Trains in Italy
 

I've searched many websites, but have not been able to find out how to get from the following places on the Italian train system. I would like to know which stations I have to stop in to then take a bus to the towns I'm staying the night in.

Rome to Massa Maritima

Massa Marittima to Pienza

Pienza to Lucca

Lucca to Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore to Rome

Nevermind. I just found all the answers I was looking for on Trenitalia EXCEPT for whether it's cheaper to buy tickets at the station, on the train's website, or a Eurail pass.


Does the Eurail pass include all the cities I've named within Italy?? I couldn't find it on the website...whether or not it's for within one country

I don't think you are traveling enough to make a pass worth the cost. I would wait to buy these tickets until I arrived in Italy.

Here's a recent thread that may answer your questions, particularly the first two respondents:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-388397-2.cfm

forget Eurailpass and consider the Italy Railpass but even for that cheaper pass i do not think you are traveling enough to make it cost effective - just do as ellenem says IMO

Except the trains to and from Rome the others are short local train trips that are very cheap.

There are no train stations in or near Pienza.

I don't see any train station for Massa Marittima either.

You need to rent a car or look at bus connections. Many times a bus is faster than a bus/train combo. For your Pienza connections look at Siena Mobilita.
http://www.sienamobilita.it/EN/index.html

http://www.massamarittima.info/traffico.htm

What an interesting itinerary. I am curious how you decided on these destinations--certainly some of my favorites. Is a rental car out of the question? It will be very difficult by public transport.

Pienza is close to Montepulciano right - just a few miles away and there is frequent bus service to Montepulciano at least, from the Chiusi train station - must be buses to Pienza from Montepulciano - buses run dense routes in Tuscany IME.

No, there are not always frequent buses to Montepulciano (opposite direction from where the OP will be anyway) or on to Pienza. Many times you will need to switch bus lines/companies and they don't seem to co-ordinate their schedules. There can be big gaps of time during bus runs in Tuscany(especially mid-morning and mid-afternoon with no late buses). You can get stuck at the Montepulciano bus station for several hours waiting for a bus to Pienza with nothing to do. The bus station is not in the old town so you can't visit while you are stuck even though there is a shuttle bus up to the town as there is no luggage storage at the bus station.

You can get stuck at the Montepulciano bus station for several hours waiting for a bus to Pienza with nothing to do.>

Just saw on one site a picture of Multepulciano taken from Pienza - and it could not be more than a few kilometres - so hopping a taxi there would not break the bank one would think if a bus gap is encountered.

There is bus service to Massa Marittima on Rama Mobilita out of Follonica and/or Grosseto (both reachable from Rome by train). The website is in Italian only. Massa Marittima to Pienza would probably involve a detour through Siena.

http://www.ramamobilita.it/spip.php?rubrique12

If it were my trip and I had to use public trans, I'd skip Massa Marittima.

14 km. from Montepulciano to Pienza.

>>>Just saw on one site a picture of Multepulciano taken from Pienza - and it could not be more than a few kilometres<<<

Shows pictures can be deceptive. It's a bit further than a few k and takes longer because of the twisty roads (at least 20-25 minutes one way - likely more as there are few places to pass because of the road conditions). So yes, a taxi could be expensive as they would probably have a return charge as they would be based in Montepulciano.

It's not easy to get around Tuscany by bus.

I agree with kybourbon, Tuscany (and this itinerary in particular) is not easy to explore by bus.

Depends where in Tuscany i think - OP has selected towns that may have limited bus service but for the average traveler who wants to go to the likes of Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti-en-Greve, Montepuilciano (which i had no problems getting to and out of by bus on a day trip), etc there is no problem. 2-4 buses an hour to Siena from Florence

PQ - Please provide schedule links, bus numbers, bus company names for the frequent buses to Greve and Montepulciano you are recommending as I am unaware of them (was there two weeks ago and have the complete schedule book from Siena Mobilita).

While there are frequent buses between cities like Siena/Florence (more like hourly, not 4 per hour), they do not stop at lots of little towns. There are not frequent buses to small hill towns and no buses at all to many hill towns.
http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/Firenze-Siena06.pdf

Transportation. SITA buses run to Greve from Florence (1hr., every hr. 7am-8pm, €3.10; reduced service Su and holidays). There are 2 stops in Greve; get off at the first at P. Trento. P. Trento is not clearly labeled, so be sure to ask the bus driver to alert you when the bus arrives there.

