![\"20120626-221300.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/asyouwill.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/20120626-221300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOur last day in Venice yielded some valuable lessons on how things are done in Italy and how best to leave this unique city.<\/p>\n
First I researched the best exit route from the city; by water taxi, train, or bus, in order to rent a car. The train goes farther than wanted to rent a car, the water taxi is adealat 80\u20ac for the hour long trip, or you can take the bus, a half hour ride, for 5\u20ac.<\/p>\n
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So we took the bus and saw, just as we left on the bus, that there was a car rental area just past the bus station. It didn’t really matter though, because once we got to the airport we learned that all of the rental companies require you, unlike most every other part of the world, to reserve the car at least a day in advance on-line, wether or not they have numerous cars available, which they did.So we took the bus back to Venice and instead got a train ticket to Florance with a connecting train to La Spezia.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once in Firenze (Florence) We waited in line to ask about the ticket, and found our train was to leave in half an hour, the previous ticket officiant had just failed to type in the information (an apparently common occurrence of “Not My Job” syndrome). So we waited for the status board to show us what track the train was going to arrive at.<\/p>\n![\"20120626-221310.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/asyouwill.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/20120626-221310.jpg\")
<\/a>Our train was a nice new air conditioned bullet train which had no problem speeding across the Italian countryside. ![\"20120626-221242.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/asyouwill.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/20120626-221242.jpg\")
<\/a> We arrived in nearly no time at all, but then we received our second lesson; the connecting train ticket didn’t have a train number or departure time, just a to\/from city. We had no idea if we were to board another train right away or wait 4 hours.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a> Instead of the track number, we saw a Retardo of 20′ (20 minute delay) followed by 30 then 20 then 40 then 45. As delay times continued to mount for a number of trains, we saw another train get cancelled, but then suddenly we had a track number and they let us board. Having waited on the wrong end of the train station we raced to the other side to the train, put up our luggage, settled in, and struck up a conversation with a Danish man. Then after all that a steward came through the train yelling “Canceled”. Apparently there is a massive fire burning between Florence and Cinque Terre and the tracks had been shut down completely. …Whatever, it’s all part of the adventure. We found another train to Lucca which we are told will connect over to Cinque Terre, but we’ll see.<\/p>\n