Photo essay: Fall 2010 travels - Train Travels

This is part four in a series of posts on my fall travels in 2010 to several cities in Europe. The first part was my iPhone cache of photos and the second part was my arrival in Florence. Part three showed our first full stop, in beautiful Cinque Terre. Here I present some of our train travels between La Spezia and Nice.

Train travel can be easy and enjoyable or cumbersome for the uninitiated. Sometimes it can be a cheap option, but other times a flight with a much reduced travel time may cost the same. Do your homework if you have a preference!

At Genova P. Principe. Choo-choo! Bye-bye Cinque Terre. Hello Nice!

Some train travel tips:

• Read your train ticket carefully to understand which platform you need to be at, and what the departure time is. In the cities that we have train-traveled through and within, the schedules have been fairly accurate. Check if you can or need to reserve a seat. Make sure you have your ticket ready for validation.
• Don't pack too much. There are many stairs and possibly running in the hallways beneath the tracks to reach different platforms for transfer.
• Don't bring large suitcases. There is often limited space, and you may need to leave your luggage in the hallway or ends of car units.
• Bring a snack or two. Depending on the train and service level, you may have many hours before you'll have a chance to eat.
• Enjoy the scenery! Notice the differences as you travel to your destination. If you come from a flat and bland landscape as I do, you'll appreciate the rolling hills and changing architectural styles of towns that you pass through.

Train transfer in Ventimiglia. We had a bit of time and relaxed outside of the station with a snack from a nearby cafe.

If you like Chinese food, you're in luck! It can be found all over Europe. This signage is just outside of Ventimiglia train station.

Cute little mini-truck outside of Ventimiglia train station.

Arrival! Bonjour Nice!