The Art of Train Travel in Italy
For the Solo Traveller with Luggage
My plan was to be able to get around Italy on all methods of transport and to my carefully selected hotels, managing my luggage on my own, with a minimum of fuss. The plan went off with only a couple of minimal hitches, but on the grand scale of travel, I could almost say it worked perfectly! Train Travel in Italy is a lovely way to get around.
All my train bookings were made online using Trenitalia or Trainline, both have the same information, I have the Trainline app on my phone. If there is a First Class option, take it, it costs very little more for a nice seat, a bit more space and to be served snacks and drinks. The seats are still very nice in Second Class, but why……? Remember to check the type of ticket you have, most tickets need to be validated online, in the app, or by scanning the barcode on a printed ticket, before you get on the train. The inspectors are ruthless, there was a young couple near me who didn’t validate their tickets it cost them 56 Euros each to correct this error with the inspector, for a 9 Euro ticket!! Saying they didn’t know was not an excuse, she just stood there with her credit card machine saying, “There are signs everywhere, will you be paying with cash or card?” With a silent look that said, ‘or will I call security?’ They paid.
I arrived at Venice Marco Polo Airport, then caught the Alilaguna Water Bus into Venice.
After spending 5 fabulous nights in Venice, I wheeled my suitcase out of the Hotel Rialto and on to the vaporetto, this time from the Rialto stop right outside the hotel, we moved along the Grand Canal and after a couple of stops along the way we arrived at the railway station vaporetto stop, Ferrovia.
It is very easy to get up to the platform, with your back to the canal, head to the right-hand side of the station, there is a ramp there, so luggage is no problem. I checked the board and went and made myself at home on the train for the trip to Florence. The train wasn’t crowded so I was able to put my case in the space between the backs of the seats across the aisle, easy to handle with no lifting, and I could keep an eye on it if the train filled up. Right on time, the train pulled out of the station, we crossed the causeway to the mainland, and in no time, we were hurtling through the countryside.
We arrived in Florence about 45 minutes late, there was a problem just outside Florence with people on the tracks!! All the message that came up on the screen in the carriage said was, “Unauthorised people on the track causing delays.” I was ok, I didn’t have a connecting train to catch, but for others that would have thrown their plans into disarray, but there are generally plenty of trains, so it’s not too much of a problem in the middle of the day. I wouldn’t be keen for that to happen at night.
Ferrovia Vaporetto Stop at Venice Railway Station
Coming out of Venice Railway Station
After my 4 night stay at Hotel Atlantic Palace in Florence, the next stop on the solo Italian adventure was Siena. My original plan was to catch the bus from Florence to Siena, and with that in mind I booked to stay at Relais degli Angeli, a small boutique hotel just near the bus station. Then I read an article about a horror bus trip someone had, (difficult to handle luggage on the bus, a travel-sick child nearby, urrggghh!!) and decided to catch the train! Much easier to get luggage on to a train, but the railway station in Siena is at the bottom of the hill, and the town is at the top – not a problem, there is a series of escalators to get you up to Porto Camollia, the entrance gate to the medieval town. Or catch a taxi!
I spent 3 nights in Siena, then it was time for the adventure to continue, this time out to La Spezia, on the coast, my base for exploring Cinque Terre. This was going to be my first train journey where I had to change trains. I had become very good at flinging my luggage on and off trains, but this time I would have a degree of difficulty thrown into the mix – a time constraint and have to change platforms. I only had a few minutes change over time in Empoli, so there was no time for “unauthorised people” on the track holding things up!
It was all choreographed beautifully – I got off the train in Empoli, checked the board to see which platform I had to go to, hoping it would be the other side of the platform I was on. It was…..and the train was just pulling into the platform!!! I got straight on and settled in like a seasoned professional, and we made our way out to the coast and up to La Spezia. Be aware there are two La Spezia stations, don’t get off at the first one, La Spezia Migliarina, unless that’s near where you are going, of course. La Spezia Centrale is the main station in the town area.
There are many trains from La Spezia to each of the villages in the Cinque Terre National Park, it only takes a few minutes to get from village to village, this can all be done with a Cinque Terre Card, that gives you unlimited access to trains in the National Park area, and to La Spezia, for however many days you buy the card for.
