Rome Termini Train Station information??

[Marysunshine]

Hi: I will be taking the train from Termini station to the port. I am concerned about getting lost at the station and missing my train. Does anyone know the specifics of what track the trains run on? how long it takes once you are at the station to get where you need to go? how difficult is navigating the station itself? I am not sure which train I am taking, the regional, or the IC. Would be very appreciative of some directions.

[dln929]

Hi: I will be taking the train from Termini station to the port. I am concerned about getting lost at the station and missing my train. Does anyone know the specifics of what track the trains run on? how long it takes once you are at the station to get where you need to go? how difficult is navigating the station itself? I am not sure which train I am taking, the regional, or the IC. Would be very appreciative of some directions.

 

Mary, if you live in Brooklyn you know all about public transportation. Handling Termini will be no big deal to you. You can do it in advance if you prefer. Go to the Italian train website, http://www.trenitalia.com and you will find your trains to Civitavecchia. Or you can buy your tickets once you get to the train station, though there may be a bit of a line so allow plenty of time. (Or not, depending on what time of day it is and if it's a weekend.) You'll have to deal with some stairs at the train station but everything is labeled. Trust me, I have no sense of direction whatsover but I've never had any trouble at any Italian train station and I don't suspect you will either. BTW, there are lots of threads about how to get from Rome to the port. There's no shortage of helpful advice here!

[cruisemom42]

There aren't a lot of great maps of the inside of Termini that show the "extra" tracks, but here's a link to one:

 

http://www.reidsitaly.com/images/lazio/rome/misc/map-termini-track-25.jpg

 

The tracks 1-24 face the front of the station. The trains for Civitavecchia leave from the tracks 25-29, which are (as noted) a bit of a walk.

 

Generally, you must wait until about 20-30 minutes before your train departs to find out the actual platform for departure. These will be shown on large monitors in the main part of Termini (in the photo noted as "Ticketing Hall/Main Entrance). Because tracks can and do change, it's best to wait near a monitor (near track 24, if you can manage it) and find out what track your train is leaving from, then head to it.

 

It's really not hard to find your way around the station if you have some familiarity with public transportation. I doubt you'll get lost.

[Marysunshine]

Do you think it will be easier to take the train from Ostiense. There is an IC train from there. I would consider it if there are less steps or less confusions. And YES YES, I am a lifelong Brooklyn lady and still do the subways and Els all the time. However I know where I'm going here, lol. so I don't get lost. Plus I can read the signs here which I don't think I can in rome, Thanks so much for the info people.

[euro cruiser]

I find Ostiense much easier and often use that station to avoid Termini. Are you departing from Rome or coming from the airport? If in Rome, where are you staying? If you are closer to Termini I'd just leave from there.

[Eileen G]

I would leave from Termini. There are less stairs if you have luggage. Yes it is a bit of a walk but not bad at all if you have rolling luggage. At Ostiense you will probably need to go down then up a flight of stairs if the train isn't on track one. The train will only be stopping for a minute or two so you won't have a lot of time to get on and find a seat. At Termini the train will be there waiting until depsrture time and you should have plenty of time to be able to find a secure place for your luggage and a seat.

[Marysunshine]

Thank you so much. Termini it is.

[Windsailer]

Contrary to what we'd heard, our IC train to the Port did not leave from track 24 or 25 - it actually left from track 22. So once the track location was posted on the overhead monitor we had to make a mad dash back to the main terminal! We bought our tickets on-line through the Trenitalia site. Highly recommend doing that if you have a good idea of what train you want to take. Would NOT recommend taking a regional train. We took one back after our cruise (Port to Rome) and it was a real zoo. It was so crowded my DH and some friends had to stand the entire trip.

[dln929]

Contrary to what we'd heard, our IC train to the Port did not leave from track 24 or 25 - it actually left from track 22. So once the track location was posted on the overhead monitor we had to make a mad dash back to the main terminal! We bought our tickets on-line through the Trenitalia site. Highly recommend doing that if you have a good idea of what train you want to take. Would NOT recommend taking a regional train. We took one back after our cruise (Port to Rome) and it was a real zoo. It was so crowded my DH and some friends had to stand the entire trip.

