Note that for technical reason the trip must be made either in the period 26 april-15 june or the last week of september.
I tried in 1998 to organize such trip, unfortunately my offer "tell me the dates you prefer" lead to having many requests, but not enought on the same date.
To avoid these problems I SAY: If we do, we will do from 30 april to 9 may 1999 ... don't ask to chage the dates unless you are at least a party of 8 peoples. This would avoid the uncertainity that let may people to renounce the idea, o doing themselves.
This is the annoucements for a rail tour in Southern Europe or Italy to be made in Spring 1999
The initiative is private and aimed to all peole wishing to see the most scenic rail route in Italy and Southern Europe.
I have prepared three slightly different programs, to accomplish with
different orientation.
Dates will be between April 30 and May 9.
For detailed itinerary as well for additional particulars I am waiting
your requests.
The trip will have a guide to suggest you unknown sites, The tour will
last 9 days included 3 devoted to visiting (RR) museums ...
It will be made mostly on reserved cars on regular trains
Expected expense should be from 65 to 95 Euro x Day x person ( about 80
to 110 USD x Day x person ) according the program inclusive of passage,
lodging and food.
To help in better preparation and to better accomplish the perspective partecipant desires please answer to the following questions: (do not mind about the presence of more question with the samew number and some replies missing: I just want to keep the numbering of the question consistently after refining the questionnaire)
0) Are you interested in partecipating at this trip or you just write
to offer your suggestions ?
0b) How many days do you plan to spend with us ? (You can choose to do
only a part of the tour)
0c) Of the four program (not definitive) what is the one that would fit
better in your interests ?
1) How many people your party will be (this is NOT a reservation, just
to know how much people we could be: there are some leg or stops that we
can do only if we are below of above certain numbers) ?
2) You would prefer to travel in regular train or on special trains ?
3) Do you like some steam experience ?
3a) Would you like some High Speed experience ?
4) (I had yet so many answer to this question that it is decided: The
car will have no air conditioning, but openable windows to get pictures
outside ... )
5) For night do you prefer a) A good hotel b) A cheap hotel c) hostel
e) Camping
5a) Would be acceptable to have an overnight on a Ferry ?
6) If some sites are better seen walking than by train do you accept to
walk up to 3 hours (in wonderful landscapes) ? (The other will do the trib
by train :-( )
7) Do you like one or more visit to railway museums ?
8) Do you like one or more visit to a locomotive shop ?
9) (not least) the trip should be: a railroad only, a railroad+Touristic
traditional or (i suggest) railroad+selected visits to touristic and non
touristic sites (such visit to less known museums and industrial archeology
sites)
9b) Should be all days consecutive or consider 2 or 3 days without travelling
?
10) If there are difficulties for reaching some sites, if train is not
available or inconvenient would you accept some excursions by bus/car/ferry
?
The four draft are the following
#1 "Italy big rail tour":
This tour would cover most of scenic routes in all Italy
(actually some section are in France and Switzerland)
The draft is as follows:
Day 1: Meet in Milano Central Station (The largest in Europe) , Train to
Parma-Pontremolese-Aulla-Garfagnana-Lucca
Day 2: Lucca-Pistoia-
porrettana-Bologna-Faenza-faentina-Borgo
S. Lorenzo-Firenze-Siena
Day 3: Siena-Chiusi-Roma-Tivoli-Sulmona-(Maiella,the
highest line in Italy)-Venafro-Napoli
Day 4: National Railway museum at Pietrarsa, afternoon for sidetrip to
Sorrento on NG line and/or S. Martino by funicular (or Herculaneum for
those tired of train and wishing antiquities). On evening Ferry to Palermo
(overnight in cabins)
Day 5: Palermo to Catania to Randazzo (Circumetnea)
