I remember hearing a comment about a despised former Italian leader that at least he made the trains run on time. Apparently Italian trains were notorious for being late. Said leader was fortunately overthrown and most if not all of his legacy was removed or replaced. Sadly, it would seem that applied to the trains as well.
On our last full day in Italy, we were traveling by train from Naples to Rome for our last night in the country. Having experienced, or rather endured Italian trains a couple of days earlier on the Circumvesuviana commuter train in Sorrento I had some reservations on what was to come.
Italo is the brand name of the Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori a company that began providing high speed train service in Italy in 2006. At present NTV serves 62 stations in 54 cities and averages about 90 trips a day.
We had our electronic tickets printed out complete with QR code and the details such as train number and departure time. Naturally we didn’t have a track number as apparently these are only given out at the last possible minute.
When it was close to the train’s arrival time, we made our way to the track area and kept watching the electronic board for the track number to be posted. A few minutes before the scheduled departure time it was, or at least we thought it was. We made our way to the designated, and empty, track and waited. We continued waiting until well after the scheduled departure time and still no train.
We then headed back to the main entry area to doublecheck the board. Here we discovered several other passengers also waiting for our train including one who knew how to properly read the board. The number 10 I though was the track number was in reality the number of estimated minutes the train would be late. Fortunately for us that was an optimistic estimate.
Eventually our train arrived and the correct track number was posted, at the extreme other end of the tracks. There was a mad scramble as all the passengers loaded down with luggage literally ran to the correct platform and began looking of their cars.
Our tickets had both the seat numbers and car printed on it, fortunately our car was in the middle so we were able to get aboard before the train departed. Italo apparently is not in the habit of waiting. There was a big of a log jam at the end of the car and we soon discovered why.
Prior to entering into the passenger compartment via a sliding glass door there was a sort of foyer area with the washroom and a small storage area for larger pieces of luggage. Smaller pieces such as backpacks and carry-ons could be placed in the overhead racks above the seats.
Apparently, this was too much effort for those who had won the foot race to the train and they filled all the luggage spots with their smaller bags leaving no room for anyone slower with “larger” bags, like us.
Our cases while not enormous were still too large to jam into the overhead racks. Fortunately, the car wasn’t full and I was able to wedge them into the seats across from us, and hoped no passengers would be assigned those seats at any intervening stops.
Our seats were the last two in the car immediately in front of the sliding glass door to the foyer. This meant that with any luck we could be first off. Sadly, one of the other slowpokes, just not as slow as us, had solved the lack of luggage storage in the foyer in her own unique way.
She had managed to jam her enormous, and I do mean enormous it was as large as both our cases put together, behind our seats against the bulkhead. In doing so she managed to jam the sliding glass door so it now only opened a few inches. Probably enough for a normal person to squeeze through sideways, as some using the washroom did, but not enough to get a suitcase through.
I began to realize we’d have to traverse the entire length of the car past all the other passengers many of whom I’m sure would be disembarking in Rome as well and hope there was enough time to get off before the train left. If the stops between Naples and Rome were any indication we’d have literally seconds. Personally, I’ve always Wanted to visit Florence the final destination, just not on this trip.
The conductor did come by prior to reaching Rome checking tickets, both electronic and paper and soon discovered the jammed door and the reason. He looked at me as if to say is this yours, and I pointed first at my case across the aisle and then up the length of the car. He shrugged and then went off in search of the owner and was soon back with her. It was really jammed in there and it took both of them some effort to remove it. He then literally tossed it into the foyer section where it spent the rest of the trip rolling around on the floor.
Our seats were in Prima Business Class the second of three classes on Italo trains. The only difference between this and Smart Class apparently was we received a free snack and drink, similar to what one gets on an airline on short flight. Naturally this was served almost before we arrived in Rome and we were just able to finish it. Both classes offer 2x2 individual seating with easy access plugs for phones and other devices.
The trip was so short, under two hours that had it been offered I doubt I would have paid more for the Club Executive Class with its arm chairs, individual TV screens and additional catering options. Technically there was free WIFI available but it took me almost the entire trip to log in following their instructions, and now receive spam emails from Italo almost daily.
After a long day of travel, we finally arrived at Roma Termini and a short drive to our hotel to rest and recover and in my case with a healthy skepticism for Italian trains.