kathy

Does anyone have suggestions on train travel from Santa Marguerita Ligure to Nice? Should tickets be booked in advance here in U.S.?

Rex

No. Buy them once you get there. Check out www.trenitalia.com or (perhaps) www.sncf.com for details on schedules and prices.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

ppp

Most train connections from SML to Nice involve changes in Genoa and Ventimiglia (on tghe Italian-France border). Total trip time varies from 4 to 5:30 hours, depending on departure time. Since there are several frequencies, I don´t think you have to worry about advance reservations. Go about it in Italy.

top

topping, for Kathy<BR>

fran

I will be doing that exact route. Im going to buy my tickets here in the US and get a reserved seat. I dont think there are that many trains a day from what Ived researched. But I could be wrong

kathy

Fran---how are you booking the train trip? Any website you are using? Thanks.

ppp

The only train from SML to Nice that may be booked is:<BR><BR>SML 7:45 8:15 GENOVA 8:55 11:51 NICE<BR><BR>There's another train that may be booked, but only from Genova to Nice:<BR><BR>SML 15:57 16:45 Genova 16:57 19:58pm NICE<BR><BR>All other train options are "non bookable"<BR><BR>SML 5:58 9:33 VENTIMIGLIA 9:57 10:45 NICE<BR>SML 8:26 9:02 GENOVA 10:17 12:49 VENTIMIGLIA 13:12 14:02 NICE<BR>SML 10:54 11:33 GENOVA 12:17 15:00 VENTIMIGLIA 15:29 16:12 NICE<BR>SML 12:00 12:58 GENOVA 13:17 16:15 VENTIMIGLIA 16:55 17:46 NICE<BR>SML 13:00 13:48 GENOVA 14:17 16:54 VENTIMIGLIA 17:14 18:02 NICE<BR>SML 14:00 14:51 GENOVA 15:17 18:00 VENTIMIGLIA 18:30 19:12 NICE<BR><BR>Granted that the two first options are better, since they involve a single train change and total trip time is kept to 4 hours. Chances are, though, that these trains won't be booked till you get to Italy. If one's unlucky, it wouldn't be such a big deal since there's no chance one will get stranded. <BR>Of course, if one doesn't care being ripped off by Rail Europe ...

Diane

I did this route a few years ago and did not reserve in advance. Was glad, too, as the cost of reserving from the U.S. would have been much higher.<BR><BR>We bought our tickets in SML and changed trains in Genoa. We each had two tickets for the journey due to the transfer of trains. We forgot to stamp our tickets in Genoa and got reprimanded by a conductor. We had the tickets but without stamping them, we had to pay a fine. We had used the last of our lire as we were heading for France. Fortunately, we had some francs with us. This would have been one time the euro would have helped. Just remember to stamp your ticket BEFORE getting on the train in SML, and again before boarding in Genoa-Nice.