As part of our transportation adventure we have so far flown across the Atlantic, rode the Rome Metro and survived a taxi ride back from the Pantheon. Next up in the transportation sweepstakes is the high speed train! This is a first for us and I’ve been looking forward to this since last January when I created this itinerary. Our Italo train leaves out of the Termini station so after our Visit to a local Sports Venue we hop the Metro to the Termini Station to meet our Italo train.
The Termini station is:
- Huge!
- Hot! (Rome is in the middle of a huge heat wave)
- Open to the elements on both ends.
- NOT Air Conditioned!
- Very busy
- Very loud
Unfortunately, they do have a McDonalds (don’t worry, there’s a worse indignity in Venice. You’ll have to wait for that.)
There’s no need to get to the train station way early like there is at an Airport. There’s no real security at a train station. Just show them your ticket, walk to the platform and get on the train
Ten minutes after our train arrives we pull out of the station. Soon we are speeding across the Cambrian/Tuscan countryside.
Yeah, the pictures suck but we are doing 250 KPH (155 MPH) at this point. Cut me a break!
Later, when we were going through a hill north of Bologna we got up to 290 KPH (180 MPH). It was awesome!
Whenever you entered a new tunnel your ears would want to pop from the Bernoulli effect. So cool!
After blasting through/under the hills we emerged on the open plain and headed for Venice. As we hit the last train station before Venice we go by the Fincantieri shipyards and see the Carnival Horizon being built. Very neat.
A final quick run across the causeway and we are at the Venezia Santa Lucia station. Venice!
The Traveling Hippogators 