Hello Sven

So do I get it right: first travel day you use to go to Rome. Second travel day to stop somewhere between Rome and La Cure, and third one to go to La Cure?

Actually I almost never needed reservations on ICE, but with a first class ticket there is the problem that people with normal tickets get their reservation for free, so lots of seats are reserved! And lot’s of other seats are reserved for bahncomfort guests. I also complained at DB, but they don’t want to change anything. The good thing at least, is that you pay the reservation price only once and not per train.

Actually more interesting than Pisa is cinque terre. I’ve seen pisa in a little bit more than one hour. You can just exit Pisa Centrale and have a walk through the city and to the tower and then to Pisa San Rossore where you can board a train again. It is easy possible to start in Rome, see Pisa, then one or two other cinque terre sites, and be in Manarola at sunset time!

After that you can stay in La Spezia. There is a cool backpackers hostel. You can easily stay there some nights, it is nice and lots to do and see. (e.g. Porto Venere, Lerici, some hiking trails, boat rides and the other cinque terre villages).

On the way to La cure you can easily also stop for some hours in Genova, or some other place. There are intercities that don’t need reservaton, but I still recommend it (it is 3€ I think). Between Milan and Switzerland you can take regional trains to Domodossola or Chiasso to avoid high reservation fees.

I would also recommend to stay a little bit more time in Naples and also visit Vesuvio and Pompei and Amalfi coast.

Happy Travels!

Additional: the IT-TrenItalia IC now MUST be reserved, and it still cost 3 eur/seat/ride.

ON that NightJet you only hget around 15 eur reduction in price with a pass, check the list, it was recently posted on this forum too.

Oh, good to know, wasn’t aware of that! But actually wouldn’t change anything for me, I will reserve anyway next time. It was not so fun to change seats at every station when new one boarded that meant he reserved my seat. (It was never marked which seats are reserved since normal tickets are only sold with seat reservation (same as in Finland)).

Reservations for the Nightjet Munich - Rome starts from

14€ for a seat 44€ for a bed in a 4pers. Couchette or 74€ for a bed in the 3pers. Sleeper compartment.

another option could be from Brussels via Frankfurt  - Basel/Zürich to Milan and catch in Milan the Italian domestic Nighttrain from Turin via Milan to Naples and Serrano https://rail.cc/interrail-night-train/turin-salerno-icn-797/194

Yes, I use my 1st travel day to travel to Rome.

I want to use my 2nd travel day to travel in Italy, such as to Naples or a little further south. But I think I have to take into account that I will have to travel back to the north of Italy on this 2nd travel day, in order to arrive in "La Cure" on my 3rd travel day.

In January I see a connection from Rome - La Cure, departure 9.20am, arrival 6.15pm. But the eurocity is not (yet) in the planner in the months after January. That is why I think that on day 2 we should already travel to the north of Italy, in order to arrive nicely in La Cure.

Would like your advice on this. Thanks!

Thank you so much for this recommendation!

Do you have to make reservations on the Eurocity from Switzerland (Zurich) to Milan?
Or is it highly recommended?

You have to.
But you can take the RE80 from Lugano or Chiasso to Milano without a reservation.

Actually, I wouldn’t do a monster daytrip in italy like that. I would recommend to go from Rome to Naples with normal tickets instead. if you take IC’s (2h instead of 1) it is quite affordable. And then you can stay a few days in Naples and have enough time to see everything.

May I ask why you don't recommend doing this connection from Rome to La Cure?

Unfortunately I only have a limited time to travel, maximum 7 or 8 days. So I can't stay in Italy for several days.
I plan to stay for 3 days in Les Moussieres.

So 1 day to travel to Rome, or the idea of @seewulf  ,  Brussels to Milan and with the night train directly to Naples from Milan / Turin.
Day 2 to travel from Rome in Italy. But as I said before.
If I were to travel from Rome to Naples, I would probably have to travel back to northern Italy the same day.
To easily reach La Cure on day 3.

I think I will really have to make a choice which city and area I want to visit. So choose between Rome, Naples, …. , as due to the limited time I have it will not be possible to visit both cities.

What is your advice to travel from Naples to La Cure, in 2 days?

I find day connections from Naples to Geneva, Lausanne and Nyon. I would spend the night in 1 of these cities, and travel to La Cure the next day in the morning.
At the moment it is preferable to go to Lausanne, then you can leave Naples around 1 pm and arrive in Lausanne around 10 pm.

There is then the option to eat in the Eurocity en route.

But depends on where it is best to stay overnight, close to station ... not too expensive ...

All advice is more than welcome!