An answer I recieved to another question has got me thinking about the 'real' amount of time it takes to travel between places. A lot of guides are perhaps a little optomistic?
I really have no idea about the time it will take to reach from one place to another and it seems the type of train you are on makes a HUGE difference.
Can any one point me in the direction of a good website for such matters or maybe suggest the time it will take to train between Venice and Bologna/Bologna and Genoa or La Spezia (I'm not even sure if trains go where I think they will!)
HELP!
Thanks
Robyn.

Robyn,
HERE is a link to the Slow Talk FAQ forum, with some very informative threads on train travel in Italy.

The two sites I most frequently use for estimating train travel time are:
1) Rail Europe - easy to navigate and in English. Click on "Fares and Schedules." (DO NOT consider buying tickets from them! Ridiculously overpriced over what you'd pay in Italy.)
2) Trenitalia - somewhat easy to navigate - if the English version is working!

Depending on the type of train (the various trains are described in one of the FAQ links), Venice to Bologna will be 2/2+ hours. Bologna to Genoa/Genova will be 3/3+ hours.

Good luck!

Slow Talk Message Board rules

Thanks Colleen, I will give those sites a try. I tried the Trenitalia site (admittedly a while ago now) and could not make head nor tail, either the site wasn't working right (or I wasn't) but it was too frustrating. I'll give it another whirl when I'm not too tired!
The approximate times you gave give me a good starting point so I'll hit the map again and keep thinking...
I had tried to find some old threads but was getting myself too muddled. Will start again when the brain is working
Cheers
Robyn.

I prefer to use the following sites for checking train times throughout Europe:

Swiss Rail

German Rail

Tony Polzer
Tour Operator
3 Millennia Tours - Tours of Rome
www.threemillennia.com / tony@threemillennia.com