For my train trip back to Venice, after 5 nights in La Spezia staying at Hotel Firenze e Continentale, things did start to get a bit ridiculous!! This train trip is in three sections and I suggest you book them separately!! The first details that came up gave me a 6 minute change in Pisa for the train to Florence – so unless you can do a 100 in a time that can leave Hussein Bolt eating your dust, and when last timed, I don’t! But then again, I don’t know what his time is in an Italian train station with luggage, only in perfect conditions on a track. Me, on the other hand………I might just have it all over him!!
Not willing to risk it, or having the added stress, I booked an earlier train out of La Spezia, so I now have a leisurely 40 minutes to get off one train, find which of the other 15 platforms my next train is going from, and get myself, and my luggage, there.
That all went to hell in a handbasket when I received a received a notification about a week in advance, that the Pisa to Florence train would be running late, this cut into my changeover time in Florence, so I booked an earlier train that could still fit in between the La Spezia to Pisa leg and the Florence to Venice leg. When I get to Florence for the change to Venice, I have 19 minutes, but my understanding is that is doable….
Then a few days later I received a notification that the train from La Spezia to Pisa was going to be running late, this meant I wouldn’t make the Pisa to Florence connection, and therefore miss the Florence to Venice train…….Oh noooooo!!
With the Florence to Venice train being the important one, I booked tickets on an even earlier train leaving La Spezia, and an earlier train leaving Pisa – I think I now had tickets for every train going in that direction that morning, but finally I had the no stress combo of tickets that gave me between 30 and 45 minutes for each transfer, time to buy a coffee in Pisa and some lunch in Florence to eat on the train on the way to Venice. Phew!!
Porto Camollia, entrance to Siena
Train track passing Monterosso Beach, Cinque Terre
Changing trains in Pisa, I only needed to go one platform over, there was a small lift, where I discovered that you need to hold the button in for it to go, just pressing the button in the usual way does nothing, I was terrified of getting stuck half way, but made it, walked quickly to the next lift and was up on the platform as my next train was just pulling in to the station. The button instructions were just an interpretation thing. The note above the button said, “To operate lift keep pressing” so at first, I was going press, press, press repeatedly. All this did was made the lift shudder. What the sign needed to say was, “To operate lift, press and hold the button in until you get up to the platform or down to the tunnel, then release.”
There was another drama on the way to Venice, where a couple of troublemakers refused to leave the first class seats they hadn’t booked, until security dragged them and their designer bling to the end of the carriage, and handed them over to the police when the train pulled into Bologna.
The train calmly pulled into Venice right on time and I was on the vaporetto and back in the Hotel Rialto for a few more nights on the canal before my Solo Italian Adventure sadly came to an end, until next time…….
To read about the Hotels I stayed in on My Solo Italian Adventure through Venice, Florence, Siena, Pisa, La Spezia and Cinque Terre – all possible on your own, with luggage, and easy to get to from the railway station!
For ideas on places to visit in Florence and Venice, and more to come!!
Itinerary for my Trip Over to Italy
Flew from Sydney to London Heathrow via Singapore, with Qantas on QF1, then QF2 to come home.
Stayed at the Royal Overseas League in St James’s.
Flew from London to Venice on British Airways.
Travelled Venice on Alilaguna Water Bus and Vaporettos.
Travelled from Venice to Florence, to Siena, to La Spezia and back to Venice by train.
Flew back to London on British Airways.
Had a quick run around Prague after a 4 hour train trip from Vienna. I was last in Prague 9 years ago, all seems familiar except Wenceslas Square....apart from the statue of Good King Wenceslas on his horse, the rest of the square that used to be an elegant collection of historic buildings, hotels, cafes, etc......has now turned into Oxford Street, London...Primark, C&A, Half Price, the list goes on......who thought that was a good idea????
#prague #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #charlesbridgeprague
A crowd gathers every hour to watch the Astronomical Clock in Prague put on a show 😂 Then some people clap and cheer, and some people laugh in an `is that it` kind of way.
#prague #astronomicalclockprague🏰 #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Strolling around Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens and Government House✨️ looking out across Sydney Harbour on a sunny mid winters day☀️
#rbg #sydneylocal #sydneyharbour #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #sydneyharbourwalks
The house where the Governor General lives in the Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of Sydney Harbour. I`m thinking of applying for the job!!
You can wander around the gardens and go on free booked tours of inside parts of the house most weekends - I love the way we all look around as if its a property inspection and we`re looking to buy it😂
#governmenthousesydney #sydneyrbg #sydney #sydneyharbourwalks #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of the CBD and Sydney Harbour all sparkling on an unseasonably hot day for June ✨️ Who would have thought hats and sunscreen would still be the order of the day, I would expect hats and coats at this time of year!!!
