Different types of trains/travel classes:

Eurostar
Eurostar trains are the fastest and most comfortable (most expensive also.) Two classes are available, 2nd class and 1st class. Generally available on links between major cities within Italy, and to cities outside Italy. Beverage service is available on all. The ES500 trains have a dining car. There is mandatory reserved seating in 2nd class and 1st class. Restrooms are available.

IC & IC+
IC and IC+ trains are almost as fast as the Eurostar. They are regional trains. Available with 2nd class and 1st class. The IC trains are the older configuration, a corridor down on side and small cabins along the corridor. There are seats on either side of the cabin, bench style, seating a total of 6-8 persons. There is a door to the cabin. The IC+ trains have facing seating arrangement without the cabins. The corridor is down through the center. There is mandatory reserved seating in 1st class. Reserved seating is optional in 2nd class. Restrooms are available.

Local
Local (Commuter) trains are the most common and least expensive. By their very nature, they are the slowest. Some trains offer 1st class (with optional reserved seating), but a majority are 2nd class only. 2nd class has no reserved seating. Quite often, the number of tickets sold exceeds the number of seats available. I have traveled extensively on the Rome-Civitavecchia-Livorno-Pisa, Pisa-Florence, and Florence-Rome routes and have had to stand the entire route on more than one occasion. 2nd class is not a good choice when traveling with a bunch of luggage. Restrooms may or may not be available.

Ticket Purchases

Most train stations have the option of going to a ticket window (manned) or using an automated ticket machine. If you know what you want, or are pretty certain, use the machine. Lines at ticket windows in large station (Rome) can be quite long. Try after 9PM for a next day ticket; you could be done in minutes.

Fare Examples (prices 8/2008):

Roma Termini - FCO Airport [Local train] - 11,0 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Civitavecchia [Local train] 2nd Class - 4,5 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Civitavecchia [IC or IC+] 2nd Class - 8,5 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Civitavecchia [IC or IC+] 1st Class - 11,0 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Firenze SMN [Local] 2nd Class - 14,9 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Firenze SMN [Local] 1st Class - 23,3 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Firenze SMN [Eurostar] 2nd Class - 33,0 Euro pp one way

Roma Termini - Firenze SMN [Eurostar] 1st Class - 47,0 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Pisa Centrale [Local] 2nd Class - 12,9 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Pisa Centrale [Local] 1st Class - 20,0 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Pisa Centrale [IC] 2nd Class - 22,0 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Pisa Centrale [IC] 1st Class - 29.5 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Pisa Centrale [ES] 2nd Class - 23,0 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Pisa Centrale [ES] 1st Class - 36,0 Euro pp one way

Civitavecchia - Firenze SMN [Local + ES] 2nd Class - 37,5 Euro pp one way (via Roma Termini)

Civitavecchia - Firenze SMN [Local + ES] 1st Class - 51,5 Euro pp one way (via Roma Termini)

Civitavecchia - Firenze SMN [IC + ES] 2nd Class - 43,5 Euro pp one way (via Roma Termini)

Civitavecchia - Firenze SMN [IC + ES] 1st Class - 60,0 Euro pp one way (via Roma Termini)

For additional info: TrenItalia, Roma Termini Services

Rome - Civitavecchia Departure Stations:

Different classes of trains depart from different stations. ES trains will originate at Roma Termini and will stop at Civitavecchia.

IC+ and IC trains will originate at Roma Termini and stop at Roma Tuscolana, Roma Ostiense, Roma Trastevere and Civitavecchia.

Local (regional) trains will originate at Roma Termini and will stop at Roma Tiburtina, Roma Tuscolana, Roma Ostiense, Roma Trastevere, Roma S. Pietro, Roma Aurelia, Maccarese-Fregene, Torre in Pietra-Palidoro, Lapispoli-Cervetere, Marina de Cerveteri, S. Marinella, Santa Severa and Civitavecchia.

Just because the station is listed here does not mean that the train will actually stop. Check a particular train at Trenitalia. Once you have searched for the date/time and have a list of trains, click on Details for a particular train, on the page that follows, click on the train number. This will give you a list of all stops (including times) for that train.

