Italian trains

I have always had difficulties navigating the Italian train network, there has been plenty of incidents over the years including missed trains, being kicked off trains in the middle of the countryside, arguments and, of course, finding the correct platform for departure. The system makes perfect sense for Italians, the rest of us just struggle - or it just me?

Noriko and myself had a departure from Rome Terminal to Florence, we purchased the tickets at 10.21 am from the main ticket booth for a 1.03 pm departure, a bit of a wait for three hours was required - no big deal. 15 minutes before departure, the platform still hadn't been allocated, I was getting nervous, I had seen this before and I already had visions of missing the train.

Finally, the platform was announced, it was platform 2 exl - maybe something to do with delayed? We had a short time to get to the platform, then the train was delayed 13 minutes - phew, breathing space.

I went and asked some staff for directions, they spoke Italian (makes sense in Italy) and we were not able to communicate well. I did however understand 350 metres down the platform, they gestured something about number one, I wasn't able to understand though.

Noriko wanted to go and stand down on platform 2, I said no, we need to be together and move quickly, it was already about 1:10, we had three minutes before departure, I was starting to sweat now. An old man with only one tooth approached me offering help, I gratefully accepted as we were standing in of the departure board looking very perplexed.

He then told us, it is platform 1 we need to be on, as he was running us down it became apparent, there is platform 1, then right down the end (350 metres away) it is split into a further two platforms numbered 1 & 2 (of course).

We only just made the train, it wasn't more than a minute from pulling away from the platform. In the past, I have chased departing trains down the platform for no luck - with the help of the old man, we made the departure. I gladly reached into my pocket for some change, he was genuinely happy to receive the €4 I handed him, I was genuinely happy for his assistance.

Once in the safety of the seat, Noriko was a vessel of knowledge of how we nearly missed the train, I don't recall her offering such wisdom in real time except to go and ask somebody, I do recall her wanting to go and stand on platform 2, an empty platform with no train waiting. She didn't want to get up and moving with 15 minutes to departure - I just love retrospective advice.

I did ask three guys standing together in train company uniform, English to Italian translation was the problem, they showed no real interest in helping us and pointing us in the right direction. As it was, I had to interrupt their conversation, the third was busy sending messages on his phone and I guess they resented me, a non-Italian speaking tourist asking for directions in English.

So now I know, platform 1 is the standard platform 1, right at the end inside the station, then outside, not under the cover of the roof, it splits into a further 2 platforms numbered 1 & 2, not a) & b) as a sane person would expect. I would think the main departure board to state platform 1, ext a) with a sign pointing outside to the extra platforms just over a quarter of a kilometer away.

I will now know for future trains, I just wished they had posted the departure platform earlier so we had more time to prepare. We made it on time, plenty of luck involved, so no complaints.