Flixbus vs. Train

In the semester that we were here, I had 3 separate occasions where train strikes via Traintalia caused me extra delays and lots of stress, and money. There is a lot of improvement that needs to be done within the company and government to prevent these strikes from happening. Here are a few tips I wish I knew beforehand<3

1. Flixbus is way cheaper and never strikes. If you are unsure of a train I would check Flixbus. They usually have weird pick up and drop off locations that require an extra 30 min on both ends of your trip to get to the main city, but I think it’s worth the waits, and way cheaper ($).

   1. The main pick up near Florence is Villa Constanta (take the T1 train it goes directly to the pick up area)

   2. Look at both pick up and drop off locations and calculate the time if you may be in a crunch because often you will need to take an extra bus

   3. A train ride from Florence to could be 5 on a Flix but 25 on a train!

   4. Make sure to book at least 5 days in advance for better prices, last minute booking can really cause a surge in prices

   5. Make sure there are no transfers!

      
      

2. When to take a train:

   1. Direct buses withought any transfers, the transfers may get delayed or not come which is also another problem

   2. In the early morning until around 7:30am if there is a train strike

      1. The trains are usually guaranteed in the mornings for residents that get into work by train

   3. For the experience lol (sometimes flights are cheaper than bus rides and very worth the time saved)