Are the train rides to Rome & Florence scenic?

[Sprigs616]

Hi,

 

How scenic is the train ride from Civi to Rome? What about the train ride from Liv to Florence? Would I generally see much prettier scenery if I traveled by car to each of these locations?

[Bobal]

I've trevelled Rome to Civitavecchia and Livorno to Pisa and neither train route is scenic. It's flat countryside and much of it is urban areas - that's if you can see it anyway, through the graffiti on the windows :rolleyes:. I haven't travelled by car but since you're travelling through the same part of the country I wouldn't imagine it's much better - and the train is quicker

[euro cruiser]

I've done both and neither is particularly scenic IF you're looking to get there along the most efficient route.

 

The first ten minutes or so of the ride from Civitaveccia to Rome are nice if you are on the right side of the train - there's a view of the sea. After that you've got farmland which quickly becomes city sprawl.

 

The Livorno to Florence (via Pisa) ride is much the same, minus the ten minutes of sea view.

 

The most direct routes via car are autostade, which are like highways pretty much anywhere. If you're going to the city in the morning and back to the ship in the late afternoon, you'll find the same traffic you'd expect to find going in and out of a major city. Also, remember that both Rome and Florence have ZTL zones, so if you're driving you need to know where to stop to avoid some MAJOR fines that come months later via your rental car company.

 

Rental cars are great and often necessary to see the many wonderful towns of Tuscany, but they're more of a problem than a help if your destination is a major city.

[Sprigs616]

Thank you for your responses. Your feedback is what I expected, unfortunately, as most urban train rides tend to be pretty uninteresting.

 

I'm not as concerned with efficiency or cost as I am having the best experience during the 2 to 3 hour round-trip commute. If I only have 10 hours in port, an uninteresting urban train ride seems like a poor use of time .. particularly if there's a more interesting alternative.

 

I'll search the other threads to see if I can find anyone who has taken an interesting route into Rome or Florence with a private tour guide.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[euro cruiser]

I'm not as concerned with efficiency or cost as I am having the best experience during the 2 to 3 hour round-trip commute.

Hmmm...2 to 3 hours is, by definition, the most efficient route. Best case to Rome, round trip, is two hours. Best case to Florence, round trip, is three hours.

 

If you can lengthen your acceptable commute time to, say, two hours to get to Rome and three hours to get to Florence, then you've got the wiggle room for a charming little town or two and smaller country roads. In that case, a knowledgeable local driver is your best bet.

[Sprigs616]

You're right. 2 to 3 hours RT is best case just for the train ride and it doesn't factor in the time it takes to walk to the train station from the ship, get tickets, get on/off the train, and then walk to the point of interest. That could easily add another 30 minutes to an hour to the one-way transit.

 

A local driver who knows the backroads sounds like the right plan for me even if it is quite a bit more expensive than the train. I'm more concerned with maximizing every moment of my time on shore.

 

Thanks for your help!

[euro cruiser]

Sure, you're welcome.

 

Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to "maximize every moment". Italy is a country to be savored - wherever you happen to be, just take her in and enjoy yourself. You may find a great, knowledgeable and conversant driver, or you may not. Don't let it ruin your day.

 

I watched people drag themselves back onto our ship last month at each stop and wondered if they'd managed to enjoy themselves, or if they'd just made a lot of check marks on their "must see" lists.

[Sprigs616]

Sure, you're welcome. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to "maximize every moment". Italy is a country to be savored - wherever you happen to be, just take her in and enjoy yourself. You may find a great, knowledgeable and conversant driver, or you may not. Don't let it ruin your day. I watched people drag themselves back onto our ship last month at each stop and wondered if they'd managed to enjoy themselves, or if they'd just made a lot of check marks on their "must see" lists.

 

By maximize every moment .. I'm referring to maximum enjoyment, not seeing a maximum number of sites.

[GSPLover]

I do not think that there is a good comparison to a taxi ride vs train ride into Florence from Livorno or Rome from Civitavecchia, you're going to see essentially the same scenery no matter what. In both cases, the scenery isn't that exciting, but it is beautiful in its own right. You have to admire the small villas and townhouses along the way. Take the train and learn about the country. Its a wonderful experience.

[euro cruiser]

By maximize every moment .. I'm referring to maximum enjoyment

Sorry to disagree, GSPLover, because I really like traveling by train in Italy, but based on what GG has said he's looking for, a private driver probably will meet his needs best. Let's face it, we're talking about essentially commuter trains - it's not the most exciting stuff. I love it for the people watching and the sense of really being there, but it's not for everyone.