#royalbotanicgardens #urbanoasis #walkinthepark #sydney #sydneyharbourwalks
The best part of the day trip from Vienna to Bratislava was the boat trip back to Vienna on the Danube!! The hydofoiling catamaran was fast, about 90 minutes, the crew were great. It was freezing cold and windy outside, but I couldn`t help myself, I just had to keep going out to take photos, then running back in to sip my wine 🥂!!!
Great for solo travelers, I met so many other travellers onboard.
#cruisingonthedanube #twinliner #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
Sydney is having an unbelievably warm winter so far, all blue sky, blue water and sunshine today ☀️!!
After catching the tram across the river, I strolled through Letna Park, there are stunning views of Prague`s Vltava river, the bridges and the castle, not to mention all the flowers in the park.
#flowerseverywhere #viewsfordays #praguelife #solotrip #walkinthepark
More sculptures in the streets, and I found another one of the minitures that are dotted all over the city. It`s hard to tell what it is, but perched on the wall near the castle, the little guy in the last photo is looking through his telecope at the city below!!
#streetsculptures #budapest #artinthe streets #solotravel
Yesterday evenings stroll to walk off my enormous Christmas lunch ✨️ past Fortnum & Mason, up Bond St, past the Royal Arcade, then past all the fashion shops dressed up to the nines. Chanel was my favourite 💖 Then Oxford St and back down Regent St to Piccadilly. Londin really knows how to do Christmas lights 🥂✨️💖
#londonatchristmastime #christmaslights #streetsoflondon #bondstreetlondon #regentstreetlondon
Arriving in Vienna, I found my hotel at set off exploring the neighbourhood, the architecture is all gobsmacking, but hard to get far enough away from to photograph!!
#vienna #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #solotravel
At the top of Wenceslas Square stands the National Museum in Prague, an impressive building with breathtaking views from the Cupola.
#praguenationalmuseum #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
A quick ferry trip across the Grand Harbour from Valletta to the area known as the Three Cities. Grab a seat up on the top deck forthe best views. Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua are all worth exploring on foot, cobbled streets, little parks, the maritime museum just near where the ferry arrives, and the Knights of St John HQ at the amazing Fort St Angelo, not to mention the harbour full of yachts of all shapes and sizes.
Read more about my solo 10 day trip over to Malta by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
#malta #valletta #threecitiesmalta #solotravelinmalta #solotravelwoman
It was a lovely sunny London day to walk through Kensington Gardens from South Kensington to Baystwater Rd. Kensington Palace was all locked up for the Christmas break.
#kensingtonpalace #kensingtongardenslondon #london #solotravelinlondon #traveltheworldwithme
Back to Schonbrunn Palace to see the Imperial Apartments. Gold was definitely the order of the day ✨️ but I reckon I could live there quite comfortably with a few more mod cons!!
#schönbrunnpalace #imperialapartments #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip
Vienna is magnificent to just wander around aimlessly, the buildings, the parks, everything, just perfect.
#vienna #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
Caught the train from Vienna to Bratislava for a day trip. Walking up the hill to visit the castle is not for the faint hearted!! And the walk back down 🥴 brutal on the dodgy knee!!! But I made it 😃!!!
#bratislava #daytripfromvienna #daytripfromviennatobratislava #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel
Exploring Trapani Salt Pans on the west coast of Sicily with a day trip tour from Palermo - what a quirky spot! Windmills, old boats, and epic views. The last shot shows the hilltop medieval city of Erice, which I featured in my previous posts. The solo adventure continues.....
#trapani #trapanisaltpans #sicily #solotravelinsicily
Sunrise on my last day in London, after a few very cold, cloudy days, today we are going with a freezing 2 degrees, and sunshine ❄️❄️❄️
#sunriseinlondon #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #londonlife #coldmornings❄️ #solotrip
Even if Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly is too packed with people to fit inside, the outside of the building and the window displays are worth seeing.
#fortnums #piccadilly #londonatchristmastime #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
Exploring Erice ✨️ a medieval city perched high on a hill in western Sicily. It`s a beautiful spot to wander around for a few hours. The city has roots in the pre-Roman era, but most of the structures standing today date back to the Normans in 1148.
