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Binario sign |
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Automatic teller |
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Validation box |
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Train ticket |
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Spoleto train station:
Please note that the Spoleto train station is fairly far from the historic center of town, at least 20 minutes or so walking. Going into the historic center from the station, you will be walking up a steep hill It is walkable if the weather is good and you aren't carrying heavy bags. You may want or need to take a taxi to or from the train station. You can also take a bus, which runs between the station and Piazza della Liberta'.
Rome to Spoleto:
Spoleto is approximately an hour and a half from Rome by train. There are direct, inter-city, and Eurostrar trains, as well as regional trains departing from Rome several times daily.
Trains leave directly from the airport. From the airport you must first go to the main terminal (Roma Termini) and then on to Spoleto (you change trains at Roma Termini). Spoleto is on the Ancona line. You can purchase your tickets for both (to Termini and to Spoleto) right at the airport.
CAUTION: There are Ancona trains that go directly to Ancona (the beach on the Adriatic Sea) without stopping in Spoleto, and there are trains that stop in Spoleto on the way. Be sure to read the schedule at the platform carefully and confirm that the train you are boarding actually stops in Spoleto. In general, the train that stops in Spoleto is at a binario that is removed from all the others.
The train only stops briefly in Spoleto, so you must be ready by the door with your luggage when it stops, or you may not make it off in time. Take note of the city before the Spoleto stop, and pay attention to each city you stop in. If you are traveling alone and prone to fall asleep, set an alarm (with your watch or cell phone) for an hour after your departure time so that you don't sleep through your stop.
Florence to Spoleto:
Florence is approximately 3 hours from Spoleto by train. There are direct, inter-city trains as well as regional trains departing from Florence several times daily. Regional trains typically change in Foligno.
Buying a ticket:
You can buy a ticket at the window or at an automated teller (both take credit and debit cards). You will be traveling during the busy season, and lines for tickets can be quite long. Most tellers speak English, and the automated teller is in many different languages, including English. You will most likely be buying a one-way (di sola andata) ticket rather than round-trip (di andata e ritorno). Be sure to ask from which platform (binario) your train leaves to avoid confusion. In larger train stations, such as Florence or Rome, agents are available close to the platforms for the sole purpose of answering questions.
Avoid Fines--Validate Your Ticket!
Before boarding the train, you must validate your ticket. All throughout the train stations you will see yellow boxes mounted to walls and columns. Insert your ticket into this box (an arrow shows you where) and the date and time will be stamped onto your ticket. During your train ride, a conductor may walk through the cars and ask to see tickets. If your ticket is not validated, you may have to pay a fine. In short--validate your ticket! If your Italian isn't strong, trying to explain that you forgot or didn't know can be extremely stressful.
Types of Trains:
There are several different varieties of trains. They are:
- Locale: stops at every station on the line. This is the slowest train.
- Diretto: will make fewer stops than the Locale.
- Espresso: stops only at major stations.
- Rapido/Intercity (IC)/Eurostar: the fastest train, stopping only at major cities. To get an IC train, you must pay a supplement on top of the regular fare. A reserved seat is usually obligatory for most Eurostar services.
Reading train schedules:
Current departures and arrivals are displayed in train stations in the same manner that you see in US airports: on televisions and/or boards with numbers and letters that flip. Be aware that departures (and the departure platform) refer to the final destination, which may not necessarily be the city to which you are traveling. For example, if you are traveling from Rome to Spoleto, you would look for a train that is departing to Ancona, Assisi, or Perugia. Full schedules are also posted at each platform (each platform has a master schedule for the entire station, so you won't have to walk from platform to platform to find the information you need).
At the bottom of this page you will find a download of a train schedule with instructions on how to read it. You may also find complete schedules on Trenitalia's website (see below for the link).
Useful Phrases:
One-way ticket:
Di sola andata
Round-trip ticket:
Di andata e ritorno
I would like a ticket to...:
Vorrei un biglietto a....or Un biglietto a...., per favore.
How much is it?
Quanto costa?
From which platform does the train for....leave?
Da quale binario parte il treno per...?
When does the train leave?
A che ora parte il treno?
If you fall asleep on the train and awaken when it stops, you will probably want to know where you are (some trains stop at many cities). Simply ask, Dove siamo? Don't be embarrassed--many Italians fall asleep on their way home to work and have to ask the very same thing.
Trains from Other European Cities:
To visit or large European cities such as Paris, Zurich, Berlin or others, it is possible to take an overnight to/from Spoleto. You will most likely need to first travel to a larger Italian city such as Milan, Rome or Florence on a regional train, then transfer to a fast train. The entire ticket can be purchased at once, however. Please see below for more information.
Useful Web Links:
For train schedules from all over Italy: http://trenitalia.it/
For Eurail passes: www.raileurope.com
And to get from London to Italy by train visit: www.seat61.com/Italy.htm
Reading Italian train schedules:
Click below to download an example of a train schedule with instructions for reading it:
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