 

That's what we did. It's easy now to book on http://www.trenitalia.com. I printed our tickets at home. All we need to do upon boarding is show the sheet to the conductor, no need to validate in the yellow box. And we have assigned seats already, too. I got the mini fare for 9 euros. It's the Frecciabianca #9770 that takes just over half an hour to reach Civitavecchia.

 

Mary, we're leaving in 3 weeks so I will report back mid-May to tell you how it went.

[cruisemom42]

Contrary to what we'd heard, our IC train to the Port did not leave from track 24 or 25 - it actually left from track 22. So once the track location was posted on the overhead monitor we had to make a mad dash back to the main terminal! We bought our tickets on-line through the Trenitalia site. Highly recommend doing that if you have a good idea of what train you want to take. Would NOT recommend taking a regional train. We took one back after our cruise (Port to Rome) and it was a real zoo. It was so crowded my DH and some friends had to stand the entire trip.

 

Good point. The IC trains do not always leave from the far platforms. The regional trains nearly always do.

 

The regional trains are kind of like riding the subway. Sometimes, when it's crowded, you may have to stand, it's true. Several times last week we had to stand the whole way from Naples to Sorrento (70 minutes but sometimes longer in our experience) on the Circumvesuviana. Not a big deal. Honestly, I'd probably want to stand next to my luggage anyway.

[Eileen G]

For anyone considering taking the train to port with luggage. We took a regional train at around 12:30 from Termini. There really wasn't a lot of people at that time. We walked to the far end of the train where there were plenty of empty seats. It is best if you can take a regional train that has Civi as the last stop then you will have plenty of time to get off.

[iancal]

We are fairly light packers. We much prefer changing trains, or embarking at Ostiense instead of Termini. We find it easier since it is less crowded.

 

Chances are you will have to carry your bags up and down a flight of stairs. Some of the stations do have elevators but they are often out of service.

[madame]

While reading signs, looking for directions, etc., be alert for pickpockets! Termini is full of them. Wear a money belt, stash your cash and passport. Pickpockets work in pairs...one distracts or bumps you...the other robs you. Two hours into a 16 day trip to Europe, it happened to us right there in Termini. Beware!

[Windsailer]

As the four of us were organizing our bags on the shelf above our seats on the IC train, my friend has his back pocket picked. (4/5 young guys milling around us) But all they got was a dirty hankie. Also, if anyone offers to help with your luggage be aware they will want a few Euros for each bag. And won't leave until you give them what they want.

[Marysunshine]

That's what we did. It's easy now to book on http://www.trenitalia.com. I printed our tickets at home. All we need to do upon boarding is show the sheet to the conductor, no need to validate in the yellow box. And we have assigned seats already, too. I got the mini fare for 9 euros. It's the Frecciabianca #9770 that takes just over half an hour to reach Civitavecchia.

 

Mary, we're leaving in 3 weeks so I will report back mid-May to tell you how it went.

 

I will VERY appreciative.

[scottbee]

That's what we did. It's easy now to book on www.trenitalia.com. I printed our tickets at home. All we need to do upon boarding is show the sheet to the conductor, no need to validate in the yellow box. And we have assigned seats already, too. I got the mini fare for 9 euros. It's the Frecciabianca #9770 that takes just over half an hour to reach Civitavecchia.

 

Mary, we're leaving in 3 weeks so I will report back mid-May to tell you how it went.

 

You only don't need to punch the ticket in the Yellow box, because you were on the [expensive] train with assigned seating. if you're on a regular regional train (€4.50 normal price), you need to endorse your ticket in the box.

 

Also for another person "BINARI" is the Italian word for Platform,

[euro cruiser]

You only don't need to punch the ticket in the Yellow box, because you were on the [expensive] train with assigned seating. if you're on a regular regional train (€4.50 normal price), you need to endorse your ticket in the box.

