Buy your ticket, either online at the Trenitalia website or at a ticket desk in the Santa Lucia train station in central Venice. Two types of train run between Venice and Rome. The high-speed Frecciargento trains travel at up to 250 kilometers per hour/155 mph but are more expensive--as of October 2010, a first-class single ticket cost 99 euro/$137 U.S., while the equivalent second-class ticket cost 73 euro/$101 U.S. Intercity trains are slower but cheaper--as of October 2010, travelers paid 58 euro/$80 U.S. for a first-class single and 42.50 euro/$59 U.S. for a second-class single.
Check that your ticket has been issued for the correct date and time--you will be unable to use the ticket for any journey other than that specified. Ensure you know your assigned seat.
Leave plenty of extra time when you arrive at the station-if you are late, the train will not wait. Look first for the carriage and then for your own numbered seat. Pack your luggage safely in one of the storage areas.
Keep your ticket in an accessible place; it will be checked, possibly more than once, by a member of Trenitalia staff. If you cannot produce your ticket you may be fined or asked to leave the train.
Relax and enjoy the journey. Frecciargento trains typically complete the journey to Rome within four hours, while Intercity trains can take more than six hours to reach Rome. Most trains stop at Termini, Rome's main station, where you can take a taxi or use the underground transit system to continue your journey.
Rent a car from one of the car-rental agencies in Venice. The main tourist office in Palazzina del Santi, close to Piazza San Marco, can provide you with details. It is likely that you will collect your car from the parking areas close to Piazzale Roma. You must be over 21 and hold a valid driver's license and an international driving permit to hire a car in Italy. By law, you also must carry your passport when driving.
Drive your car across the bridge that links Venice to the Italian mainland. Remember, Italians drive on the right. Follow the green signs marked "A4 Torino-Trieste," and take the Torino direction, which has signs for Milano/Bologna.
Check whether your car has been fitted with a Telepass-this is a small, gray box usually fixed to the windshield close to the rear-view mirror. Italian motorways, known as "autostrade" are toll roads, and the Telepass allows you to use the priority lane at the toll booth. This lane is clearly marked in yellow on the approach to the toll booths. If you do not have a Telepass, avoid the priority lane and ensure you have enough change to pay the tolls. You will go through a number of toll booths on the journey to Rome.
Drive with care on the autostrada, particularly if you have not driven in Italy before. The speed limit is 130 kph/80mph, but in the outside lane drivers often exceed this. If another driver behind you flashes his lights, he is signaling you to get out of the way. Pass on the left if overtaking another vehicle.
Ensure you take the correct route. Taking the A4 in the Torino direction, take the exit marked "A13" close to Padova. Follow this south past Ferrara as far as Bologna. Here, follow signs for the "A1," which will be marked Firenze (Florence). Stay on this road for around 330 kilometers/205 miles until you reach the outskirts of Rome. The most direct route to the center of Rome is on the A24, starting from Exit 14 and marked Roma Centro/Tangenziale Est. According to the Touring Club Italiano, the journey is around 530 kilometers/329 miles.
