Transfers in Italy
 

Hello Fellow Fodors - Traveling to Italy from Paris on September 20th. Flying in from Paris early morning on the 20th. My wife and I are looking for best times and rails from each destination in Italy. I've noted transfers below.

Venice Airport --> San Marcos, Venice
San Marcos, Venice --> Florence
Florence --> Positano
Positano --> Rome
Rome -- Chicago

Your recommendations are much appreciated as this is the first time my wife and I are traveling to Italy.

Best times? How would we know the best train times for you if we don't know anything else such as what time you arrive Venice, what time you depart Rome etc.

Nobody can possibly answer this, as noted, without further information from you. Sounds like you need to go the the Man in Seat 61 website and read up about train travel in Europe, and quickly, as you've already missed the cheap tickets.

The best way from Venice airport to San Marco area is via water not rail.

You can get to San Marco from the airport using a private water taxi or the less expensive public one. Whether or not you have actually missed the cheap tickets depends upon the date and time you travel since the costs depends upon how many tickets on each timing have already been sold and not by the proximity to the travel date.

If you could also tell us how many nights you have for this portion of the trip, that would help.

Lee Ann

Florence to Positano is a multi-step journey using more than one form of travel, and it can take 3 to 4+ hours depending on how you choose to go.

And likewise there is no rail service between Positano and Rome, and the travel time would be only slightly less. 2+ to 4 hours depending on how you go.

How many days/nights do you have for Venice, Florence, Positano and Rome? If it isn't at least 10, you may want to eliminate a destination.

It may seem that you aren't getting the help you need, but there are so many options, and what is best depends on the traveler, the time and the money. Plus, many of us have done things only one or two ways.

From airport to San Marco:
1. Private water taxi - expensive, but I hear it is wonderful and worth it.
2. Shared water taxi - cheaper, but you wait for it to fill. DD did it, thought it was a waste of money and time.
3. Public vaporetto? Know nothing about that route.
4. Bus/shuttle directly from airport to Piaza Roma. Walk over bridge to Vaporetto stop in front of Santa Lucia station. Take Vaporetto to San Marco vaporetto stop. There is a small extra cost for luggage and it can be crowded, but is cheap and easier than it sounds.

Be prepared. No matter how you go, the San Marco area will be crowded. Unless your hotel has a place for a private water taxi to dock, you will be walking. Get good directions from your hotel and print out, or buy, a map to have with you.

In Italy, you can buy at the stations as you need them, or save money by buying tickets ahead.

I suggest you take a fast train between Venice and Florence. Look at the schedule for times and cost.

I would probably have a long morning in Venice, take a mid-afternoon train to Florence and have the evening for walking in Florence, but your interests dictate that.

The train station in Venice is Santa Lucia. It is small and easy to navigate. You take a vaporetto from San Marco to Santa Lucia - easy. Take the train straight to Florence.

The station in Florence is Santa Maria Novella, only about five or six blocks from the Duomo, so very central. If your hotel is close, just walk. If not, grab a taxi.

BTW, remember, names on signs will be in Italian, not English spelling.

I have done only from Naples by train to Sorrento or Sorrento to Positano by ferry, not good ways for you, so maybe someone else can advise. You may have to research bus/train schedules yourself. Private drivers are an option, but very expensive.

Public vaporetto? Know nothing about that route.>>

Sassafras - I think you mean the Alilaguna which is a water-bus that runs from the airport to various parts of Venice.

Armoundo - Your hotel should be able to tell you which is the closest Alilaguna stop and whether you will be able to get from there to your hotel easily with your luggage. Ditto if you get the bus to Piazzale Roma and then pick up the Vaporetto they should tell you which line you want and which stop to get off at.

As for buses, there is the one run by the same company that runs the Vaporetti and the Alilaguna, which stops at quite a lot of places between the airport and Venice, and has no luggage compartment, and then there is the ATVO bus [which is blue] and goes from right outside the airport every 20 mins. Luggage goes underneath and it doesn't stop so it's quicker and more comfortable. and it costs the same.

for the next leg of your trip, a train from the station in Venice [you take the Vaporetto no 1 to get from San Marco to the main station - you'll see it if you get a vaporetto from Piazzale Rome to San Marco when you arrive] to the main station in Florence [Santa Maria Novella or SMN]. Again your hotel in Florence should tell you how to get there from the station.

And so on.

AS others have suggested, the Man in Seat 61 is very good for planning rail journeys.

Good luck!

Annhig, thanks. Yes. You are exactly right. I couldn't remember the name.

Thank you everyone! Sassafrass, Annhig, thank you very much for your detailed responses.

With regards to our stay per destination, please see below:

Paris: 4 nights
Venice: 2 nights
Florence: 2 nights
Positano: 3 nights
Rome: 4 nights

Hotels:
Venice – Le Due Corone - San Marco
Florence – Oriuolo 30 - Via dell'Oriuolo, Duomo
Positano – Hotel Casa Albertina - Via della Tavolozza
Rome – The Bridge Suites Rome - Navona

what does your Venice hotel tell you about the best way/s of getting there, armando?

Honestly, I haven't even reached out to any of the hotels.

Honestly, I haven't even reached out to any of the hotels.>>

you don't need to reach out to them, you look at their website and if you don't see the answer you email them. Believe me, your hotel [? B&B?] in Venice will have answered the question "what's the nearest vaporetto/alilaguna stop" &/ or "what's the easiest way to get here from the airport?" more times than you've had a double espresso.

Alilaguna was inexpensive, efficient and pleasant. A short walk to dock from airport.
However, you need to compare their stops with your hotel location. It isn't fun dragging luggage up and over the many bridges that are comprised of steps, up and down.