Train Experience Fiumicino to Scalea

[Doug]

To you Experienced Train Riders-
Has anyone used the train from Fiumicino airport to Scalea and back? I can figure out the Trenitalia schedules, but wondered what the true hassle factor is to such a trip. I think you must change trains twice. I'm going alone in November to receive the shipment of the household and thought about trying trains instead of the spendy car rentals. There are some cheaper day by day cars in Scalea, but one must get there from Rome first. Thanks

Tanti augueri,

[Lynn]

Hi Doug, John and I have taken the shuttle train from Fiumicino to Termini and then the 13. 29 ( I think, it's around that time) to Scalea. Hassle free. The train to Scalea is direct and takes about 4hrs 30 mins. Then you have the inconvenience and expense of getting to S.Domenico. I think you will find it cheaper to take a car though if you are there for any length of time. It's about 65euro return on the train plus 12 euro one way on the shuttle. We've just booked a car through Economy Car Rentals for 205 euro for the week. In Scalea you are looking at about 30Euro a day for a car. We always feel the need to have a car and do our own thing. It's handy if you want to stop off in Naples at Ikea for a few things.

Lynn

[Doug]

Ouch Lynn, stop twisting my arm to get back in a car. You know Americans hate to be parted from their cars! I would normally drive from Rome like you, but this time I have no idea how long I'll be in Italy. The shipment has an 85% chance of arriving in Naples on time. It could be delayed days or even a week if the ship has any trouble. I'll ponder a bit more on this idea. That's an awfully good rate you mentioned. Does that include all the mandatory insurance? Our 8 day adventure in July with Hertz cost us over $800 (about 530 euro) when we were paying the high exchange rate.

Lot's of people mention the Ikea. Do they ship things or must you arrange for transport of larger articles? I wouldn't dare buy anything without Di's approval, but we could check it out in December.

Doug

[Lynn]

Doug, get on the Ikea website for Italy and choose the Naples store. I think they deliver. the car is a category B so it's just a small one. It includes all the insurances and waivers etc.

[Niamh]

Hi Doug,

We have taken the train from Rome to Scalea and found it fairly hassle free. Depends on which train you get whether you have to change or not.
We'll be doing that this time around when we visit in October. Landing in Rome 11am so will aim to catch the 13.27 train down which has no changes and takes 4.43 hours. It's nice not to have to change so that when you get settled in you can just relax.
We will hire a car then when we get to Scalea.
Getting very exciting for you now you are at the stage of shipping your furniture over !
Ciao for now
Niamh

[Doug]

Hi There Niamh,
So you think it's worth the train cost to rent the car in Scalea? I'd love to try the train. Car hire cost seems to be the same whether Rome or Scalea, so the train cost is to alleviate the drive eh?! Is the Budget place in Scalea on Corso Med?

DJ

[Lynn]

Hi Doug. posted a message on the Car hire thread with Scalea details for car hire. Giancarlo used them when he was there but the daily rate wasn't great but cheaper than Budget.

Lynn

[patmc]

Dear Doug,

I would totally concur with the advice given by others that the 1:27pm from Rome Termini is the best train to take to Scalea. Direct journey, never any problems and gets into Scalea about 6:10pm when all the shops are back open again. If you can get a window seat on the right-hand side of the train, the journey down is superb. If you haven’t travelled on Italian trains before, you should know that they stop for a brief few minutes only at each station. So you need to be ready to get off. The penultimate stop is Maratea. Scalea is 15 minutes after that.

Budget Car rental is located on Via Lauro, about a six minute walk from the station. Go down Viale 1° Maggio to the end and turn right into Via Lauro. Walk for about two minutes and Budget is on the other side of the road.

PatMc

[Doug]

Thanks Lynn, Niamh and Pat for the great advice on trains and cars. I am now convinced the train adventure with a car rental in Scalea would be worth a try. Hopefully if I book a car for a week, but change it short, they would prorate in some fashion. Not knowing when our house shipment will arrive might be a concern, but I'm surely looking forward to every moment there. Will get some plastering and painting done if I have to wait. Yeah, as Gian noted, it's a little spendy, but it is a requirement for me to be there with all the proper paperwork. The off season flight ticket is $700 (350 pound) cheaper per person than the xmas flight we have booked, so the damage is not lethal.

Best regards all,

Doug

[Doug]

Howdy Again,
Is the car hire office a walkable distance from the stazione? This is probably different from the Budget office I presume. It seems that all 3 times we've been to Scalea, we spent most waking hours on the real estate business and didn't get to know Scalea that well! Thx

Doug

[Niamh]

Hi Doug,
If it's the Budget Car hire you are looking for it is pretty close to the station. Just go straight down the hill, take a right onto Via Lauro and the Budget depot is a little way along on the left hand side. When are you planning on going? It must have taken such a lot of organising getting all your household goods shipped over?
I know what you mean about getting to know Scalea. It was really only on our trip in May that we got to know our way around better. Still managed to get lost once or twice.
We also still have to discover so much in Santa Domenica too. We have never actually stayed there. We only ever drove up and down to it from Scalea and were usually in a hurry to get to another appointment. Can't wait til we are able to stay in our house and take our time to wander those beautiful little streets.
Roll on !!!
Ciao for now
Niamh

[Doug]

Hi Niamh-

I just got word back from Economy Car Hire that they'll only do business with those holding funds in Sterling, so us yanks are out. Had they accepted USD, I would have gotten a car from Maggiore rental. I'll have to settle for Budget and I can find that office. Since the Chinese pretty well own this country, maybe I can go thru them for a car

Made reservations to arrive Rome morning of Nov 8 and return Nov 21, but that is going to change when I know when the shipment arrives. In other words, I shouldn't have to stay that long. There is a $200 penalty for changing tickets, but still thousands cheaper than the open-ended type of fare.

The moving orgainization was fairly painless. We selected the cheaper of two companies. They pack and move the house, cross the Pacific and unload in downtown Santa Domenica for a reasonable fee. The ships are sometimes late, so that's the unknown for me as to time there. Doug

[Lynn]

Hi Doug, strange about Economy Car Hire because we didn't pay in sterling, not living in the UK. I believe if you hired from Di Presbitiris he will pick you up. Mind you , you would have the language problem but maybe someone in Scalea could speak to him for you. Good luck with the move. Lynn

[Doug]

Thanks Lynn,
Yeah I thought a VISA Card is a VISA card, but didn't want to enter an email argument. Gian warned me about the language issue and I am just too basic to tackle that now on top of everything else. Until we get our skills upgraded, we have to pay the cost of being dumb! I'm not afraid to play around with the language with a merchant about something simple, but rental cars, etc can be dicey. He also does not take credit cards.

Ciao,

[claire tudge]

We have done the Rome termini to Scalea loads of times same as Pat Mc, never had a problem but as newbies forgot to get the ticket stamped at the station but never received the two hundred euro fine fortunately, this time doing the route via naples with a stopover and viewing trip to pompei on the 4th october, hope the weather picks up as my mom has been in northern italy sight seeing and the weather has been mixed.