We're hoping to forgo the expense of a hotel in Venice or Rome by taking a sleeper car from Venice to Rome. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find any; only the Marco Polo from Rome to Venice. It's for a Sunday night. Would that matter? Any leads would be appreciated.

Ciao,
Joe

Hi Joe. At the Trenitalia
site I found train #771, also called Marco Polo, leaving Venice S. Lucia at 00:04 and getting into Rome Tiburtina at 06:56. When you request your date use Monday's date and the hour as 00:00 and it should be the first available. You can even buy your tickets online and pick them up at the automated machines in Venice.

Joy

I did this as a student traveler many years ago. I loved it. There was one stop and a mother and son joined us there--maybe Padua? The paper sheets were crunchy, but didn't bother me. The clack clack sound was soporific. We had cheap cheap 6 in a compartment berths.

I wonder what a person and his/her baggage arriving at 6.56am at Tiburtina are going to do next ...

quote:

I wonder what a person and his/her baggage arriving at 6.56am at Tiburtina are going to do next ...

First Stop

The reason you're not finding many options is that the trip is really too short to be much of an overnight sleeper experience. Do you plan to sit up all night? Otherwise, the cost of a couchette isn't going to save you dramatically over a budget hotel. Check to see if there even are private sleeping compartments on the train, too.

Best wishes,

You'll have to be out of your Venice apartment or hotel probably by noon on departure day, and probably can't check into your new place in Rome til 10 or noon or maybe even 2. A long time to be without accommodations.

If you want to save money and don't have an inexpensive hotel in Venice (like such a thing exists...), maybe you could look into a very unSlow Travel sort of thing. Take the train part way to Rome mid to late afternoon. Stop in some place small and appealing, find a cheap hotel (much easier in small towns), have a nice dinner, walk around, get a gelato, get a good night's sleep and finish your trip to Rome the next morning. You'll arrive much more rested and won't have wasted hours waiting for a midnight train.

I don't know if the cost of two tickets vs one would save you money, but if you don't take the ES, it might.

Just a thought...

Callie

Many hotels have 24 hour desks and will let you drop your bags off before check-in. Then go hit the streets a bit, stand in a bar for your croissant and cappucino, hit McD's for a cup of American coffee (it's sad to say I've never developed a taste for anything beyond black, no sugar). If you can make your way to Rome Termini (only a few stops from Tiburtina on the Metro) you can (I've recently heard) check your bags and get a shower at the facilities they have there, keep your bags stored there and do some sightseeing before checking in later.

My mom and I are doing the night train from Rome to Venice in a sleeper since it's so many hours to get there we'd rather sleep on the train and not lose half a day of our precious sightseeing doing it out the window of a train. When you figure it's the cost of a room AND fare it's not a bad deal at all.

Joy

The train ride from Rome to Venice is a beautiful trip through tuscany. It is a shame to spend it sleeping. Maybe that is why I slept the whole day when we first got home!
I've tried the sleeper on the train- same theory that it would save on a hotel- I didn't sleep a wink. That was years ago from Frankfurt to Paris. Made for a L.O.N.G day the next day. Take your Valerian Root...maybe it will wear off when you arrive.

quote:

I've tried the sleeper on the train- same theory that it would save on a hotel- I didn't sleep a wink.

In my case, put me on one of those trains and the movement puts me out like the cat. Since I'm going to be sleeping through the scenery anyway.......might as well save on a room at the same time. LOL

Joy

quote:

Originally posted by JoyW:
...since it's so many hours to get there...

4:30? Some people may very well be able to sleep on these trains, but as you consider this option, remember the reason the train takes longer is that it has ten stops, and it's often the stopping and starting that disturbs your sleep...

I guess we'll find out. On this particular trip this is the way we're doing it. Every time I've gone to Italy it's been an unforgettable learning experience in one way or another, learned what does and doesn't work, what's important and what isn't. There's no wrong way as long as you go and a good time is had by all.

Joy

Just a quick note to share my experience on night trains. I took the night train from Naples to Venice last summer. I was asleep before we got to Rome and woke up a little there to watch the lights. We arrived in Venice in the early morning and I got to watch that city awaken.

I had a single room; the bed was comfortable and the facilities adequate. I did not take the trip so I could save money on a hotel room. Rather, I took the trip for the experience of traveling on a night train in Italy!

DMae

Thank you so much for bringing up that point DMae. It's something different that we've never done and it feels very much like a small adventure within our larger adventure. It may be a bust, it may be one of the high points of our trip. Either way, we will have done it and we'll know for sure whether it's worthwhile doing it again for us on another trip down the road.

I wonder if Joe was ever able to find his train?

Joy

Thanks for all the great suggestions. After giving it some thought, we're going to travel during the afternoon, enjoy the scenery and have dinner in Rome when we arrive. Then, it's off to a comfy bed for the night.

Ciao, Joe

quote:

Originally posted by JoyW:
On this particular trip this is the way we're doing it...There's no wrong way as long as you go and a good time is had by all.
Joy

Good onya Joy
Each time we all go...we all get better at it. But don't we have a fun time learning? Whatever way we chose OR have chosen, was obviously right for us at the time. Go girl!
Leslie

I really appreciate the "attagirl", Leslie. Thanks! I'm quite looking forward to seeing how this trip is going to go. We'll be covering lots of new ground. Might as well call Venice "new" too, haven't been there since 1978!

Nine days and counting...

Joy