Italy's Public Transport System

I have some stories to tell in regard to Stresa and San Gimignano but I just have to vent... I've vented to Joe a little already when I accidentally rang him on my mobile... I'm literally going to pay for that call. Oh well! Apparently, it's all part of the experience.

My first experience with Public Transport was when I had to take a train from Stresa to Poggibonsi. I walked there the previous day so that I could get a feel for the distance. When I arrived they didn't speak English (which I know isn't their fault) and since I hadn't traveled on a train I wanted to know how I stow my luggage and how I get my ticket tomorrow. Finally he understood and indicated that I stow it above me but then he said he could stamp my ticket now... I'm like, I don't even have my ticket, how could he stamp it. I'm thinking stamping means validating... I finally work out that stampe is the word for print... He prints my tickets for me. All good.

Next day I turn up on time but there's so many odd machines with slots and Italian words on them and warnings about needing to validate but no "validate here" signage. I sat around till someone did it before me. Turned out it was the unmarked yellow boxes and I since worked out it just prints numbers on the end rather so it doesn't need to go in a particular direction... Crisis over.

First train... Turns out after 5 stops that I'm sitting in First class, not second. Feakin' hell, there are no signs. So I have to take my bag off the shelf above and drag it to the other end of the carriage. I can tell you now, there's not much difference except First class smells air conditioned and you have a fold out cup holder... That's all!

So, I arrive in Poggibonsi, there's no one there. The hotel said the bus comes past every hour so I'd just take the bus. The timetable could have been a test for tourists... I couldn't understand it. The first bus arrived after 20mins, the driver says the one to San Gimignano is in 15mins... 10mins later another bus arrives... I ignore it. Another 15mins go by and the San Gimignano bus arrives... No markings to confirm this. I just asked. The next problem was that I was supposed to know to get a ticket from the ticket office... Of course! This is 300m up the road... Naturally! I should have known! The driver looked extremely frustrated. But after finding out it was just me he gave me a break and fished through his bag for a ticket for me... The cost? E3,00. I've since found out it only costs E1,70. Ok, ripped off! I arrived safely, I guess that's the main thing...

Till today!

I got up early, made it to the bus stop with time to spare. The bus came 15mins early but I caught it. All good. Arrived at Poggibonsi station with 45mins to spare... Plenty of time! I was assured I could print the tickets I bought online at the station. That would be misinformation. The station isn't manned and there is no way to obtain your ticket. I ask at the bar, they know nothing, I ask at the newspaper shop, he suggests the tourist office up the road. I drag m bag to the tourist office... Down to 30mins before train... The tourist office normally can help but the system is down and the guy before me has been there for 20mins himself already. 15mins before the train... They send me to the ravel agent up the road... 10mins left... They can't help because my ticket is designated "self service" but she might be able to print my first ticket, not the second. Fine. The system is down. Freakin' wonderful. Meanwhile they can't tell me what happens if I miss the train. Finally she says I can get the ticket from the machine at the station... What the hell! 5mins left... Back to the station. There is no way I can even read the machines in the station! Suffice to say my train is there... Next minute my train is gone... Back up to the tourist office... She confirms that there is no machine in the station to help me! Oh, yay! Freakin' flyin' Argh!!!! Ok, so she explains that I can catch the next train to Florence in an hour and twenty minutes or the bus in 20mins. Right, so I establish the first ticket is gone but either way I will be too late for my next train... The she finds out I can transfer the ticket within three hours. Wonderful but this still means I loose out on the first ticket since the system is still down! So, the bus it is. Yay! Well that was relatively easy since I could buy a ticket for the bus right there... How convenient! So, I take the bus and surprisingly arrive in time for me to get my train if I can get my ticket. With 10mins to go, I find the appropriate machine and get my tickets... Now, which platform? The big paper schedule says 11... Good. But wait, it's empty. Hmmm. Right. The electronic board indicates it's not here and finally after another 10mins it's updated with a delay of 2 and a half hrs due to demonstrators on the track... Funny! So after a feeble attempt at swapping my ticket for an earlier train, I resign myself to wait for 2 and a half hours. Here I am, still sitting on my suitcase and the board now shows a 3 hour delay. So, only another half hour of waiting to go... I'll believe the board when I'm sitting on my train!

I don't think you can appreciate how impressed I am with public transport!

I'm not sure how many times I can tell myself that it's all part of the experience!

Oh... And welcome to the blog Beth. I hope you're not having this particular experience yourself.