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Train travel in Italy


morrison

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I'll be in Italy over 28 November - 2 December, flying to/from Milan. My plan is to do my travelling (Milan to Florence, Florence to Rimini, Rimini to Milan) by train.

Is it worth booking them in advance for better deals as you'd do here, or are you just as well buying as you go along? The sites I've been pointed in the direction of are trenitalia.com and italotreno.it, but if anyone in the know has other suggestions I'm all ears. They seem reasonable enough, mind.

While I'm at it, sights to see - particularly in Milan & Florence - also appreciated.

Cheers!

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I've always just bought my tickets on the day at the machines in the stations.

Train travel used to be very cheap in Italy but the prices seem to have been creeping up in the last few years so it may be worth looking into advanced deals.

Remember to stamp your tickets before you get on the train or they will kill you.

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Thanks Billy. Had a look the their own website but couldn't see anything along those lines on the go now.

YB - I know the stamping well from my spells in Germany, all too familiar with it! TrenItalia seem to do e-tickets though, so I hope they're not expecting me to stick a hole through my shiny phone.

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I've used trains between various cities and always just bought tickets on the day of travel. Prices will vary, I recently went from Verona to Bologna and it was relatively cheap I think.

From what I recall of Milan you can see most of it in a day or two, the Duomo is very central near to the Galleria which is a shopping mall but very grand. Florence is also relatively compact to wander around, again the Duomo dominates part of the skyline when you're in the city although it's in a totally build up area so you will glimpse it from various alleys and streets round about. The Uffizi gallery is a must if you like that sort of thing and if the weather is good then a wee walk to the Boboli Gardens is worth doing. Tourists also flock to the Ponte Vecchio although it's really just a bridge with loads of jewellers on it. Unless you're an art freak a day or two is also enough to get a really good feel for it.

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If you're using the high-speed trains, you're better off booking them well in advance for the best price. If you'd prefer to travel a little cheaper the regional trains are fine, slightly run down but they get the job done. Make sure you validate your ticket before getting on the train or you'll get fined (this doesn't apply to the high-speed trains since you have an allocated seat and it says which train you're getting on the ticket).

Milan is alright for a day, maybe two, but there's honestly not that much to see. Florence is much nicer, it's one of the nicest cities in the country. Can I ask why you're going to Rimini at that time of year?

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Thanks Colin/Zanetti.

I won't be in Milan for long; I haven't heard too many positive things about it, but I get in (on the 27th, not the 28th) in time to attempt to catch the Inter - Dnipro Europa League game. Looks like it'll be easy enough to get tickets.

I'll be straight to Florence after that for the long weekend. Art's what it's all about here so I'll take in as much as I can. The whole reason I'm going's for the marathon on the Sunday.

Rimini's being taken in only so I can get myself to San Marino as a bit of a "tick box" exercise. New country, and all that. Also, the place looks pretty spectacular perched up on that hill.

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