Alternative 1
1) Train from Milan in the morning (around 8 or 9am) - arrives at Venice St Lucia train station 2hr 35 minutes later (or 2hr 20mins if you take the fast train). Do not get out at the wrong stop!
2) Take Waterbus No.1 or 2 (vaporetto) from Train Station to Piazza San Marco. Cost: 6,50 Euros
3) Enjoy sights at Piazza San Marco, including St Mark's Basilica (free admission, reserve tickets ahead) and Doge's Palace.
4) Walk (and get lost) to Ponte Rialto. It should take less than 10 minutes if you don't get lost.
5) Enjoy sights and sounds of Ponte Rialto and Rialto Food Market (if it is still open).
6) Continue to walk in the streets of Venice towards the train station. Journey should take at most 25 minutes (provided you don't get lost as well. Hint: keep looking backwards to see if the signs still say "Rialto")
Alternative 2
1) Train from Milan in the morning (around 8 or 9am) - arrives at Venice St Lucia train station 2hr 35 minutes later (or 2hr 20mins if you take the fast train). Do not get out at the wrong stop!
2) 25 minutes walk to Rialto (follow signs!) from the train station.
3) Enjoy sights and sounds of Ponte Rialto and Rialto Food Market. You can probably get your lunch there as well.
4) Continue to walk in the streets of Venice towards Piazza San Marco (follow signs on corner of buildings as well). The journey should take less than 10 minutes if you don't get lost.
5) Enjoy sights at Piazza San Marco, including St Mark's Basilica (free admission, reserve tickets ahead) and Doge's Palace.
6) Take Waterbus No.1 or 2 (vaporetto) from Piazza San Marco to Train Station. Cost: 6,50 Euros
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Italy Train Travel
Types of Trains in Italy:
Eurostar (ES or Treni Eurostar Italia) – Italy’s premiere train. Seat reservations on Eurostar Italia are mandatory.
Intercity and the newer Intercity Plus trains – Relatively fast trains that run the length of Italy, stopping at the large cities. 1st and 2nd class service is available. Seat reservations are compulsory on the Intercity Plus trains.
Diretto and interregionali (Direct and Inter-Regional Trains) – Local trains, interregionali is the faster one. Cheap and usually reliable, but may be hard to find seats on major routes (unless you buy first class tickets)
Buying an Italian Train Ticket:
1) Go to ticket window at station equipped with the time and destination of the train you want to take, number of tickets u need, the class of ticket.
2) Use ticket machine (if station has them). Pretty easy to use, can avoid long queues.
3) Through a travel agent. Extra fee will usually be added to the price.
4) Buy online at Trenitalia
Remember to VALIDATE your train ticket before boarding the train!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Rome Transportation
64 - Termini: Piazza della Repubblica - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Arenula - Corso Vittorio Emanuele - Largo Porta Cavalleggeri - Stazione San Pietro.
8 - A new Tram - Largo di Torre Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Piazza Mastai - Piazza Ippolito Nievo - Stazione Trastevere - Monteverde - Casaletto.
118 - Piazzale Ostiense - Terme di Caracalla - Appia Antica (catacombs).492 - Stazione Tiburtina - Stazione Termini - Piazza Barberini - Piazza Venezia - Corso Rinascimento - Piazza Cavour - Piazza Risorgimento - Stazione Cipro - Musei Vaticani.
23 - Piazzale Clodio - Piazza Risorgimento - Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II - Ponte Garibaldi - Via Marmorata - Piazzale Ostiense - Basilica di S. Paolo.
714 - Stazione Termini - Piazza S. Maria Maggiore - Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano - Via delle Terme di Caracalla - Via C. Colombo - Piazza G. Marconi - Piazzale P.L. Nervi.
660 - Largo Colli Albani - Via Appia Nuova -Via Appia Antica (catacombs).
910 - Stazione Termini - Piazzale della Repubblica - Via Piemonte - Via Pinciana (Villa Borghese) - Piazzale Euclide - Auditorium - Palazzetto dello Sport - Piazza Mancini.
590 - Handicapped facilities. Same route as Metro Line A, but it runs every 90 minutes (schedule at the bus stop).
Vatican:
from Termini Bus 64
from Colosseo, walk 5 minutes to Piazza Venezia, than take Bus 64
from Trastevere 23 (Lungotevere De' Cenci).
Spanish steps & Trevi Fountain:
from Termini Bus 492 or 175 to Via del Tritone
from the Vatican Bus 62 to Via del Tritone
from Trastevere Tram 8 to Largo Argentina and Bus 62 to Via del Tritone.
Colosseo:
from Termini 64 to Piazza Venezia and walk for 5 minutes.
from the Vatican 64 to Piazza Venezia
from Trastevere Tram 8 to Largo Argentina, then bus 87.
Pantheon, Piazza Navona e Campo de'Fiori:
from Termini 64 or 492 to Largo Argentina
from the Vatican 64 or 62 to Largo Argentina
from Trastevere don't be lazy: cross the bridge and walk for 5 minutes!
Trastevere:
from Termini 64 or 492 to Largo Argentina and Tram 8 Viale Trastevere
from the Vatican 23 to Piazza G. Belli.
