eurostar in Italy

[parsonstrish]

Has anyone used eurostar for travel between Rome and Venice. I have no Italian language and wonder how easy it is to get from point to point. Thanks. I'll try and not post all my anxiety abt. my trip to Italy with a zillion questions. Wish my conference was in the UK, there I'm familiar with lots of things.
cheers, trish

 

[tuapekastar]

Has anyone used eurostar for travel between Rome and Venice. I have no Italian language and wonder how easy it is to get from point to point. Thanks. I'll try and not post all my anxiety abt. my trip to Italy with a zillion questions. Wish my conference was in the UK, there I'm familiar with lots of things.
cheers, trish

Trish,

Have not done so, but http://www.seat61.com/ has a wealth of information on train travel, especially in Europe. You may find some anxiety relief there.

 

[Mal]

I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to speak Italian when in Italy, although I strongly recommend you learn at least the basics. One site that may help is the BBC Languages site ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/index.shtml ) although there are many others including those Lonely Planet/<generic tourist guide> phrasebooks you can get at your local bookstore.

Maybe in the small towns language could be an issue, but a lot of people understand at least some English (esp. younger people) in the heavily touristed areas.

A little patience, speaking clearly and not rushing, understanding and a phrase book goes far!

As for trains, I've found foreign trains really aren't that hard to master if you do some research before you go and know what to expect. There is an English website for TrenItalia here http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html so make sure you do a lot of reading and timetable checking etc so you get a feel for the service.

Even Googling will help, eg a quick google showed this website which appears pretty comprehensive about trains in Italy. http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/intro.htm

You may find you can buy your train pass in Australia before you head over and that may work out cheaper. Check out the tourist information based sites such as www.frommers.com, www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide etc etc. They have sections on train travelling etc. Trains in Italy range from very poor (slow, not very comfy) to good - although the Eurostar should be a good train.

Enjoy the trip, and have lots of Gelato while you're there. Mmmm! You're making me want to go back already!

 

[NM]

When I used the train from Rome to Venice, we hit a union strike and our train was cancelled. Consequently we lost of pre-allocated seats (for which we had paid a premium on top of the Eurail pass).

Language was not a problem. The agents at the ticket counter at Rome train station spoke enough English for us to communicate easily about finding me reserved seats on the next trains since we were travelling with children and could not really just wander the train looking a spare seat.

Italian trains have the opposite reputation to those in Germany and Switzerland. The German and Swiss trains generally run perfectly on time (to the minute) and are clean and reliable. In Italy, that is not always the case. But even with that experience, I would still do it again. The train is a good way to get to Venice as the station is right next to the Grand Canal and there are water taxis and water buses right outside. We stayed at a hotel that was about 200m walk from the station on the same side of the canal, so very easy to get to with luggage.

Enjoy Venice - its a wonderful city to explore.

 

[parsonstrish]

many thanks for the replies. I've downloaded one of the sites Mal you suggested and hopefully have subscribed to their discussion board. I want to make sure I can get off at the small town I go to first on Eurostar before Venice.
I've bought a lonely planet Italy book and trying to learn some words. Don't like my chances. I work with an Italian lady and when I say chow she usually replies, it's not dog food but I will continue to give it my best shot, I should be understood if I say gelato. Don't know if that will work though for everything thanks again all, trish

 

[davocns]

Hi Parsontrish, I used the Eurostar service to travel from Rome to Venice about 3 years ago. Excellent trip. The train itself is very comfortable ,clean, nice big wide seats, big windows to take in the scenery, and a very smooth ride. We took advantage of having lunch in the dining car - a pleasant meal of pasta and washed down with a very nice red ! All in all a great trip.No problems with languages either. Just be a bit cautious when boarding in Rome - plenty of unofficial porters willing to take your baggage and load it onto your particular carriage - but at a price - keep an eye on your bags at all times and a tight grip on your wallet.Otherwise , enjoy !

 

[NM]

And for a cheaper eating experience on the trip, visit one of the delis across the road from the station and get a few baguettes or similar and enjoy at your leisure during the trip.