Understanding Italy's train ticket times

[Debzee]

Hi

We are going to be staying in Rome for a while since we had to cancel our cruise and cannot cancel airfare otherwise pretty hefty fines impended. We will be there for 11 days, staying at a bed n breakfast.

Our question is, how do you differentiate their am & pm times? With the amount of time there, is there a pass we could purchase so we could see various parts of Italy such as , Venice?

Any help would be grately appreciated

Robert & Debra

[LondonTowner]

I am not sure I entirely understand your question. Air and train timetables in Europe and most parts of the world are in 24 hour clock so as to avoid any confusion.

[CruiserBruce]

I also don't understand your question, and agree, like much of the world, they use the 24 hour (or as we sometimes call it in the US, military clock) to erase all confusion of correct time.

 

Spent 15 days traveling by train in Italy this summer, starting and ending in Rome. You could easily have a couple of days in Venice and Florence, as well as several days in Rome. All by train. There are many threads here on using the train system, and it is really pretty easy.

Edited November 13, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[4774Papa]

Italy rail pass

 

http://www.theeurailpass.com/trenitalia/index.htm

 

A agree with CriserBruse, Venice and Florence are obvious choices. Spend at least two days in each. If you have more time, rent a car and drive to Siena.

[Debzee]

Thank you all for your help. I'm sorry if I've confused the situation as to how I was phrasing my question. What I'm trying to figure out is when you choose a time , how do you know if it's am or pm time? We will be in Rome as our home for 11 days and wanted to venture out by train to various places and was hoping we could obtain a pass that would cover unlimited service at a set price. Guess I'll have to read more into the boards. First time ever to Italy! Thank you again

Robert & Debra

[Debzee]

I also don't understand your question, and agree, like much of the world, they use the 24 hour (or as we sometimes call it in the US, military clock) to erase all confusion of correct time.

 

Spent 15 days traveling by train in Italy this summer, starting and ending in Rome. You could easily have a couple of days in Venice and Florence, as well as several days in Rome. All by train. There are many threads here on using the train system, and it is really pretty easy.

 

What was the name of the train pass you purchased and do you recall the amount? This is what we are looking for. We will be there , staying in Rome for 11 days.

[cruisemom42]

Thank you all for your help. I'm sorry if I've confused the situation as to how I was phrasing my question. What I'm trying to figure out is when you choose a time , how do you know if it's am or pm time? We will be in Rome as our home for 11 days and wanted to venture out by train to various places and was hoping we could obtain a pass that would cover unlimited service at a set price. Guess I'll have to read more into the boards. First time ever to Italy! Thank you again

Robert & Debra

 

 

If the time is listed as 7:20, it is am.

 

If the time is listed as 19:20, it is 7:20 pm.

[Debzee]

If the time is listed as 7:20, it is am.

 

If the time is listed as 19:20, it is 7:20 pm.

 

Thank you so much. I understand

[Twickenham]

What I'm trying to figure out is when you choose a time , how do you know if it's am or pm time?

 

With the 24-hour clock the question is irrelevant, because times aren't repeated.

 

7 am = 7:00

Noon = 12:00

4 pm = 16:00

8 pm = 20:00

 

A much more efficient system :)

 

We will be in Rome as our home for 11 days and wanted to venture out by train to various places and was hoping we could obtain a pass that would cover unlimited service at a set price.

 

For all things rail in Europe, check out The Man in Seat 61: http://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm. He doesn't feel the numbers generally add up for purchasing a pass in Italy, but you can run the numbers yourself to see if it would be worth it to you.

 

I looove train travel in Italy. If you want more specific info on how to search on Trenitalia or anything else, don't hesitate to ask - lots of people with first-hand experience here!

[CruiserBruce]

What was the name of the train pass you purchased and do you recall the amount? This is what we are looking for. We will be there , staying in Rome for 11 days.

 

We didn't use a pass. We simply booked our trips as planned. From Rome-Venice one day, Venice to Florence another day. We spent 4 nights in Rome, 3 in Venice, 2 in Florence, then went to Cinque Terra for 3 nights. We had booked our hotels, so we knew what days we needed to book travel for.

 

Do your research. By booking these longer runs 4 months out, the fares are pretty good. Not sure if a pass will save you that way, but I could be wrong.

[marazul]

Thank you all for your help. I'm sorry if I've confused the situation as to how I was phrasing my question. What I'm trying to figure out is when you choose a time , how do you know if it's am or pm time? We will be in Rome as our home for 11 days and wanted to venture out by train to various places and was hoping we could obtain a pass that would cover unlimited service at a set price. Guess I'll have to read more into the boards. First time ever to Italy! Thank you again

Robert & Debra

 

Debra -

 

sorry you had to cancel your cruise. But just a practical consideration, don't think of using Rome as a base for 11 days and then taking day trips to other places, such as Venice. It is too far and you will spend too much time traveling. Plan an itinerary and go from place to place, such as 2-3 days in Florence, on to 2-3 days in Venice, return to Rome for a couple of days, then Sorrento for 2 days and back to Rome for the remainder of your trip.

 

You probably do not want to pack and unpack, but that is a lot easier than truly long and unpractical day trips. You will hate it if you do that. Pack really light, a carryon each and play "gypsies" for 11 days.

 

Another alternative could be looking at land tours (aka, tour bus) that may coincide with your dates. They would arrange hotels, transport, etc. The tour could be for all the time you are in Italy or maybe for part of the time, say 7 days and you can do something else, like Sorrento and Amalfi coast, on your own for the remaining days.

 

Perillo tours has a good reputation and is affordable. http://www.perillotours.com/italy/tours-of-italy/index.html

There are other companies too, just google them.

[marazul]

Sorry, I should have added that if you check those bus tour companies get a price for "land only" without the flights. They might accommodate you.

[euro cruiser]

It is almost always less expensive to purchase point-to-point tickets in Italy vs. any pass, which is sold by a third party. Since you know your travel dates well in advance you can take advantage of early purchase and get very low fares.

[kuldalai]

To answer the original question specifically most transport operators including airlines and railways use the 24 hour clock to avoid people confusing am and PM times.

 

0100 1am 0200 2am 0300 3am 0400 4am 0500 5am 0600 6am

0700 7am 0800 8am 0900 9am 1000 10am 1100 11am 1200 Noon

1300 1pm 1400 2pm 1500 3pm 1600 4pm 1700 5pm 1800 6pm

1900 7pm 2000 8pm 2100 9pm 2200 10pm 2300 11pm 0000 Midnight

[syesmar]

Debzee,

 

You will have a GREAT time in Italy!

 

Here's a couple websites that will help acquaint you with the Italian Train system and how to read your tickets:

 

http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#.VGZW_vnF-FU

 

(someone already linked the main site, but this is kind of a FAQ page)

 

http://travel-tab.blogspot.com/2010/08/reading-italian-train-ticket.html

 

I remember what it was like to visit Italy and use the trains for the first time . . . we had less than a week to plan our trip! I would advise to take an Italian phrasebook (or a copy of phrases), as there are times it may be difficult to find English speakers. Also, from Termini Station in Rome, sometimes the walk to your platform can take a while, so just plan to be there with plenty of time to make your train (speaking from experience:>).

 

Enjoy your time in Italy! It will be unforgettable!