princessleia

Hi, we are going to Italy and plan on taking the train for the following journeys:

1 trip Venice - Florence

1 trip Florence - Pisa

1 trip Pisa - Florence - Rome (Trip to Pisa will be a day trip, return same day and same day late evening/night train to Rome)

1 trip Florence - Rome

I checked the fares for the above mentioned itinery on raileurope and find the prices high. Is there any other website which offers lower fares? I also looked into the Rail Pass which starts at 3 days, whereas we will only be travelling on train for 2 days, so that option is out.
Another question is is there any card/pass which offers unlimited travel on the public transportation (boats, bus, train etc) for Venice like the Swiss Pass? We will be flying into Venice Marco Polo Airport and staying in the Mestre region for 2 days. So we will be taking lots of trips on the bus/boat/train etc. Thanks in advance for replies.

StCirq

Always use the country's own rail system website - in this case Trenitalia. You can check most European schedules/fares on the German rail site (www.bahn.de), but buy from Trenitalia.

PalenQ

florence to Pisa is mainly on regional trains with a flat fare so do not buy these from Trenitalia.com as I think they do not even sell those type tickets. Just buy those tickets on the day of the train before the train - no reservations are possible and you can always board even if full - unlikely bugt with 3-4 trains an hour I think just not a problem. And the fare on those trains is dirt-cheap - if goi

But Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome is on high-speed ETR-traction type trains where if you want to lock yourself into some in practice hard to change tickets weeks in advance (discounted tickets are sold in limited numbers and can sell out way in advance of train - but you can save some money but you lose flexibility.

If you want to pay full fare them there is no reason IMO to book thru trenitalia.com as the price will be the same at the station and you can chose which train to take as you go and there are so so many trains you will rarely find them sold out IME - especially in first class.

One reason not to book full fare tickets on trenitalia.com is that that site causes numerous problems for novice users - to wit a litany of complaints and flummxoing questions about 'how come the site won't work," "I got half-way thru and it rejected my credit card, etc. So only go thru that travail to save money and if you book 90 or 120 days out or whatever it is when schedules are available for advance purchase you could even nab one of the elusive 9 euro flat fares on high-speed trains.

For lots of great stuff on Italian trains I always spotlight these IMO superb sources - www.seat61.com- good dope on discounted tickets); www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. And yes there is no railpass that would benefit you and your limited train travel plans.

Dukey1

If you are planning to do this any time after the first part of June you are going to have to wait to buy the tickets other than the Pisa-Florence segment on the internet because the schedules aren't all loaded yet.

I have been checking daily for tickets for July and the schedules for the weeks after the first week in June are just now loading and slowly.

kybourbon

Current walk up price for Venice/Florence is 45€ for the fast AV train. Advance purchase ranges from 9€ and up.

Florence/Pisa is 7.80€ each way.

Florence/Rome walk up is 43€ (discount ticket start at 9€).

Pisa/Rome (down the coast without returning to Florence) is 46€.

I don't see the point of returning to Florence to Pisa. If it's a luggage issue, you can store your luggage at the Pisa train station.

Venice does have a card, but you will need to check if it's cost effective for you.

http://www.hellovenezia.com/index.ph...id=130&lang=en

Florence has a card (about 50€), but it would be very difficult to make it cost effective. Florence is very compact and you don't really need transport.

Roma Pass (30€) might be cost effective if you schedule the most expensive sites as your first two visits (first two free).
http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2

PalenQ

I don't see the point of returning to Florence to Pisa. If it's a luggage issue, you can store your luggage at the Pisa train station.>

Well I would do Pisa as a day trip - a leisurely day trip where you do not have to be back at Pisa Centrale for a specific train at a specific time - Pisa is much MUCH more than the Leaning Tower - it is a pleasant town with an ungodly number of historic churches and pleasant streets - plus hauling your luggage to Pisa then storing it, etc - no do Pisa as a relaxed day trip from Florence - returning on any of zillions of trains - no advance planning and pegging required.

kybourbon

You didn't read the OP's post PQ. They are talking about traveling from Florence to Pisa and the same day back to Florence and then to Rome. It's not a day trip from Florence.

PalenQ

Yes in deedy and your advice to just take the coastal train route from Pisa to Rome is a good one. But are there 9 euro tickets that you mention so often as being available on that line served mainly by IC trains I believe - could not returning to Florence advisable if they get a 9 euro fare or for my info and others are 9 euro fares available on IC trains on the coastal line too?

Thanks in advance. You are a real expert on Italian trains and have helped so so many people get cheaper tickets - you are a Fodor's treasure!

PalenQ

OP should see what the train fares are on each route and if it is much cheaper from Florence then go back but if not go on from Pisa and save the return train fare to Florence.

kybourbon

We don't know the OP's date so we can't check fares. Trenitalia is just this week starting to load summer schedules/fares, but this route is not loaded yet. A random date in June shows a 19€ fare available for the fast AV train Pisa/Rome (no changes). It's faster than going to Florence and changing.