Read more: http://www.letsgo.com/21059-tuscany-...#ixzz0zp0jb9k7

Let's Go Italy says the above.

For Multipulciano i remember just getting off the train at Chiusi and hopping on a bus and when we wanted to leave we did not wait very long - but this one i do not know but will investigate

You apparently were wrong about Chianti in Greve...maybe not Montepulciano

Montepulciano Transportation
Montepulciano is on a minor rail line and the small train station is a few kilometers outside town. Buses connect the train station with the town. Hourly buses run from Chiusi train station, on the major rail line between Rome and Florence and probably more convenient, to Montepulciano. Buses also run to nearby Tuscany towns like Siena and Pienza. Note that buses may not run on Sundays. From the bus station you can walk into the historic center or take the little orange bus. The center is closed to traffic except by permit so if you're arriving by car, park in one of the lots on the edge of town.

Hourly buses to me are frequent buses but i guess not to thee.

The above from About.com Italy.

Wrong again it seems

Not only is there apparently about hourly bus service to Montepulciano from Chiusi, a train station but there are direct trains to Multipulciano - to a Multipulciano, which like is most hill towns is down in the low lands at the bottom on the hill - and trains stop at Multipulciano about hourly it seems and mini-buses take folks from there to the hill town of the same name. Why they do not show up in kybourbon's schedules i do not know but even if there were not buses a taxi ride of a few miles would not break the bank.

You indeed need no car to tour Tuscany like at least the average tourist wants to do.

kybourbon - are you saying those buses i reference for Chianti in Greve and Multipulciano do not exist - are you saying thsoe two venerable sources are just plain wrong. they may be for all i know but i will take their experise over yours at this time.

>>>>Not only is there apparently about hourly bus service to Montepulciano from Chiusi, a train station but there are direct trains to Multipulciano - to a Multipulciano, which like is most hill towns is down in the low lands at the bottom on the hill - and trains stop at Multipulciano about hourly it seems and mini-buses take folks from there to the hill town of the same name.<<<<

MONTEPULCIANO STAZIONE IS NOT MONTEPULCIANO. The Montepulciano train station is nowhere close to Montepulciano. You cannot depend on a bus or taxi transport from Montepulciano Stazione to Montepulciano. Looking at a bus connection to Montepulicano Stazione is not a bus connection to Montepulciano the town. IF you aren't familiar with an area or it's transport, you really shouldn't be telling people how to get around there. There is a bus station at the base of the hill town with mini buses, but bus station and train station are miles apart.

>>>>You apparently were wrong about Chianti in Greve<<<<
You posted about a bus between Florence and Greve (something none of us were discussing so I'm clueless why you brought it up since no one wanted to know about a bus between Florence and Greve), NOT Greve and Montepulciano which was what we were discussing. Please post the frequent buses between Montepulciano and Greve (acutal companies/schedules) as I don't see any in my Siena Mobilita schedule book. I stand by what I said - there are no frequent buses between Montepulciano and Greve and perhaps none at all.

While you may have been lucky enough to find a bus from Chiusi to Montepulciano the minute you hopped off the train, that is not always the case. LFI and Tra-in (it's a bus line ,not a train) serves the area (under the Siena Mobilita umbrella of bus lines) and there are big gaps in the schedule times. If you have an actual schedule from the bus company (not some random website) that supports your hourly claim, then post it.

>>>kybourbon - are you saying those buses i reference for Chianti in Greve and Multipulciano do not exist - are you saying thsoe two venerable sources are just plain wrong. they may be for all i know but i will take their experise over yours at this time.<<<

I'm saying you have a reading comprehension problem and are wrong in your interpretation of stations you are not familiar with. You are posting info about stations that simply don't apply to the towns being discussed on this thread. You are mixing info about Montepulciano train station stops with Montepulciano because you are not familiar with the area (more than the few k apart that you said - closer to 10)and you quoted about.com who appears to not be familiar with the station differences either. I'm not sure why you want to argue all the time especially when you are not familiar with these buses/stations and aren't understanding the schedules. Your posts could cause travelers to be stranded miles from where they need to be or expect an hourly bus when there is none.