Question 1

How far in advance should I book my train tickets?

Accepted Answer

Trenitalia's train schedules and fares are typically only released between 90-120 days in advance*, so it's not a good idea to solidify travel plans before that point—the timetable can change seasonally.You can buy your train tickets roughly 2 months ahead of when you'll need them, and can even book them the day before your train trip. Once you're in Italy, you can buy tickets just before you get on a train.Buying tickets soon after they're released gives you a better chance of securing seats during busy travel days, and may give you access to sales or ticket discounts that are only available for advance purchases.* The 90-120 day figure refers to high-speed trains. Regional train tickets are usually only available about 60 days in advance.

Question 2

What do I need to know about luggage on Italian trains?

Accepted Answer

Traveling by train in Italy means always traveling with carry-on luggage - you'll carry on board everything you have with you. It's your responsibility to bring your bags on board and stow them properly, which is a great incentive to pack light.There's no fee to bring luggage on the train, nor do you need a special ticket to carry luggage on board. The limit on bags each passenger may carry on board is technically three pieces of luggage - but the limit is rarely if ever enforced. Still, it's a good idea to keep bags at a minimum to ease the loading and unloading process.The on-board luggage storage options differ depending on the type of train. On the newer high-speed trains there are storage areas at one end of each train car, often across from the toilet, which are available for anyone in that car to use for their larger bags. On the older trains, the only real storage areas are overhead shelves above the seats. Sometimes there is room to stow medium or small bags in the space created when two seats are situated back-to-back. Smaller bags—backpacks, purses, briefcases—can be slid underneath your seat. Trenitalia isn't responsible for lost bags, so it's your responsibility to keep an eye on luggage even if it's stowed at the end of the train car. There is, however, insurance against bag theft that applies to most Trenitalia passengers. If a bag is taken from the storage compartment at the end of the car of a Frecce or InterCity train, the insurance maximum is €300 for a single bag and €600 per customer. The maximums for other trains are lower, and the rules for filing an insurance claim are strict. There is a door-to-door option for sending your bags from point to point rather than carrying it with you. It's called Bagaglio Facile, and the costs start at €20 for the first bag and €15 for the second. It's available to all travelers on Frecce trains, or anyone who has a CartaFreccia card. Bagaglio Facile is only available Monday-Friday (it only operates on weekends in the cities of Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice, Turin, Bologna, Naples, Salerno, and Bari). Arrangements for Bagaglio Facile must be made by phone at least 24 hours in advance of your departure time. If you're stopping midway on your journey and want to do some sightseeing before your next train departs, many stations offer some kind of luggage storage service. Luggage lockers are no longer the norm for security reasons, but there are often offices with staff where you can leave your bags for a period of time for a fee.

Question 3

Do you have a map of train routes in Italy?

Accepted Answer

Italy's rail network is extensive, reaching nearly every corner of the country. A comprehensive map of Italy's train routes, then, would be prohibitively large, which is why a useful paper map of every single Italian rail line doesn't exist.The map on this page shows Trenitalia's high-speed rail lines in Italy*, which are the trains most visitors use. There are a few cities not included on this map in the northern part of the country, where the dots are already close enough together to prohibit any further additions, but most destinations served by Italy's Frecce trains - the Frecciarossa, Frecciargente, and Frecciabianca - are included on this map.When you're planning a trip through Italy by train, the best way to determine whether a city or town is connected to Italy's rail network is by typing your route into ItaliaRail's search boxes. Our system recognizes both the English and Italian names for stations and cities, so no matter which you use you'll see an auto-fill option if your destination is served by Trenitalia.If you do not see an auto-fill option for your destination, you can often find an entry for the city or town on Wikipedia. Sometimes, those include a Transportation entry, where you may see that a place is not on the rail lines.If you need further assistance in determining whether your chosen route is possible via train, please contact our customer service department.* It's important to keep in mind that routes change regularly, particularly when it comes to the constantly-expanding high-speed train lines.

Travel distance	112 miles
Fastest time	02h 35m
Daily trains	12
Ticket from	19

Florence Cinque Terre - Vernazza

Train from Florence to Vernazza (Cinque Terre)

Frequent Trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Vernazza

Direct Trains from Florence to Vernazza

Amenities on Trains from Florence to Vernazza

Florence and Vernazza Train Stations