High Speed Train to Venice

As a train and rail fan, we get to combine two experiences together for this one-day trip. I’ve always loved rail travel and combined with the incredible beauty of this coastal/canal city it should be a memorable day. Although a rather long day it was!

Italian High-Speed Rail

I have been a railroad fan going back to my younger days as a small child and my father worked for a railroad in Indiana. He worked for a freight rail line (New York Central) that mainly carried coal from southern Indiana to central Indiana and beyond. I would tag along with him when he would stop in the yard office to check on his upcoming assignments. I also got to ride with him in the diesel engine a couple of times. Great memories. Mostly I remembered the smell of diesel fuel for days and the roar of the engines.

Back to now and Italy, this country as most European countries, have a good network of rail transportation. With the high-speed runs connecting the major cities, and many regional between the smaller towns.

We have already used the rail system for our trip to the west coast and Cinque Terre. Quick and efficient. They always seem to be exactly on time as opposed to most flights these days. Our trip to Venice is 252km or 156 miles and the high-speed train stopped about four times at cities along the route. The total time was just over two hours. We got the first class tickets, just a few bucks more with a huge amount of legroom and comfy seats. $330 round trip.

We decided not to spend the night there as we can see most everything in the one long day. Our train left Florence at 8:20 in the morning and arrived in Venice at 10:30. We had until 6:30 pm that day when our return train left. No big plans. Just wander around.

From a google search: High-speed trains in Italy have a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h (190 mph). The trains travel on dedicated high-speed railway lines and, on some routes, also on conventional railway lines with lower speed limits. Italy has two high-speed rail lines connecting most of the country’s major cities. Necessary updates are underway to allow for trains to reach speeds of up to 360 km/h or 228 mph.

The location of the train station in Venice could not be any better. As you leave the station you walk to a canal and cross a bridge putting you are in the heart of the city!

Venice Italy

With the exception of the Amalfi Coast, I believe that Venice has some of the most picturesque views of anywhere else in Italy. Very photo worthy and just plain has that cool factor! I took over a hundred photos in our eight-hour day. We walked all over the city and to all the major attractions. Of course, we had many stops for coffee, dining, and refreshments. The weather was perfect and we had a great time of it.

A little background. Venice is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 126 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are linked by 472 bridges. In 2020, around 258,685 people resided in greater Venice of whom around 51,000 live in the historical island city of Venice and the rest on the mainland.

From here I’m just going to post some of the best photos with some captions, so enjoy.

After lunch we had to find the perfect place for the coffee. What better than Cafe Florian! This place is a must stop while in the city. Having been established in 1720 it is the 2nd oldest coffee shops in the world. Just imagine, this was 56 years before America gained independence.

It is located in San Marco Piazza and has been in continuous operation. It has been patronized by nobles including Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, and Cassanova. Some believe Cassanova came here because it was the only coffee house at the time that allowed woman. How about that!

Wrap Up

I’ll end it here but will issue a part two of Venice next. Too many good photos to document. Thanks for following along! Please leave a comment if you wish. Take care and God Bless.