The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Traveling onboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express? Learn more about the accommodations and onboard experience of the luxurious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express here.
Know Before You Go: Italy
Read below for helpful information regarding traveling by train through Italy.
Train Tickets and Stations in Italy
On your tickets, please note that Europe uses the date format of DD/MM/YYYY.
Some major cities have more than one main station, be sure to reference your train tickets for the correct departure station. Additionally, your station name may be in Italian, however, signs throughout the station are usually in English as well as Italian, along with easy-to-understand pictograms.
Many airports in Italy also have train stations that connect you to the city centre. If your itinerary does not already include airport train tickets or a private transfer, you can purchase them locally or opt to take a taxi.
Venice Access (Entry Fee) Tax
In response to new local regulations, we are providing information below regarding the new Venice Access Fee which is in effect on select dates throughout the year.
Please note – that although you will need to complete this process in its entirety, you will not have to pay any additional fees.
Here are the steps you will need to take:
- Visit the website, https://cda.ve.it/en/, choose "Exemptions," select "I am a guest in an accommodation in Venice", and click "Request Exemption."
- Enter your arrival and departure dates by selecting from the calendar (note that dates are displayed in DD-MM-YYYY format).
- Complete the “Main Holder” form including the hotel name under “accommodation and address name”.
- In the third step, enter the names and information of any other guests in your travel party.
- You will be sent a QR code digitally, which you may need to present on arrival at the city’s main access points. We recommend you and each member of your party take a screenshot of their individual QR code and save it to their phone’s favorites folder.
While no fees will be charged to you as a result of your hotel stay in the City, you must be able to provide this QR code upon request or you will be fined by city officials on the spot.
Please reach out to a member of our staff if you have any additional questions, and thank you for choosing Railbookers for your upcoming trip to Venice!
Appropriate Attire
Many attractions and tours in Italy involve visiting religious sites or cathedrals. With this in mind, it’s important to plan while packing and on the day of your excursion. In general, wearing shorts or skirts above the knee, sleeveless tops, hats, and low-cut shirts is prohibited. Without following these guidelines, you may be turned away or suggested to buy a shawl to cover up. Many attractions also do not allow large backpacks, however small sized bags are permitted. For more details, you can visit the attractions' websites.
Onboard Dining
While some long-distance trains, Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, and Frecciabianca, will have a bar and/or a catering car onboard to purchase light meals, snacks, and beverages, on regional trains, Intercity and overnight trains, there is no catering car, so it’s recommended to bring your own food and drink (even a bottle of wine, if you like) onto the train, there's no rules against that on the rails! On your train tickets, you will see the name of the train listed along with the service, coach, and seat details.
Looking for sightseeing and activity suggestions while you're on the trip of a lifetime in Italy?
We have gathered our top sightseeing and activity recommendations. Give us a call to add excursions to add to your itinerary!
Cinque Terre
Every town of the Cinque Terre has a railway station, and the trains run every 15-30 minutes. If your itinerary includes a Cinque Terre Card, you can use it for a variety of services within the villages, including the below. You can also find more details here.
Before boarding your first train with the Cinque Terre card, be sure to punch your ticket at one of the automatic machines at the station.
Included with the Cinque Terre Card:
- Unlimited transportation by train between the villages of Cinque Terre (Manarola, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Corniglia, and Monterosso al Mare), La Spezia and Levanto. If you are staying in Sestri Levante, you will need to purchase a train ticket at Sestri Levante station to the Monterosso, which only costs a few euros.
- Usage of bus services: Each of the five villages has its own bus connecting the village to the nearest places of interest and the station. More details about the bus services can be found on the above link, under “Modes of Transport”.
- Entrance to the Blue Path #2, a walking path connecting the 5 villages. You can find out more about the difficulty and distance of the walks here.
- Free entry to some museums in Cinque Terre Park
- Usage of wi-fi
- Toilets at the station are free of charge
Average Travel Duration Between the Cinque Terre villages:
- Monterosso - Vernazza: 4 minutes
- Vernazza - Corniglia: 4 minutes
- Corniglia - Manarola: 5 minutes
- Manarola - Riomaggiore: 6 minutes
Average Travel Duration From the Main Cities to Cinque Terre:
- Levanto to Monterosso: 5 minutes
- La Spezia to Riomaggiore: 9 minutes
- Sestri Levante to Monterosso: 25 minutes
- Portofino (station of S. Margherita Ligure-Portofino) to Monterosso: 45 minutes