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Tourist Survival Guide TRAINS |
| Paying Fines Important!! Whatever type of train you'll be travelling on,remember to stamp you ticket in one of the yellow franking machines located throughout the train station, on each platform and in walkways. Watch fellow travellers to see where and how they stamp their tickets. Forgetting to do so may well result in having to pay a higher fine than you'd have to pay for being caught with no ticket at all!
In general, Italians do not picnic or eat on the run. They are neat eaters, preferring a proper table, napkins and little mess. This means they are apt to look askance at your making sandwiches on your lap in the train or dribbling ice cream down your front as you pull out of the station. Watching your child smear cookie in his hair could be disturbing to a woman with a designer handbag on the seat, so keep your eyes open and go with the flow... First-class travellers on the Eurostar are offered a snack, beverage, headphones, and depending on availability, a newspaper. Second class passengers are given a snack only. We’re not sure why, but have a strong suspicion it could have something to do with wanting to sell more drinks. It’s a little like salt on the popcorn... If you’re thirsty, you may well begin to ask yourself why there’s no bar or restaurant car on the Eurostar, which means you are obliged to buy warm drinks off the cart if and when it appears in your compartment. You may not see it again for the rest of your trip, and thirst, especially after one of those dry little snacks, can be unbearable. Intercity trains almost always include an easily accessible self-service restaurant car. The pre-packaged sandwiches and atmosphere make Mac Donald's look like a 5-star restaurant. Travelling to the south, check for trains which serve refreshments: they have inexplicably disappeared from many routes running through the southern regions. If you find yourself crossing the Messina Straight, do not miss out on the arancino di riso on the ferry. Filled with mozzarella, meat and peas, this ball of rice is your first step into Sicily. |
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