Bonjour,
Je pars en voyage en Italie et j'arriverai le 1er mai. 🙂 J'ai réservé une croisière au départ de Venise pour le 5 mai et le retour sera à Rome. Comme j'ai 5 jours avant le départ le 5 mai et 10 jours à partir du 15 mai j'aimerais avoir des idées pour me planifier un itinéraire.
Je pense visiter Venise en 2 jours avant le départ et je me demande si j'aurai assez de temps pour visiter soit les grands lacs ou les Dolomites. Est ce réalisable? J'aimerais voyager en bus ou en train autant que possible mais je pourrai louer une voiture si c'est plus facile. Je me demande aussi selon l'itinéraire si c'est préférable d'arriver à Milan ou à Venise.
Au retour de la croisière, j'aimerais visiter Rome en 2 ou 3 jours et prendre un train pour visiter San Gimignano, Sienne, Cinque Terre et Florence.
Est-ce possible de prendre un train qui longe la côte de Rome à Cinque Terre? Dans quel sens serait le meilleur itinéraire? Est ce possible de réserver des hébergements Agriturismo en Toscane en s'y rendant en train ou en bus?Ouf! 🤪j'ai beaucoup de travail à planifier ce voyage, c'est pour ça que je cherche des suggestions. Merci d'avance
Pour les 5 jours, Venise, Vérone, lac de Garde (Sirmione/Desenzano), bateau sur le lac de Garde par ex.
Pour le retour de la croisière, à Civitavecchia je suppose, directement un train pour Pise. Ensuite, 1 train pour La Spezia (Cinqueterre), puis Florence, Sienne, bus direct en aller retour de Sienne pour San Gimigniano si on a le temps, Rome.
Un agriturismo accessible en train ou en bus, cela existe peut-être parfois... à vérifier... 😛
reprenons les calculs... tu arrives le Mercredi 01 Mai (jour férié) depuis Montréal jusque "MarcoPolo Airport" ??? à quelle heure ?
- ce J01 est donc une journée tronquée.
reste J02/J03/J04 (jeudi/vendredi/samedi) soit 3 jours complets à meubler...
et tu repars de Venise (à quelle heure ?) en J05 le dimanche 05 Mai pour une croisière; donc journée tronquée !
et au retour tu ne repasses pas par Venise ! or c'est une ville qui demande 3/4 jours pour être appréciée tranquillement.
- Donc ça ne te laisse qu'une journée "en extérieur" et ce sera: Padoue !
- Beaucoup de choses à voir et c'est à 40km/30mn de train (nombreux...) de Santa Lucia à Stazione Central.
tu peux réserver tes 4 nuits à Venise et faire une escapade d'une journée à Padoue.
- Ensuite tu débarques à Rome le 15 Mai (un mercredi, à quelle heure ?), le port de Civitavecchia est à 70km de Roma (50mn de train, celui direct vers Termini) et Roma mérite déjà 4j sur place !!
déjà réfléchir pour cette première partie... Et préciser de "où" tu prends un vol retour pour Montréal ?
à +
PS: pour la suite un train direct Rome/Florence c'est 1h40 (270km env.), bonne base pour rayonner vers Sienne et alentours...
A l'aller je resterai sur Venise avec un excursion aux alentours si temps.
Au retour c'est impossible en 10 jours de faire toutes ces villes, on peut déjà facilement rester une semaine à Rome et Florence ! Couper en 2 et faire 5 nuits dans chaque ville ce qui est court ou alors 3 jours Rome au pas de course et le reste à Florence et alentours : Sienne - les villages c'est mieux en voiture - Pise ....
A l'aller je resterai sur Venise avec un excursion aux alentours si temps.
Au retour c'est impossible en 10 jours de faire toutes ces villes, on peut déjà facilement rester une semaine à Rome et Florence ! Couper en 2 et faire 5 nuits dans chaque ville ce qui est court ou alors 3 jours Rome au pas de course et le reste à Florence et alentours : Sienne - les villages c'est mieux en voiture - Pise ....
???
C'est exactement ce que j'ai dit ci-dessus...en détaillant.