Pisa Centrale
13:52 Roma Termini 16:28 02:36
FRECCIABIANCA
9773 Price starting from 29. 00 €

Pisa Centrale
17:00 Roma Termini 19:50 02:50
FRECCIABIANCA
9777 Price starting from 29. 00

Pisa Centrale
19:00 Roma Termini 21:50 02:50
FRECCIABIANCA
9781 Price starting from 19. 00 €

Most of the IC trains show prices of 9€, but travel time is a bit longer.

FYI - Sometimes the cheapest super economy fares sell out for 2nd class (9€ or 19€) and the next available discount is the economy fare (often 29€). When this happens, pay attention to the 1st class fare as I'm finding it often has the super economy fare still available even when 2nd super economy is gone and can be the same amount as the 2nd class economy fare. This shows an example of discounts, but you easily see if 2nd super is gone what the next fares will be.

2ª CLASSE 1ª CLASSE
BASE 46. 00 € 62. 50 €
ECONOMY 29. 00 € 39. 00 €
SUPER ECONOMY 19. 00 € 29. 00 €

PalenQ

With that little difference go first class IMO - the free coffee and snack and bigger seats and more empty seats, etc. all for a pittance more than in a much more crowded second-class (don't get me wrong 2nd class aint bad just that 1st class is much much nicer.

kybourbon

>>>the free coffee and snack

PalenQ

I'm not sure that is offered on this line. Trenitalia implies it's only offered on the Turin/Trieste line.>

Not sure about the coastal trains but every time I have ridden first class on ETR-type traction technology trains - high-speed trains I have gotten a small plastic thimble-sized cup of coffee and a packaged pastry and a free Italian newspaper at the commencement of the journey - this I believe is standard on all first-class high-speed trains In Italy unless very recently changed.

PalenQ

RailEurope is currently posting this about free beverages and snacks on first class Le Frecce trains - or high-speed trains in Italy:

<You’ll find the first-class cabins of Le Frecce trains as inviting as the first class seats. It starts with free welcome drinks and snacks that you can enjoy in the comfort of an ergonomic seat with its own audio sound system. You can use your electronic devices on board, and with electrical outlets at every seat, both you and your laptop can arrive fully recharged for maximum productivity. You’ll also find two business lounges in car 3 for a more private workspace. Perhaps you’d rather relax in your super-reclining seat? With a seat pitch of 98cm, it reclines as much as some living room furniture. There’s a complimentary newspaper on morning trains, as well as a friendly staff to serve you. It seems we’ve remembered all the important comforts of home, but with people to cater to your whims and spectacular new views. Couldn’t you get used to that?

kybourbon

PQ - My quote above was from Trenitalia. You are implying all Le Frecce trains are the same, but they aren't. RailEurope isn't who decides what is offered on Trenitalia trains, Trenitalia does. It appears Frecciabianca only has a stand up bar and I assume that's the reason they don't offer the same services as Frecciarossa and Frecciargento. No one cares about a cup of coffee and an Italian newspaper anyway.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

>>>You can use your electronic devices on board, and with electrical outlets at every seat, both you and your laptop can arrive fully recharged for maximum productivity>> You’ll also find two business lounges in car 3 for a more private workspace. Perhaps you’d rather relax in your super-reclining seat? With a seat pitch of 98cm, it reclines as much as some living room furniture.

StCirq

>

No kidding. And 1st class is so negligeably better anywhere in Europe on any trains it makes no sense.

PalenQ

. And 1st class is so negligeably better anywhere in Europe on any trains it makes no sense.>

I will after decades of riding trains all over Europe and not just in France and Italy vehemently dispute this idiotic statement that shows the OP has probably ridden a paucity of trains all over Europe - there is a more than a ngeligible difference often between classes and this is why Europeans gladly pay extra to ride in the about 25% of any trains coaches that are first class - St Cirq- duh like even getting an empty seat. St Cirq IME simply knows not of which she talks to make a statement like that!

PalenQ

ttt

PalenQ

And 1st class is so negligeably better anywhere in Europe on any trains it makes no sense.>

anywhere in Europe shows Ct Cirq has simply not ridden many trains in much of Europe - I have for decades and taken literally 1000s of separate train trips and here is what I have found after actually taking lots of trains -in places like Holland, Belgium and Germany I have often seen SRO in 2nd class and nearly empty compartments in 1st class - this can be especially true at rush hours as many trains are really commuter trains.

And in Germany on more than a few occasions on regional trains huge groups of school kids swarm aboard these trains that act like school buses - completely clogging up 2nd class - I was very happy to be sitting in first class rather than being surrounded by loud teens

And in Holland many times 2nd class has been full - especially at rush hours yet few seats were full in first class.

Now not being able to get a seat may be a 'neglible' difference to St Cirq but it ain't to most people and for her/him to say that simply means she/he has simply not traveled much on trains in European as a whole yet can pontificate that there is only a 'negligible difference between classes

PalenQ

Even in St cirq's stomping grounds of France the same can be true - I ride a whole lot trains from Orelans (actually Les Aubrais, the effective main station in Orleans) and these trains are perpetually SRO in 2nd class yet first-class cars are sparsely full - I am always glad I have a first-class pass or I would rarely get a seat unless i mobbed in with everyone else - nope I'm afraid St Cirq probably has not even ridden many trains in France aside from TGVs to make such a statement that <1st class is so negligeably better anywhere in Europe on any trains it makes no sense.>