I was going to make my own way there on the train from Palermo to Trapani, then up to Erice on the cable car, but I found a small group tour that went to Erice, Trapani Salt Pans and Segesta so joined that instead. It meant I missed spending time in Trapani town centre, but I wouldn`t have been able to get to the Temple of Segesta by myself. You win some, you lose some!!
That just means one day I`ll have to go back to Sicily again 💖🥂!!
#erice #ericesicily #sicily #solotravelinsicily #medievalsicily
Decided to escape the heat in Sydney🔥 for the cold, and a cozy London Christmas🎄☃️ ❄️❄️❄️ ✨️And London has delivered with a lovely 4 degree (and falling ❄️❄️❄️) evening to start things off.
Merry Christmas to everyone 🎄☃️❄️🎄☃️❄️🥂!!
#solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #merrychristmas #londonforchristmas #christmaslights
Aimlessly wandering around the streets of Prague - beautiful💖
#prague #praguelife #solotrip #praguearchitecture
After visiting the Easter Markets at Schonbrunn Palace , I went for a walk up through the gardens, all the way up to the `Gloriette` at the top of the hill way off in the distance.
The Gloriette was built in 1775 for no other reason than the view - when the Habsburgs were sitting on the balcony of their summer Schloss, they wanted something nice to look at, so they had the Gloriette built along with a few ponds and fountains. The world became a better place!!
#schönbrunnpalace #schönbrunnschloss #solotravel #habsburgfamilyresidence #vienna
Chilly morning in Vienna today, but apparently its going to warm up big time tomorrow! First stop Naschmarkt, then strolling past Karlskirche on my way to Schloss Belvedere.......
#naschmarkt #karlskirche #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
St Paul`s Cathedral dome as seen from the top of 1 New Change, the shopping centre across the road. I walked down Ludgate Hill, Fleet St and The Strand, coming across the Royal Exchange, Australia House, the dragon marking the boundary of London City. Every building along this street has incredible history.
#stpaulscathedral #royalexchange #australiahouse #londondragon #historiclondon
The gardens at Sydney`s Government House and into the Royal Botanic Gardens on the edge of Sydney Harbour.
#royalbotanicgarden #sydneylocal #sydneyharbour #sydneylife #walkinthepark
Explored the stunning Belvedere Palace in Vienna, a former imperial residence that`s truly breathtaking. The gardens were gorgeous, especially with the ponds and fountains coming to life now that winter`s loosening its grip, slightly....!!
#belvedere #schlossbelvedere #vienna #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
The streets of Valletta, Malta. Endless hours of exploring this amazing place. A wonderful place for solo travellers, easy to get around and very safe. Something for everyone, especially for history buffs!!
#solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravelinmalta
After visiting Monreale Cathedral and marveling at all the gold✨️ I enjoyed a serene walk around town. With most people still attending the service, I had the place almost to myself.
#monreale #monrealecathedral #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring
As usual, when it cones to museums, I usually find the building more interesting than the exhibits!! Vienna Natural History Museum was no exception!!
#viennanaturalhistorymuseum #vienna #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Leaving Budapest from Keleti station, I found my ticket gave me access to the Business Lounge waiting room!!
Next stop on my solo adventure - Vienna🥂!!
#solotravel #budapest #keletistation #travelbytrain #traveltheworldwithme
It`s a museum kind of day in Vienna, 2 to 5 degrees, we`ve had a bit of snow, a bit of sleet, a bit of rain and a lot of cold ❄️❄️❄️
The Furniture Museum is a collection of furnture and other items from the Imperial Palaces, including a display of the toilets from the day.
The museum holds huge stores of furniture that they lend out for movies, plays and other events needing furnishings from that era.
#viennafurnituremuseum #coldday❄️ #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
The Hungarian Parliament Building from across the Danube at night ❄️ It was a freezing cold evening, but a quick trip under the Danube on the Metro to get a few photos is just what needs to he done!
#hungarianparliamentbuilding #budapest #soloteavel #traveltheworldwithme
Inside the Monreale Cathedral, I was surrounded by gold everywhere. This stunning building was constructed between 1174 and 1267 and later adorned with millions of gold-covered glass tiles by skilled local and Venetian craftsmen. Unfortunately, my visit coincided with a packed Easter Sunday service, limiting my exploration of the intricate mosaic work, but what I did see close up at the back of the cathedral was amazing, I even loved the enormous doors to the Cathedral.
