Eurail question???

[scubaag03]

I will be in Italy for two weeks in September. My itinerary is:
6/9/2008: Arrive in Rome
6/9/2008: From Rome leave to Capri

6-7/9/2008: Stay overnight in Capri

8/9/2008: Leave for Venice, Sleeper train

9/9/2008: Leave for Cinque Terre, Sleeper

10/9/2008: Stay over night in Cinque Terre

11/9/2008: Leave for Florence, Sleeper train

12-14/9/2008: Stay overnight in Florence

15/9/2008: Leave for Rome, Sleeper train

16-19/9/2008:Stay overnight in Rome

20/9/2008: Leave for USA

My question is... How do I go about booking the Eurail for my travels? Is it even possible to get overnight trains to these locations? Any help would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks,

Confused American!

 

[Mike D]

There are trains that go to these places. You can check www.trenitalia.com for details. English is available on the top right of the web page.

 

[large_diver]

W ould definitely check Trenitalia. Also, if you are just traveling within italy, Eurail may not be the way to go. Many countries (Italy included) have in-country rail passes that allow you to travel more or less as much as you want on the transport system (often covers bus or local trains as well) for one price. Of course, the convenience is usually offset by a very high price.

Overnight trains - these are possible, but some of those locations (e.g., Rome and Florence) are not that far apart, so a night train (if there is one) is not going to give you that much time to sleep.

This site helps a little:
Slow Travel Italy - Train tickets, how to purchase and validate them, special passes

Note that they also mention the short duration (unlimited travel) option, but as I said above, it is pricey.

If you want to be safe, you should probably contact a US travel agent who has some experience in this area. If you are adventurous and don't like to plan ahead, just go and talk to the main ticket office in each city you go to.

-Chris

 

[scubaag03]

Thanks this is very helpful!

 

[large_diver]

Another thought - a book from the "Let's Go" series can help a lot with these types of questions. It is written from the budget traveler perspective, but usually has tons of great little tips on things to see, transport, etc. that are invaluable (my old "Let's Go Europe" book was my bible when I lived in Europe as a student and traveled all over the place).

I actually hadn't noticed until you asked this question that "Let's Go" now has on-line content, including country tips. I found this link which looks great regarding train tavel and passes. Poke around and you may find more. Or even better - buy the "Let's Go Italy" book from Amazon or elsewhere.

One great comment I saw on this site that is so true about italy:

"Avoid a generic experience (eating spaghetti with meatballs, dashing through art museums, glancing at the Colosseum) by taking time to appreciate Italy’s passionate people. And during your most action-packed adventures, don’t forget to step back, as Italians often do, and experience la dolce far niente—literally, the sweetness of doing nothing. Discover the chaos, incongruity, energy, serenity, allure."

You may want to keep this in mind as you plan your itinerary. In that vein: I've been to Italy with my family (wife and kids) a few times since I've been living in Switzerland. One of our favorite activities is what we call "piazza sitting" - camping out in a cafe or on the steps of a church in a piazza and just watching the people and the world go by.

-Chris

Let's Go Travel Guides | A Guide to Railpasses

PS - here is a link I found on the Let's Go site to info about italian rail passes:
Italy train information, Trenitalia tickets from Rail Europe

 

[Scared Silly]

Also you should be aware that night time robbery is very very common on Italian trains. Yeah you may lock the door but the key is not any big deal. Further, people have been gassed to knock them out. Also day time theft is common around Napoli.

As was said for some of those trains the distances are short so just grab a morning train, find a hotel, and explore the rest of the afternoon.

The other part of your itinerary that is bothersome is that you are doing a fair amount of traveling and this even though you are trying to travel at night. Night sleep on trains is not great.

My suggestion would be to skip Cinque Terre - though nice (I have hiked the classic hike along the coast) you will not get much from a day there. Spend the time in Venice instead.

Also I like the books by Lonely Planet for independent travel.

 

[large_diver]

I agree on the Venice recommendation - I was just there 2+ weeks ago...the first time in 20 years. It is such a unique place...you don't want to cut your time there too short.

 

[dpbishop]

When you book your trains make sure you get the express, if it's available. Rome to Florance it's about a 3 hour difference between the express & the local.

 

[Scared Silly]

Here is a different twist for robbery in Italy.

California Tourist Drugged; Killed By Train In Rome - News Story - KTVU San Francisco

More amazingly is that the person was caught.