taking the train in italy

During my 3-week trip in Italy, my husband and I took the following train trips:

• Rome to Florence (less than 2 hours)
  
• Florence to Bologna (about 40 minutes)
  
• Bologna to Venice (roundtrip) (about 1 1/2 hour each way)
  
• Bologna to Naples  (3 hours and 15 min)
  
• Naples to Sorrento (on local train)(argh - an hour and a half because there were about 20 bizillion stops!)*
• Sorrento to Pompeii (on local train)(the express train; about 20 min)*

 * For local trains, you have to get the tickets at the station.

What was our experience like?

 

Train station in Bologna.

Overall, it was very easy and convenient to take the train in Italy.  I'll note some of my tips below and hopefully they'll help you out!

Booking the trips.   I'm a planner so I wanted to book my tickets in advance and get reserved seating.  If you are more spontaneous than me, you can get your tickets at the train station.  And if you don't care about reserved seating, then you can get the cheaper tickets where the seats are first come-first serve. 

I like to know I will have a seat and a place for my luggage so I don't mind paying more for the convenience.  I also prefer the comfier seats and the complimentary espresso and cookie that come with premium or business class.  (And yes, they are complimentary - some servers are not as nice as others and won't let you know it's free so I've seen many timid tourists get deprived of their treats because they don't speak Italian and/or think they have to pay; but on my very first trip to Italy, a kind server explained to me in broken english that I should take the treat because it's free.  So I always make it a point to get my espresso and cookie - and the cookie is usually quite tasty.)

Anyways, I booked all my train tickets (except for the local train tickets) on www.italiarail.com or through www.raileurope.com.  I compared the pricing and availability on both sites and chose accordingly.  I received confirmation emails with a booking code (PNR) or barcode, and I simply presented that to the train steward when they came to check for tickets and that was it.  (You don't need to get the reserved tickets stamped or anything.)

When booking - keep an eye on the travel time.  There are usually express trains that have less stops and get to your destination faster.  Also, allow yourself a little bit of cushion time for arrival since the trains seemed to run 10-15 minutes late almost every time.

Boarding the Train.  When you get to the train station, there is usually a main display that sets forth the arrival and departure times of the train.  It'll also note if a train is late and provide the new estimated arrival time and the terminal/gate number.  There are usually coffee places where you can rest and wait for your train.  

While you are waiting, be attentive to your belongings. There are a lot of pickpockets and panhandlers around.

Also, the restrooms usually require a fee. I liked to keep a few euros in my pockets just for this purpose.

Your reservation should note what coach/carriage your seat is located (for example, Carrozza/Coach 2, Seat 7D - you'd look for the 2nd carriage and your seat).  Keep your email ticket ready - someone will ultimately come around when everyone's seated to check tickets but this usually occurs after the train leaves the station.  Sometimes they don't check at all.  But if you get caught without a ticket, I have been told the penalty/fine is quite harsh.

There are usually luggage racks near the doorways for larger luggage and overhead racks for smaller luggage.  In some trains there were also large luggage areas between the seats.  

Beware!  There are lots of gypsies and pickpockets that show up when people are trying to board the train and hoisting their luggage up the train steps.  They might try to 'help' you with the luggage, and if you let them, they will ask/demand a fee afterwards.  They might also pick your pockets when they are 'helping' - so just be careful and keep your valuables close to you.   

View of Venice from train.

Pack a Picnic.  For longer train trips, I enjoy packing a tasty little picnic.  The food is so fabulous in Italy, you can easily find a small shop to make a few sandwiches for you or pack up some bread, cheese and olives and savor the yumminess while you watch the gorgeous Italian landscape breeze by.

Getting off the Train.  Most people seem to be prepared to get off the train.  Before the train even stops, almost everyone getting off a particular stop will stand up, get their luggage, and move closer to the doors.  If you've taken things out of your luggage, I'd recommend packing everything back up and doing a check at least 5 minutes before arrival.  It would suck to find out you left your phone or tablet or whatever back on the train.

They usually will announce or will have displays showing the arrival time for the next stop in Italian and English - although sometimes it's hard to understand their English.  

Best Tip - Don't Take the Local Train into Sorrento with Luggage.  This might be the best tip I can give you.  When I told my driver that I didn't need him to pick me up in Naples because I could hop on the local train to Sorrento, I could tell he was a little taken aback, but I didn't truly understand why until I got to Naples.  It was very crowded, dodgy looking and not particularly friendly.  It was also a bit difficult to find the local train while dragging our luggage down several stairs and down long pathways.  

Not only was the local train not particularly comfortable or large, but it was packed with locals who did not appreciate tourists on their commuter train with lots of luggage.  They would glare at us or mock us in Italian.  (On our trip to Pompeii, the locals screamed and yelled at a poor couple who had tons of luggage and took up several seats.)  Fortunately we didn't get yelled at because we were standing and didn't take up any seats, but it was obvious they were still unhappy with us.  The trip was long due to constant stops and it felt even longer because it was so hot and stuffy and smelly in the train.  

To top it off there were several gypsy bands that kept playing music and asking for money (while they sent little kids around to shoplift).

Anyways, when we arrived in Sorrento, the hotel staff were appalled that we took the local train.   There is a steep cost difference - a private driver would have cost about 150 euros and the local train was about 6 euros for both of us.  But despite that, I don't think I would ever take the local train again with luggage.  

If I were traveling lightly, it wouldn't have been that big of an issue.  But if you have lots of luggage or kids with you (or a husband who despises crowds), I cannot recommend doing this just to save some money.

We did take the local train to Pompeii from Sorrento in the morning, and that was fine - cheap and relatively quick if you got on the express train with fewer stops.  There were still lots of gypsy bands and kids around, but it's less stressful without the massive crowds and luggage.