European Rail Travel - Nice, France to Florence, Italy

Hello.

My spouse and I plan on arriving in Nice, Fr, spend a few days, then proceed to northern Italy. We're tentatively planning on transporting to Florence, though feel free to advise another destination.

I'm evaluating travel by train. Obvoiusly, pricing and mapping out routes within Italy is easy via ItaliaRail. I'm having more difficulty pricing and mapping out the route from Nice to Florence.

I did a search and didn't find any guidance.

Can anyone guide me to the resources that I should use?

Thanks.

Rome, and the Nice - Rome overnight sleeper would have been perfect, but those days are long gone, I'm afraid.

Nice to Florence requires transfers at Ventimiglia (just over the border from France) and Milano Centrale.

In the spirit of European unity, your best bet is probably to:

a) check schedules on the German Railways website (DB) (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?newrequest=yes&protocol=http:&);
b) buy a ticket Nice-Ventimiglia locally in France;
c) book tickets from Ventimiglia-Florence on the Trenitalia website (http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080 a3e90aRCRD).

I use bahn.de as an initial journey planner for all rail journeys in Europe - although it won't sell tickets for Nice-Florence (as the journey doesn't involve Germany) and it actually gives slightly different search results for this journey than Trenitalia.

www.voyages-sncf.com may provide timetables and sell tickets (but isn't working for me right now, so I can't check).

www.trenitalia.com will provide timetables. It seems it won't sell a ticket all the way from Nice to Florence (Firenze), but all journeys route via Ventimiglia on the border, and Trenitalia will sell a ticket from Ventimiglia to Florence. The Nice-Ventimiglia stretch on a local train can probably be purchased at the station, on the day of departure.

www.Seat61.com will provide more advice and tips on using both www.voyages-sncf.com and www.trenitalia.com

www.voyages-sncf.com may provide timetables and sell tickets (but isn't working for me right now, so I can't check).

It works fine for me, both on the web and Iphone app. There are TER regional trains about every half hour from Nice to Ventimiglia, and the run is 44 minutes.

Or it will show you all the way Nice-Florence, changing at Ventimiglia and Milano.

The one I would take leaves Nice Riquier at 7:59, 8:58 Ventimiglia to Milano. Then stop and have a nice pasta lunch in Milano and take the 13:20 to Florence.

Thanks to all for the responses!

Any guidance on the prospect of traveling from Nice to Venice?

Might it be too much for one day?

Thanks to all for the responses!

Any guidance on the prospect of traveling from Nice to Venice?

Might it be too much for one day?

Nice-Ventimiglia (which used to include locals multi-stops serving the coastal towns (Ville Franche in the old days), then Ventimiglia-Milano Centrale-Venice, not "all day" but most of one.

One of the last "Overnights" was around five years ago, Venice-Rome, DPT about midnight, stopp in the Bologna yards for a couple of hours, ARR Rome (suburban station) for breakfast, included the little (pay extra) compartments with bunks for 2.

The Nice-Ventimiglia stretch on a local train can probably be purchased at the station, on the day of departure.

My personal experience would suggest this is true. In 2009 during the Monaco Grand Prix, I arrived in Nice, stayed in Italy (San Remo) and took the train between Nice, Monaco and San Remo. I never had a problem purchasing a ticket just before travel in Nice or Monaco and getting the next train to Ventimiglia.

Friends,

Thank you for your thoughtful comments.

Now, I feel comfortable navigating this route.

:)