In this particular case there was no need to punch the ticket because they used e-ticket print-at-home. These tickets, regardless of the type of train, are not punched. If you have an Italian cell phone there's a way to have your ticket delivered to your phone, which you show to the conductor. I've never done it but it sounds easy.

[smoothdancer]

This is a great thread... Thank you for the locals who posted.

 

Sighhh... I am worried.

A year or so ago my husband and I took a 7 day Italy cruise, was one the best times ever and we fell in love with Italy. We knew ever before leaving the cruise line that we wanted to return. So this year we are doing a 2 and a half week land vacation to Italy.

 

It is so different letting the cruise line plan it for you than doing it yourself, lots of reseach, and frankly a little scary...

 

So for our plans, we fly into Rome stay 3 days, train to Venice, stay 3 days, train to Florence stay 4 days, train back to Rome, stay one day close to airport then fly home.....

 

The train thing seems to worry me the most...

I have concerns that I cant read the signs and will not get on the right train... I have concerns that I will not pick a high speed train and spend too many hours getting from Rome to Venice...

 

I have concerns about that I need to make a reservation in advance, dont know quite how to do it after reading multiple websites....

 

So far I have booked apartments in each stop and I need to figure out timelines from checking out of one apartment and how much lead time I need to get to the train station....

 

Oh good lord, I am a mess!!!

I was doing fine with planning a wonderful Italy vacation until I had to deal with this train thing...

 

Can someone PLEASE help me!!

[euro cruiser]

Take several deep breaths, it's not going to be that hard. English is spoken everywhere in Italy so you'll have plenty of people to ask for help if you need it.

 

When is your trip? You can't really buy train tickets too far in advance, but if you are within three months or so you can get started.

 

Do you feel comfortable posting the locations of your apartments? We can start there helping you understand how far they are from the train.

[bobalink]

This is a great thread... Thank you for the locals who posted.

 

Sighhh... I am worried.

 

Oh good lord, I am a mess!!!

I was doing fine with planning a wonderful Italy vacation until I had to deal with this train thing...

 

Can someone PLEASE help me!!

 

You will do fine. I felt the same way before our trip last summer, and I took the advice of euro cruiser and other CC members and did just fine.

 

We took the train from FCO, to Termini, then to Chiusi. Later we took the train from Chiusi to Florence, then Florence to Venice.

 

If I can do it, anyone can. :)

 

Many Italians speak English and are willing to help. I found that the "under 35" were very fluent and helpful. Another tip, just watch what others are doing at the train station.

 

For instance, I stood a small distance away from the Self-serve Kiosk at the train station and watched the locals get their tickets. When I first attempted, I didn't find the "English" screen right away, and I looked around and a young Italian lady showed me.

 

Same thing with the validating machine. Just watched a few people and then copied them.

 

In addition to the great advice you will get here on CC, you may find these websites helpful:

 

Rome Airport to Termini Video instructions:

Taking the Train in Italy:

Trenitalia

http://www.trenitalia.com

 

Lots of good train travel info here:

http://seat61.com/Italy.htm

 

Ron in Rome dot com (no spaces)

http://www.ron in rome .com/%20transportation/riding-the-trains-in-italy

http://www.ron in rome .com/transportation/booking-online-using-the-trenitalia-website-updated

 

 

Rick Steves travel book, "Italy" has a section on train travel, with pictures of what the tickets look like. Important to know words like: track, ticket, train, aisle, seat, window, etc.

 

Regarding luggage: I got on the train first, and my husband handed the suitcases to me, then he got on. We worked quickly to get out of the way!

 

Once we got the hang of it, traveling by train in Italy wasn't as scarey as I first thought. We will definitely travel by train again.

 

Enjoy your time in Italy!

[smoothdancer]

Yes, I am OK telling you the apartment locations.

With each location you tell the rental agency how you are arriving and they meet you and take you to the apt.

