coast. You have to make sure you are using an official taxi and agreeing to the set fee before you get in as they can have metered rates also. Naples to Positano is 120€ (add 4€ if you start at the airport and add .50€ for each bag).

http://www.comune.napoli.it/flex/cm/...?51f5ed0e4b923

>>>chef Express is the name of the fantastic cafeteria in Rome Termini<<<

Chef Express is a chain which has several types of facilities and some are markets and others are just stand up bars/cafes (there are about 4 CE in Termini, not all are cafeterias). They do the train food for Thalys, TGV, Renfe long distance trains, and a few other trains. They are in airports and about 50 train stations in Italy.

Ciao Ristorante is another cafeteria in Termini on the upper level.

The Chef Express with lots of places to sit and wait without being bothered and a nice selection of moderately priced foods is (or at least was) to the right after you come out of the platforms area - quiet close to a main station exit on its east side - I have eaten there many many times waiting for trains and always thought it so neat for a train station such a comfy place to wait without your bags and no one cared - unlike many restaurants or caffes.