Train route Provence-CT
 

Just ditched bad travel agent who insists there is no such place as Vernazza ("you must mean Verona"...arghh)and am trying to figure out train schedules. Been to sncf and trenitalia but still a bit confused. Anybody out there who made it from Avignon through Nice,Genoa to the Cinque Terre in one long day-on-a-train with advice?

Try using the GermanRail site to check schedules:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

It looks as if the fastest route with fewest changes would be originating in Avignon (not the Avingon TGV station but you can check that also) with a change in Ventimiglia and again in Genoa; about 11 hrs 45 minutes total travel time

I didn't do this exact itinerary, but I can help with some of the details. You need to get help from Eurail for the times and tickets. There is a website,(sorry, I don't know the exact web address, but I imagine it's pretty easy to get) and/or you can call them at: 1-800-848-7245.

We took the Nice-Genoa portion of the trip. There are only a few trains a day, and it takes about 2 and a half hours.

From Genoa, you would need to switch trains and take a local train to LA SPEZIA. These trains run hourly from Genoa, and the trip takes about an hour and half. From La Spezia, you would need to switch to a local line, and backtrack to any of the Cinque Terre towns that you want to visit.

Yes, this does make for a very long day coming from Avignon! Just a thought- maybe you could break it up by overnighting in Nice before heading onto Cinque Terre?

Par example:
Lv Avignon TGV station (just outside of town; bus from town centre) at 10:20, ar Nice 13:25
Lv Nice 14:05 ar Genoa Piazza Principe 17:06
lv Genoa PP 17:45 ar Levanto 18:50, then by there the few miles to Vernazza by the local 'milk' train that stops in all five 5 Terre stations. The German Rail site, an excellent site, mentioned above should clearly show all links. Reservations are required on Avignon-Nice and Nice-Genoa trains.

Normally when I go from Italy to Avignon, I always change train in Nice and from there Itake the TGV to Avignon.
Go to trenitalia.com and check the schedules.
Nice to Genoa is around 5 plus hours.
You need to change train if you plan to go to CT..
There are other routes but I believe that this route is better.
If you can be in Nice before 10AM, there is a train that leave at 10:05, you will arrive in Genoa at 13:06 change train.
Leave Genoa at 13:36 and you will arrive in Vernazza at 15:22.
Good Luck.
From Genoa you take another train to

sorry nice- genoa is 3 hours..

Wow and thanks, you guys are terrific. Tried PALQ's advice but can't seem to make the reservation from Nice to Genoa...keeps popping up a "you can't get there from here" thing. Reservation sites? Have already bought Eurail France/Italy passes.

We will be on the Nice-Genoa "leg" of this trip soon. Is there much time involved when passing from France into Italy? The only other time we have gone from one country to another on the train (Switzerland to Italy) the train stopped for a few minutes, and then we were off again. Thanks, Pat

PJK, it will be the same, at the border which,is Ventimiglia, there is going to be a change of the railroad personnel.
Two years ago when we reached Ventimiglia, everybody had to be off the train because there was a problem with a tunnel on the French side,however, we had very nice AC buses that took us to Nice, free of charge. Actually ,we really enjoyed it better, because the bus went through the mountains and the scenery was spectacular..We arrived in Nice in time to take the TGV to Avignon.

Stacyann:

First of all, unless you are riding on a TGV or Eurostar train, none of these segments, or trains, REQUIRES a reservation. It can be helpful but is not an absolute.

For seat reservations you can get them cheaper once you get to France and you'd have plenty of time to do so.

The trains i mentioned in my example require reservations to Genoa but not from Genoa to Cinque Terre. All TGVs require reservations, 3 euros if made in France. The eurail timetable indicates that the Nice-Genoa reservations are obligatory as well. If you try to reserve this ticket thru RailEurope it may not be on their data base because this train has been removed from the Eurail Tariff point-point tickets that RailEurope sells so they can't sell it for the time being. The Nice-Genoa-Venice line is being rebranded 'Riviera Trains' by Trenitalia and being turned into a premium train a la Eurostar Italia - this is perhaps why reservations are now required but weren't previously. You should be able to make those reservations in Avignon but there has been a problem with Eurailpass reservations on TGVs in France as they are apparently limited to a small number on trains and none on trains that they can sell to people buying tickets. Personally i've been told (on the paris-avignon-nice TGV route that passholder seats were not available but that i could buy a ticket with a reservation on that train. Thus it may not always be easy to get a reservation with a railpass - you may want to reserve that seat thru whoever sold you your pass before leaving, paying more than you would in France but being sure of that leg of your trip.

Bought passes through Rick Steves sight at Rail Europe. I guess I'll be calling to figure out the reservation problem. Thank you all so much for the helpful suggestions. Gratefully, Stacy

stacyann,

When are you going? You can only reserve tix 60 days or less ahead of the actual travel date. I would strongly recommend getting reservations on all legs of your trip. Our train from Nice to Genoa was very crowded last summer.

Good luck!

We are leaving April 18 and planning the Avignon to Vernazza run for the 27th. Been working on this since last September, booked all hotels with info gleaned from this and other travel sites. Left plane and train problems to agent who was NOT helpful and now it's my problem too. Mom wants to stay where they hang the laundry out in CT photo she saw. It's her birthday trip so...