 

In Rome we will stay at the Westin, right in the center of Rome. Here is the website

http://www.westinrome.com/?PS=EAME_aa_Starwood_ICM-70_Google%20US_westin%20hotels%20rome_10/02/10

As you know not many address in Italy. We will be here in Venice

Location: Campo Santi Apostoli

Vaporetto stop: Ca D'oro

Sestiere:Cannaregio

 

We will be here in Florence

via delle Seggiole, Florence

When we leave Florence we will do a priviate tour for the day in Tuscany and have the driver return us to the train station or if not to expensive drive us back to Rome.

I have not booked our last day in Rome yet, but expect to book a Marriott that is close to the Airport.

Our vacation is 5 months away so I cannot purchase tickets yet, just trying to understand it so when the time comes I know what I am doing.

Thank you!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Is there an area in the station to store luggage

Our ship docks at 4:30 am and our plane does not leave until 6 pm

So we would take the train to Rome and leave our luggage somewhere for a until 2;30 - 3 then take the train to the airport

[euro cruiser]

In Rome we will stay at the Westin, right in the center of Rome.

 

 

We will be here in Venice

Location: Campo Santi Apostoli

Vaporetto stop: Ca D'oro

Sestiere:Cannaregio

 

We will be here in Florence

via delle Seggiole, Florence

 

When we leave Florence we will do a priviate tour for the day in Tuscany and have the driver return us to the train station or if not to expensive drive us back to Rome.

 

I have not booked our last day in Rome yet, but expect to book a Marriott that is close to the Airport.

The closest train station to the Westin is Termini. The hotel is just under a mile from the train station but it's not an easy walk because there is a hill along the way and a section or two with no sidewalk. A cab ride from Termini to the Westin will probably run around 10 Euro but will be well worth it.

 

In Venice, you'll exit the train station right on the Grand Canal. Take the #1 vaporetto (direction Lido) and get off at the fourth stop, Ca'Doro. You can see the timetables here: http://www.actv.it/sites/default/files/orario%20estivo%202012%20navigazione.pdf

 

Florence is interesting. On foot your apartment is closer to the Santa Maria Novella station (although only slightly - it.s 0.8 miles, vs. 1.1 miles from the Campo di Marte station). However, there are a lot of pedestrian streets between Santa Maria Novella and your neighborhood (between the Duomo and Santa Croce) so the route a cab will take may seem circuitous. It's still better to use the Santa Maria Novella station, because you can get direct trains there (Campo Marte requires changing trains).

 

Where in Tuscany will your tour take you? If you are going as far south as Montepulciano you could have your driver drop you at the Chiusi station and take the train from there. If your tour is primarily in the Chianti region you could have the driver leave you at the Arezzo station. Either of these would be preferable to fighting the traffic back into Florence just to get a train.

 

The closest Marriott to the airport is the Courtyard. They have a shuttle service to the airport that was 15 Euro when I took it several years ago. You do need to reserve the shuttle service as it does fill up. There is also a full service Marriot near the ring road; I haven't stayed there and don't know what they offer in terms of transport.

[euro cruiser]

Is there an area in the station to store luggage

Our ship docks at 4:30 am and our plane does not leave until 6 pm

So we would take the train to Rome and leave our luggage somewhere for a until 2;30 - 3 then take the train to the airport

Yes, there is a left luggage office at Termini station in Rome (Termini and Tiburtina are the only train stations in Rome that offer this service).

 

Be sure to leave yourself enough time on the return to pick up your bags, I've waited up to 30 minutes on line for pickup.

 

Information on hours and times is here: http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=5dc9fb73699fb110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

[smoothdancer]

Oh my goodness, Euro Cruiser,

Thank you so much.... The information you gave me is wonderful. I appreciate so much the time you took to respond to me....

 

LOL, this planning is so much compared to a cruise but I think it is going to be worth it.

 

I have not quite figured out the tour in Tuscany, our interests are however wineries, so I think we will end up in the Chianti region.

 

Again,

Many Thanks.