1465 Trains? IC or ES??

Hi all,
We are looking to take a train from Calabria to Rome on the return leg of our next trip and seem to have the choice of Intercity (takes a bit longer but leaves later from our locality so that's no hardship) or Eurostar.
The Intercity is available at 15 euros and the Eurostar at 29 euros (per person).
I have seen some pics of the Eurostar and it looks like a nice posh pointy-nosed thing that will sweep along at the speed of light but the Intercity must be pretty canny as well, I'd have thought.

Does anyone have any experiences/horror stories that might help our decision-making, please?
Answers on a postcard, please :D
Lesley & Brian

Category
Travel & Holiday Advice

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/30/2005 - 15:45

Was asking whether it would be better to travel with the Eurostar train or Intercity train. (Rome to Calabria - 4 hours plus journey time)
I have no experience of either of them.
Does anyone have any tales to tell about trains in Italy...please???

Cheers, Lesley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/01/2005 - 09:05

Hi Lesley and Brian
It's probably not a case of "not having an opinion" but more a case of not having experienced train travel in Italy recently for most of the forum! I must say I was surprised to hear that they use Eurostar. I thought the Eurostar only went between England and Paris and Brussels, so that shows how much I know!!! Last time I travelled any distance on Italian trains they had Expresses, Intercities, local and regionals - I think! I have never come across a buffet car on any Italian train, although that might just have been my bad luck. Any time I have travelled on Eurostar they have had a buffet car, so that could be something in their favour. The prices of all Italian trains are just so cheap compared with the UK that it seems even forgivable when they are late. Here they cost a fortune and are also frequently late or cancelled.
Linda

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/01/2005 - 09:27

Hi Linda,

I'm not sure that the Italian Eurostar trains are the same as 'our' Eurostar (have never been on or near an English one).
Might just be the same name but they do look rather swish and have a restaurant car and air-conditioning etc., see them here:
[url]http://www.trenitalia.com/en/treni_stazioni/eurostar/index.html[/url]

Is the service particularly prone to delays in your experience?

Thanks for responding, best wishes, Lesley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/01/2005 - 13:39

If the Eurostar existed year 2000 then I took it from Milan to Bologna, was difficult to get a seat especially when I missed the train which booked - the local train from Bergamo was late half an hour. I would expect that the Eurostar keeps the times very well, anyway the ride was excellent but nothing wrong in the IC:either. Have a nice trip!

Paul

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 10/01/2005 - 13:57

Hi Paul,
Many thanks for your message.
I am of the mind that it would be better for us to take the train on the inbound journey (when it's less critical if we get there a bit late) rather than the outbound journey (when there is a plane to catch at the other end!).
In any event I'm sure we will have interesting trips and need to get some experience of getting around.
Any other experiences gratefully received,
cheers Lesley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/02/2005 - 04:37

Whenever we or visitors have travelled inter city by train the service has been excellent, the trains were bang on time, clean and comfortable with buffet facilites. We have used IC and ES, both were fine, if I remember rightly you had to book in advance for ES as everyone is allocated a specific seat, no standing, but you could choose front or rear facing etc. I don't think booking is mandatory on IC, but may be wrong. If you are planning to travel at popular times I would certainly book anyway. Allow plenty of time to cross Rome, if flying from FCO the train service out is excellent, from CIA you have to use a bus or local train and then bus- so takes much longer. If you have a plane to catch I would just go for whichever gets into Rome earlier.
Somehow I missed you post or would have replied sooner.
Regards
Anne2

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/02/2005 - 04:56

Many thanks, Anne.
Good to hear that both types of train are ok - and nice to hear they run to time!
Also thanks for the advice about getting across Rome (I am hoping to catch the airport shuttle bus from Ciampino but it still takes 45 minutes, I believe).
Regards, Lesley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 10/02/2005 - 05:22

Have just returned from Italy and used the Eurostar from Ancona to Milan. Seat reservations are compulsory. I booked an e-ticket online a couple of days before at trenitalia.com.
More expensive than the Intercity but very comfortable and quicker. The train was about ten minutes late departing but arrived in Milan on time.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/25/2005 - 18:09

Sorry - I'm a bit late replying to this thread, but I travel several times a year from Milan to Faenza and the Eurostar is without a doubt the best! You get a booked seat, the train is modern with buffet and there are fewer stops than on the IC.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/25/2005 - 18:12

[QUOTE=keepwick]Have just returned from Italy and used the Eurostar from Ancona to Milan. Seat reservations are compulsory. I booked an e-ticket online a couple of days before at trenitalia.com.
More expensive than the Intercity but very comfortable and quicker. The train was about ten minutes late departing but arrived in Milan on time.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that's another point! It's dead easy to book your ticket online before you leave home. They give you a reference number, you enter this into the self-service machine at the station in Italy and hey presto! Your ticket is issued! Remember to validate it in the machine though, or you could be fined!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2005 - 16:40

I prefer IC, more leg room and better conversations in proper compartments. However, from calabria to Rome the difference between IC and ES is tiny. ES only operate as ES on the high speed link between Naples and Rome, which isnt yet complete, so at the moment you save only 20 mins. From Naples south, there is no high speed line and the journey takes the same time whether you take IC or ES. Or split the difference and go on IC plus... these are refurbished IC trains, which cost less than ES and you still get a proper compartment with proper seats. ES have dreadful moulded things which are suitable only for someone exactly the same height and shape as the designer.
Hope that helps!