#monrealecathedral #glassmosaics #goldmosaics #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme
I spent 10 fantastic days exploring Malta 💖 A great place for solo travellers who love history and endless exploring.
✨️ Read about the places I visited by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
1. St Ursula St, Valletta
2. Victoria Gate, Valletta.
3. Upper Barraka Gardens, Valletta
4. The view from my hotel over The Grand Harbour
5. Victoria Gate, Valletta
6. Valletta street scene
#malta #solotravelinmalta #solotravelwoman #valletta #historylovers neverstopexploring
As promised, a beautiful sunny Easter Sunday in Vienna ☀️☀️☀️ After being in Palermo last Easter, where it was underwhelming, Vienna really knows how to take Easter to the extreme!!!
#easterinvienna #eastermarkets #soloadventure #vienna
Beautiful day to have another amble around the gardens at Schonbrunn Palace after exploring the Imperial Apartments, in another month these gardens will be in full bloom☀️☀️☀️
#schönbrunnpalace #schönbrunnschloss #palacegardens #solotrip
Wandering through Palermo in search of the bus to Monreale in the hills, I stumbled upon Porta Nuova, the ancient gate to Palermo. Which was a good find as it was the land mark I needed to make sure I was heading in the right direction.
#palermo #portanuovapalermo #solotravelinsicily #sicilytravel
The fairytale world of Castle District, perched high above the Danube on the Buda side. Hours of leisurely strolling are a must!!
My solo adventures in Budapest continue...
#budapestcastledistrict #budapest #solotrip
Budapest Central Market Hall built in the late 1800s, extensively damaged in WWll, left in ruins until the late 1900s when it was returned to it`s former glory.....only to now be mainly selling tourist trash.
#budapestcentralmarket #budapest #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel
Vienna`s Easter markets are in full swing now, with beautifully decorated eggs and plenty of food and drink. Great to amble around in the sun, even though it was a bit chilly!!
#solotravel #vienna #eastermarkets #traveltheworldwithme
Cesky Krumlov, a quaint medieval town in the south of the Czech Republic, a simple day trip by train from Prague....then lots and lots of walking on cobble stone paths!!
#ceskykrumlov #daytripfromprague #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Another short bus trip from Palermo in Sicily, up the coast to Mondello Beach✨️ lovely to walk along the promenade, but I have never had so many Indian market stall holders trying to sell me a sarong, and this was a quiet day in early spring, peak summer must be horrendous!!! I was hoping to have lunch at Alle Terrazze, a beautiful castle like restaurant just off the beach, but sadly they were closed for a private event, but further along I found a lovely seafood restaurant🥂
#solotravelinsicily #journeywoman #traveltheworldwithme #mondellobeach #sicily
St Matthias Church in the Castle District near Fisherman`s Bastion. Climb the steep stone spiral staircase for a stunning view into the main church and explore the artifacts on display. This historic church dates back to the 11th century.
#solotrip #stmatthiaschurch #budapestcastledistrict
On a day trip to Agrigento from Palermo, I had about 2 hours or more to wander around the ancient Greek ruins in the Valley of Temples ✨️Is it just me, or do you love walking around places knowing that others have been walking there for more than 2000 years too?
#agrigento #valleyofthetemples #solotravelinsicily #daytripfrompalermo #sicily
Quattro Canti, or Piazza Vigliena, is a stunning Baroque square at the heart of Palermo`s historic centre. Located where Via Maqueda meets Corso Vittorio Emanuele, each corner symbolises one of the city`s ancient districts, built in 1620. Via Maqueda is now a pedestrian zone, bustling with restaurants, ranging from great spots to tourist traps, and it`s the perfect place to stroll around in the evenings.
#palermo #quattrocantipalermo #viamaquedapalermo #solotravelinsicily
More from my ambling around exploring the medieval city of Erice in Sicily, more than 700mtrs above sea level and somehow, back in the 1100s they were able to get all this rock up there to build a castle and so many churches, not to mention a few shops and places to live!!
#ericesicily #medievalsicily #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #exploresicily
The gardens at the Governor Generals house in Sydney`s Royal Botanic Gardens are open to walk around most weekends.
✨️ Feels weird to go and sit on the balcony of someone else`s house and look out at the harbour, but it`s a very relaxing way to spend a bit of time!!
#royalbotanicgarden #fountains #beautifulgardensoftheworld #seeeverythingdoeverything
