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Train Station to hotel in Florence & Rome

Train Station to hotel in Florence & Rome

Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 10:45 AM
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Train Station to hotel in Florence & Rome

How should I get to my room in Florence from the train station. We are staying at the Granduomo suites right next (northwestern corner) to the duomo. (copy and paste is not working for link) I think its granduomo.com

In Rome we are staying at La Papessa near the Trevi fountain and will be also arriving by train. lapapessabb.it
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 11:07 AM
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do you want to walk, take a taxi or public transportation

In Florence buses depart from in front of and on the side of the station to the Duomo - if the new tram is finished it will go there as well.

with bags most folk will hop the taxis waiting in queue at either station. Buses also stop out front Rome's station and it has a metro line that will take you near the Trevi Fountain
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 11:18 AM
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We do have luggage but I dont want to pay for a taxi.

I thought the tram opened in february?
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 11:45 AM
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If the tram opened then that would be the way to go IMO - probably knocked buses off the service. As usual in Italy probably buy your ticket before boarding the tram and then cancel it yourself.

If you can wheel your luggage easily it cannot be even a mile from station to Duomo.

Termini in Rome to Trevi about 1.5 miles i'd day
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 12:00 PM
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A taxi in Rome will cost you about 15 euros or so. In Florence it'll be more like 10 euros since the distance is shorter.

In my experience, for that price, a taxi, especially for 2 or more people is a wise expense.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 12:02 PM
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I was in Florence in April and at least one Tram line was definitely in operation. I thought the one that goes to Duomo was not yet in operation.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 12:07 PM
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Florence Tramvia, Line 1 Map
The Tramvia (or Tram) Line 1 (from Santa Maria Novella to Villa Costanza in Scandicci) is nearing completion. I think this is going to be great for Florence - but line 1 is definitely more of a commuter than tourist line. Hopefully it will be operational in early 2010. Whether the rest of the line as planned gets finished (around the Duomo and Piazza San Marco, etc.) remains to be seen - but this has been a huge project and it will be fantastic to see this thing working after all these years. Below is a map of line 1:


More info can be found on these websites: www.tramvia.fi.it and www.muoversiafirenze.it.

Sounds like tram don't roll to Duomo yet.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 12:09 PM
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I suggest you e-mail your hotel and ask them about ways to get there. But I agree that it's not hideously far from SMN to the Duomo. It depends on how vigorous you are and how tired you are when you arrive. I'd guess 15 minutes to walk it.

If you do walk, be sure to take the exit from the station that goes into the sottopassagio (underground passage) and not out to the left across the street on the train level. Crossing the street will lead you a places where pedestrians are blocked from crossing other streets and actually make your walk longer.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 12:12 PM
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For your location in Florence, it is walkable if your luggage rolls well and you don't mind dragging it for 10 minutes along busy streets. From the tracks in the train station, exit to the left and use the underpass to the right to walk all the way under the piazza (this will avoid crossing a lot of awkward streets), exiting at the end to Via Panzani. Keep following Via Panzani until it bears to the left and becomes Via de Cerretani, which eventually reaches Piazza del Duomo and your hotel. There are also a few buses from the train station that follow this very same route, and of course, a taxi would be very quick.

For your hotel in Rome, I would take a taxi—not walkable and public transportation is too convoluted for my taste if dragging luggage.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 01:09 PM
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This past February, from Termini station (Rome) to my apartment midway between Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican the cost was 8 euros. I did this several times at almost the identical cost.

dave
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Old Jul 23rd, 2010, 01:26 PM
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daveesi, was that a taxi fare? I never heard of one that low for that distance! Good fortune!
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Old Jul 24th, 2010, 09:12 AM
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Well 10-15 euros would be great!
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Old Jul 24th, 2010, 02:21 PM
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I posted this separately, but will add it here, too. Go to www.worldtaximeter.com, choose Rome, then put in Termini as your start point, and the address of your B&B. It will give you a map of your taxi route and the estimated cost of the taxi ride. I just printed ours out and when we get to the official taxi rank at Termini I will show it to the driver and ask him to agree to it.

I realize we were ripped off big time last time we were in Rome!!
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Old Jul 24th, 2010, 02:33 PM
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hi bmeyer,

we stayed north of the Duomo in Florence and paid €10 from the station to our apartment, and the same to go back.

can't help you with Rome, except to say that the official taxis are out the front of the station, they should put the metre on when you start off, and you pay what's on the metre. they may be extra for the luggage, but that should show on the metre too.

otherwise, the website roninrome [www.roninrome.com] is very helpful on everything to do with transport.

good luck
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Old Jul 24th, 2010, 06:53 PM
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It is a really easy walk from SMN to Duomo area in Florence - 15 minutes, max. I would walk it, unless I was dog tired.

In Rome, take a taxi from Termini to Trevi area. I've walked it, but not with luggage - just too much of a hike.
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Old Jul 24th, 2010, 07:42 PM
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The best laid plans of mice and men.... In 2006, we booked an apartment near the Spanish Steps. I had the metro route figured out, arrived at the Termini from Lucca to find there was a strike and the metro was closed for the day. Went upstairs to the taxi ranks - the queue was huge, over an hour wait. One enterprising young man offered a taxi to us for 50 euro. We walked!

The same vacation, I had prebooked the Ufizzi for 10.00am, and the Accademia for 1.30pm. The staff called a staff meeting (apparently a Euphemism for snap strike) at the Ufizzi so we didn't get in until after 11.00am. St Peters unexpectedly closed at 12.30 pm which we didn't find out util we exited from the Sistine Chapel at 12.00 noon.

Just be ready to be flexible.
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Old Sep 7th, 2010, 09:11 AM
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to bmyer
Have you been on your trip yet? I'm thinking about staying at the Granduomo next fall and I'd love your reaction to it. TripAdvisor has a lot of favorable reviews, but I haven't seen anything about this hotel on this forum. Also considering Hotel Davanzati--anyone have an opinion about these two?
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Old Sep 7th, 2010, 01:48 PM
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I've stayed at the Davanzati a couple of times and felt it was a very nice hotel. The price and especially the service were very good. The location is terrific. They even have a "happy hour" each day with free wine and snacks. It is a nice way to meet other travelers and have some fun.
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Old Sep 8th, 2010, 03:02 AM
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Sarvowinner's advice is possibly the best ever to appear on this forum. Instant strikes are a feature of life in Italy, France, and to a lesser extent the UK.

When we last arrived in Rome, the taxis were on strike, and we took the bus to our hotel. But it was only a 24 hour strike, a driver assured me, and everything would be back on schedule next day. We have been dumped by Eurostar in St Denis owing to a greve by station employees at Gare du Nord, and sat on the runway at Heathrow for five hours because of an industrial action by air traffic controllers, causing us to miss our connections in the US.

It happens, be prepared for it with alternatives, tell the story to all your friends when you get home.
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Old Sep 8th, 2010, 04:52 AM
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When I flew out of Rome yesterday there was a strike by French air traffic controllers. Our flight was scheduled to fly over France, but had to divert over Germany instead. I don't know what effect it had on people flying in and out of France, but I'm sure it wasn't good.

Some trains are guaranteed to run in Italy even during strikes.
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