to Giarre to Messina to Reggio
Day 6: Reggio-Catanzaro-Cosenza (Options:
If there are operation sidetrip to S. Fili on steam rack R) (overnight
Cosenza-Spezia in sleeping car)
Note: Adding a day the Cosenza-Spezia could
be done daytime but since it is not so scenic as the others and due the
availability of sleeping car service doing overnight seems me interesting,
even from an economic point of view
Day 7: Spezia-Genova-Ventimiglia-Breil-Tenda-Cuneo (Options:
Walk along the path on old railway on the Cinqueterre or to Monte di Portofino-
people not willing to do the 4 hour walk can continue to Genova and do
sidetrip on the Genova Granarolo rack railway
(original turn of century equipment) or to Casella
(possibility to have 1923 train, option to stop in Breil s/Roya if the
local RR museum is open (same as Spezia) - these two museum are mostly
for storage, so most of time are closed to public)
Day 8: Cuneo-Torino-Novara-Domodossola-(centovalli)Locarno(CH)-Milano-Brescia
Day 9: Verona-Bolzano-(Pusteria)S. Candido
then Bus to Pieve di Cadore and train (cadore)
to Venezia (Options: From Bolzano trip on
the meter gauge touristic railway of Renon
or compatibly with opening railway museum of Innsbruck or walk along the
abandoned rail from Ponte Gardena - all these options require a night stop
in S. Candido and return on 10th day)
Overall Options: Day of rest in Firenze
(after day 3 visit of Museum of History of Science - not a railway museum
but anyway interesting) Milano in day 9 (Visit to museum of Scienza and
tecnica or to Museum of Transport in Ranco)
Variations: The trip could begin and end from Roma, so the first day would
be the 3rd .
#2 "Italy standard rail
tour":
This tour would cover most of scenic routes in peninsular
Italy (actually some section are in France and Switzerland)
Same as #1, but missing day 5 and 6 (from Napoli to Spezia on evening of
day 4 or overnight) so is overall 7/8 days, useful if you choose the option
of a day of rest.
#3 "Appennine tour":
This tour would cover most of scenic routes on Appennines
Same as #1, until day 4 then:
Day 4 evening Napoli-Foggia
Day 5 Foggia-Pescara-Sulmona-Terni-Todi-Perugia
Day 6 Perugia-Arezzo-Firenze-Spezia-Genova-Granarolo
Day 7 Genova-Casella-Busalla-Genova-Ovada-Alessandria-Milano
(You could do even hybridize 1 and 3 so having day 7 to 9 of #1)
#4 "Southern Europe Tour":
(This one was set for those wishing to taste the various kind of HS
trains in Europe and visit railway museum, so it does not deep-search the
most scenic routes in central Italy). Also this could be easily be done
by individuals, i can give you the complete schedule upon request)
This is the most complete, more for viewing differnt network and equipment
than for scenic routes.
I have not yet a detailed itinerary and day subdivison, since it would
be done for the first time, tentative is as Follows:
Day 1 Start from Frankfurt, ICE to Basel and to Mulhouse to visit the railway
museum)
Day 2 visit of museum then Basel-Brig-Milano with ETR470
Day 3 Milano-Torino (TGV)-Breil-Nice
Day 4 (If day of operation: Chemin de fer du Var) then to Savona otherwise
skip to day 5
Day 5 Savona-Genova-(stop for sidetrip)-Milano-Tirano
Day 6 Sondrio-Tirano-Bernina-Chur-Innsbruck-S. Candido (possibility if
it is open to a visit to railway museum in Innsbruck)
Day 7 S. Candido-Bologna-Faenza-Firenze-Bologna
Day 8 Bologna-Roma (ETR500)-Sulmona-Napoli
Day 9 Museum in Pietrarsa then to Ancona (ETR 450)
Day 10 Ancona-Milano-Zurich-Frankfurt
(Note that the trip could begin fron Zürich Milano or Roma too,
in this case from Ancona-Milano the trip would go to Basel without touching
Frankfurt.Also if you are not intersted in using the 470 and ice start
in milano with day 3 and close day 10 accordingly . If you want to shorten
again, without severe losses we could un day 9 afternoon come back to Milano
(and overnight to Frankfurt on day 10)
Important note: Since this 4th option
use mostly High Speed Trains and touristic line prices are higher. Consider
at least additional 30ECU ( 35 USD) per day
Send your replies and request to Leonardo Boselli leo@dicea.unifi.it