8 - A new Tram - Largo di Torre Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Piazza Mastai - Piazza Ippolito Nievo - Stazione Trastevere - Monteverde - Casaletto.
118 - Piazzale Ostiense - Terme di Caracalla - Appia Antica (catacombs).492 - Stazione Tiburtina - Stazione Termini - Piazza Barberini - Piazza Venezia - Corso Rinascimento - Piazza Cavour - Piazza Risorgimento - Stazione Cipro - Musei Vaticani.
23 - Piazzale Clodio - Piazza Risorgimento - Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II - Ponte Garibaldi - Via Marmorata - Piazzale Ostiense - Basilica di S. Paolo.
714 - Stazione Termini - Piazza S. Maria Maggiore - Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano - Via delle Terme di Caracalla - Via C. Colombo - Piazza G. Marconi - Piazzale P.L. Nervi.
660 - Largo Colli Albani - Via Appia Nuova -Via Appia Antica (catacombs).
910 - Stazione Termini - Piazzale della Repubblica - Via Piemonte - Via Pinciana (Villa Borghese) - Piazzale Euclide - Auditorium - Palazzetto dello Sport - Piazza Mancini.
590 - Handicapped facilities. Same route as Metro Line A, but it runs every 90 minutes (schedule at the bus stop).
Vatican:
from Termini Bus 64
from Colosseo, walk 5 minutes to Piazza Venezia, than take Bus 64
from Trastevere 23 (Lungotevere De' Cenci).
Spanish steps & Trevi Fountain:
from Termini Bus 492 or 175 to Via del Tritone
from the Vatican Bus 62 to Via del Tritone
from Trastevere Tram 8 to Largo Argentina and Bus 62 to Via del Tritone.
Colosseo:
from Termini 64 to Piazza Venezia and walk for 5 minutes.
from the Vatican 64 to Piazza Venezia
from Trastevere Tram 8 to Largo Argentina, then bus 87.
Pantheon, Piazza Navona e Campo de'Fiori:
from Termini 64 or 492 to Largo Argentina
from the Vatican 64 or 62 to Largo Argentina
from Trastevere don't be lazy: cross the bridge and walk for 5 minutes!
Trastevere:
from Termini 64 or 492 to Largo Argentina and Tram 8 Viale Trastevere
from the Vatican 23 to Piazza G. Belli.
Colosseum
Entrance includes access to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Colosseum entrance tickets are not timed and can be used at any time on the chosen date to skip the admission line. Your ticket is valid for 2 days, and can be used for 1 entrance (only) to each site.
Tickets are priced at 13,50 Euro, pre-purchase (to skip the line) at http://www.ticketclic.it/gb/index.cfm
Opening hours: 9am - 7.30pm
Saint Peter's Basilica
Visiting hours: Basilica (7am - 7pm), Dome (8am to sunset)
The DOME: For young fit people it probably isn't a problem but if you are over 60 or have any breathing difficulties then beware. There is an elevator that takes you part way up but it still leaves you some 326 steps and some inclines to negotiate. It is a one-way system so if you run into problems you have no choice but to continue (heaven knows what happens if anyone has a heart attack). A number of the passage ways are very narrow with no passing places. However, on a clear day, the view is worth it.
Cost: 7 Euros (elevator), 6 Euros (stairs)
The DOME: For young fit people it probably isn't a problem but if you are over 60 or have any breathing difficulties then beware. There is an elevator that takes you part way up but it still leaves you some 326 steps and some inclines to negotiate. It is a one-way system so if you run into problems you have no choice but to continue (heaven knows what happens if anyone has a heart attack). A number of the passage ways are very narrow with no passing places. However, on a clear day, the view is worth it.
Cost: 7 Euros (elevator), 6 Euros (stairs)
Vatican Museums
The astonishingly rich collections - a veritable citadel of museums - offer the opportunity to follow every itinerary of art and history. The museums are composed of several sections:
- the Gregorian Etruscan Museum
- the Pinacoteca
- the Missionary-Ethnological Museum
- the Raphael Stanze
- the Sistine Chapel.
Visiting Hours: 9am - 2pm (no Sundays, except last Sunday of the month)
How to Jump the Queue:
1) Buy tickets online @ 14,00 + 4,00 Euros
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking
2) Join professional guided tour
- the Gregorian Etruscan Museum
- the Pinacoteca
- the Missionary-Ethnological Museum
- the Raphael Stanze
- the Sistine Chapel.
Visiting Hours: 9am - 2pm (no Sundays, except last Sunday of the month)
How to Jump the Queue:
1) Buy tickets online @ 14,00 + 4,00 Euros
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking
2) Join professional guided tour
Vatican City
MORNING is emphasized because the lines to enter start forming at least an hour before it opens. You will enter on the side that leads you directly into the Vatican Museum. There is a thorough security check. Be prepared for metal detection of both you and your bags.
Things to do:
1) Vatican Museum
2) St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro)
3) Sistine Chapel
4) St. Peter's Square
Things to do:
1) Vatican Museum
2) St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro)
3) Sistine Chapel
4) St. Peter's Square
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