Venise en 2 jours , si vous ne faites pas de musée et ne vous dispersez pas dans les îles secondaires , vous en verrez pas mal
http://recitdemesvoyages.over-blog.com/2016/04/venise-trieste-porec-4e-partie.html
A votre place , sans voiture je ferais plutôt des visites de villes que les lacs ou les dolomites
Des agriturismi accessibles en train ou bus ça doit pas être facille à trouver ( perso je n'en ai jamais vu ) , en général ce sont des fermes dans la campagne
Rome en 2 ou 3 jours , vous ne verrez pas grand chose , surtout si voulez faire des musées
de Rome aux 5 terre par Pise le train passe rarement en bord de mer , sauf entre La Spezia et les 5 terre , mais la mer vous ne la verrez pas beaucoup , en général vous serez dans un tunnel
Je suis d'accord avec toi, mais dans le cas présent, faut se mettre dans une logique "croisiériste", à savoir en voir beaucoup, mais sans s'attarder dans chaque lieu, genre clic-clac photo, vite fait... la tour de Pise, les arènes de Vérone, le balcon de Roméo et Juliette, un ou 2 villages des Cinqueterre, etc... 😛
Quels que soit les choix, je pense qu'il faut partir directement de l'aéroport à l'arrivée (sauf si gros problèmes de jet-lag) et revenir à Venise sur la fin avant l'embarquement. Idem à Civitavecchia, il n'est pas logique d'aller d'abord à Rome si ensuite on part direction Cinqueterre et plus sûr, à mon sens, d'y terminer le séjour avant d'y prendre l'avion.
Pour commencer, je peux arriver le 1er mai à Venise vers 16h ou à Milan vers 8h20.
Pour la croisière, le départ est à 17h le 5 mai donc j'ai la matinée pour visiter et le retour est à 11h le 15 au port de Civitavecchia.
Je pense prendre le vol de retour à Florence 25 ou 26 mai mais je suis ouverte à d'autres idées.
Merci
Et en 5 jours, j'ai vue qu'il y a un train qui se rend à Bellagio mais est ce qu'il y en a un qui se rendra à Sirmoine/Desenzano. donc le 2 mai la croisière sur le lac de Garde, 3 mai retour jusqu'à Venise, le 3 au soir, Visite de Venise ainsi que le 4 et le 5 mai.
Ouf! Est-ce raisonnable? Un chance que j'ai une croisière pour me reposer avant d'entreprendre les prochains 10 jours.
Ensuite, le train pour Pise, est-ce qu'il part du port de Civitavecchia ou de Rome?
Je suis du Canada et j'ai déjà conduit une voiture en France, un peu à Paris pour sortir de la ville et surtout en Normandie et dans le Périgord. Est ce que les routes sont similaires à la France? est ce qu'une voiture me facilitera la visite de ces endroits ou s'il est préférable de prendre le train?
Le train régional part de Rome (Roma Termini), passe par Civitavecchia et va à Pise.
Bellagio n'est pas sur le lac de Garde, il n'y a pas de gare et c'est très loin de Venise, je ne vois pas trop ce qu'il vient faire dans la discussion ?! 😛
Sur Trenitalia, vous avez tous les horaires de trains de Venise à Desenzano, directs ou avec changement à Vérone...
Bonsoir,
Je ne connais pas les routes du Canada, mais la voiture permet d’enchaîner plusieurs villages en une journée, de s'arrêter dans la campagne pour faire des photos, d'être plus libre car en train on est bloqué par les horaires .... Après il faut juste louer une voiture pour les villages toscans, Sienne et Pise je pense que c'est mieux en train au départ de Florence. Nous avons fait la Toscane en voiture au mois d'août et ça roule correctement dans le même style que le Périgord je pense, ça monte ça descend ça tourne :) et c'est très beau. Loger dans un agriturismo doit être une super expérience.
Mais ne pas négliger Rome qui est une ville magnifique et très riche, mais qui nécessite plus de jours par rapport à Florence ( le top : louer un scooter sur une journée pour aller d'églises en églises, de grandes places en places, aller voir les panoramas depuis les collines de la ville).
Rome tu as intérêt à y passer au moins 4 jours
ensuite oui la voiture serait plus pratique, tu pourrais remonter de Rome vers la Ombrie puis la Toscane cela te permettra de t'arrêter dans de petites villes ou villages magnifiques (Orvieto, Perugia, Assise, Sienne etc.) et finir ton séjour à Florence
Je ne connais pas le Canada mais les routes italiennes sont similaires aux routes françaises
Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful.
My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon.
Here’s our tentative itinerary:
09/19: Arrival in Seoul
09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike
09/21: Seoraksan Park
09/22: Return to Seoul
09/23–09/26: Seoul
09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city
09/28: Hahoe
09/29–10/01: Gyeongju
10/01–10/03: Busan
10/03–10/04: Jinju
10/05: Bus/train to Suwon
10/06: Suwon
So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon.
I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul.
And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites.
Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
Hi everyone,
For traveling in Rajasthan by train and bus, could you give me some info: where to buy tickets, cost, purchase locations, websites, etc.?
Any tips you have would be super helpful.
Thanks