Train Departure Board:

There is a very good probability that your destination will not show up on the trains departure boards. For that reason, being aware of both your departure time and your train number is very important. The train number will show up on the newer digital boards. The departure time and train type/class appears on all boards.

Do not be surprised if your train's departure track is not listed on the board. Many do not get listed until just minutes before the departure. For this reason, it is a very good idea to watch the boards closely as your departure time nears.

Ticket Validation:

Ticket validation is very important. It basically means inserting your ticket into a yellow machine that will put a date/time stamp on it. Validation machines are generally located in near proximity to the ticket windows, on the main platform, and other platforms that extend away from the station. The machines are about the size of a rural mailbox. If, after puuting your ticket into the machine several times, and nothing happens. Try another machine. Generally speaking, you have 90 minutes from the time you validate your ticket until you catch your train.

Traveling on the train without a validated ticket is like traveling without a ticket at all. Actually, the penalty is quite steep! You pay a fine (up to 50 Euro) plus the cost of the ticket. So, if you bought a ticket but didn't get it validated, you get to pay a fine plus buy another ticket. There is a man called the Conductor who will come by (or maybe not) and check your ticket. (We had tickets checked on 1 of 4 train rides on our June trip.)

The ticket validation routine also applies to bus tickets. In those cases, the validation machines are located on the buses themselves (usually the front and rear.)

The luggage factor:

For openers, check out Why the call it 'LUG-GAGE... OK, quantity is one issue. The other issue is the height of the train car floor above the train platform. It is about 2 feet (although I have never measured it.)

Enter the train travel teamwork plan. One person, carrying at least one bag, boards the train, places the bag in the corridor and turns around to catch another bag being tosses up by the other person. This continues until all bags are onboard, as well as the other person. At this point, you and your travel partner, and all of that luggage, are completely blocking the corridor at the end of the train car. Next step, one person watches the luggage (after you have carefully lined it up in single file along the corridor) while the other person scouts out seating locations.

Once your seating location has been determined, you get to move your luggage again. Luggage storage can be a problem at times. Choices include overhead, behind your seats, under your feet, on empty seats next to you, or at the end of the train car. Whatever the case, you want your luggage within your sight and reach at all times. This is especially true if you are on a train that makes stops before you reach your destination. If you must be away from your luggage, secure it together and to a permanent part of the train using a locking bicycle cable or locking luggage strap.

When you are 5-6 minutes from your scheduled arrival at your destination, you must again start moving luggage. Basically, you are reversing everything that you did when you boarded the train. Move it to the corridor near the entry/exit to the car. When you arrive at the station, one person hops off the train with a bag, sets it down, and turns around to catch bags as they are being tossed to you. (You are under time contraints here and you don't have time for the 'handed to you' stuff.) You have 2-3 minutes to get everything/everyone off the train.

Train Tracks or Stairs and Tunnel

There are basically two types of train stations that you will come across. One is the Termini where the train tracks come in perpendicular to the main station. In this case, the platform between pairs of tracks is a continuous walkway to the main station [example: Roma Termini, Florence SMN.] The other is a 'pass through' station where the tracks are parallel to the rear of the station, as are the individual platforms between track pairs. In this case, there is no continuous platform directly to the station [example: Civitavecchia, Pisa.] To reach the station, you must go down 2 flights of stairs, go through a 40-50 foot tunnel under the tracks, and then back up two flights of stairs. This is really not fun!

In some stations you will see narrow (1-2 metre) ramps that go down to a path that crosses the tracks. You will also see (but probably not understand) signs that tell you you cannot use the ramps or paths. If you were to find and hire a porter, this is the route that he would take to the station. A couple of important considerations here are (1)Do you want to get hit by a train? and/or (2) Do you want to get caught? Other stations do not have these ramps/paths because they have live tracks (electric) that you would have to cross.

Station to Civitavecchia Port

Some folks make a big deal about this little hike. It really isn't. Photo and directions are here.

Created for members of CruiseCritic.com by GSPLover. Portions previously posted online.