381 Italy By Train; Italy North and South
Travel with Rick Steves
Rick Steves
4.5 • 2.5K Ratings
🗓️ 11 October 2014
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In Italy, the journey is always an adventure. Author Tim Parks helps us appreciate how the Italian rail system works, and why it's more than mere transportation. Plus, a pair of tour guides from opposite parts of Italy highlight the differences you'll notice — and even enjoy — between the north and the south of their country.
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| 0:00.0 | When Tim Parks travels to the far south of Italy, he makes a point to enjoy the multi-sensory experience, knowing that in Italy, a train ride is more than just transportation. |
| 0:10.0 | Especially in the older trains which have slightly rattly windows. |
| 0:13.4 | There is a wonderful wham when the train comes out of the tunnel and it comes together with this explosion of light. |
| 0:19.3 | Coming up in the hour ahead, we're devoting an hour to the culture and character of Italy. |
| 0:25.2 | Historical influences from north to south really do make for some interesting contrasts. |
| 0:29.9 | And think about somebody living in Agrijanto, about 75 miles from Libya and Tunisia. Then think somebody coming |
| 0:36.9 | from Milan less than 20 miles from Switzerland. But wherever you live in |
| 0:42.2 | Italy, Mama remains an important part of your everyday life. |
| 0:46.0 | She lives on the top floor, I live on the middle floor, and then when it's lunchtime it because my wife she cannot cook, |
| 0:51.0 | she put the lasagna in a basket, she throw the basket, |
| 0:54.8 | and everyone is grabbing the food for lunch. |
| 0:56.9 | It's all just ahead on Travel with Rick Steves. |
| 1:00.7 | In a lot of countries, the difference is between how people do things in the south versus the north can be substantial |
| 1:06.8 | Today on Travel with Rick Steve's we're exploring Italy from north to south |
| 1:11.8 | Their rail system is a good example. High-speed rail lines |
| 1:15.3 | connect the cities of northern Italy with a degree of efficiency that the |
| 1:19.1 | older and slower trains in the south can only dream of. Tim Parks has lived in Italy since |
| 1:24.6 | 1981 and he commutes to work by rail from his home in Verona. In his book |
| 1:30.0 | Italian Ways on and off the rails from Milan to Palermo, Tim paints a rye and affectionate |
| 1:36.2 | portrait of what a train trip across Italy can show you. Tim, thanks for being here. |
| 1:41.6 | Thanks, good to be here. |
| 1:43.0 | When you go to Italy and you use the trains, first of all, there are some classic rides. |
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