Hi, I would really appreciate if someone can help me answer questions on buying the train tickets from Livorno to Lucca. We will dock at 7am from cruise ship. Here are my questions:
1. Are we better off to buy train tickets in advance to avoid waiting in the long line at the train station as thousands of people from the cruise ship will crowd the station? If so, can we buy the tickets that will not limit us to fixed schedule as we do not know for sure what time we will be arriving at the train station?
2. Will the auto ticket machine take American credit card without chip?
3. Will the tickets purchased at the machine be flexible in boarding time or schedule specific?
4.Based on your experiences, what can one expect at the Livorno train station without the advanced tickets? How many ticket counters are there? How many auto ticket machines are there at the station? I s it adequate enough to serve thousands off the cruise ship?
5. Does any one know any nearby tobacco shop that will sell tickets?
Thanks fr any advice you can give.
Cruise ship travelers--buy train tickets in advance from Livorno to Lucca??
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Hi T,
You can buy some Livorno/Pisa tickets in advance, but you will have to purchase the ticket to Lucca in Pisa.
See www.trenitalia.com
Your tickets will be good anytime.
Rent a car. By the time you GET to the train station you could be on your way to Lucca. I visited Pisa and Florence off a Livorno cruise ship stop and barely made it back (along with hundred others) because the (return train from Florence) stopped on the tracks to wait out a thunderstorm (?). Either rent a car or get together with other cruisers and book you own tour (cruisecritic.com, owned by Expedia should help by using their Roll Calls Forums). I had been to Pisa and Florence before and have traveled extensively in Italy by train so I was not overly nervous but I did have to make a mad dash for the ship
.
1. Generally yes. All Italy trains EXCEPT the regional trains require a reservation - train and seat specific. So buy an open Regional ticket to and from. That way you go the station, find the next R train to Lucca, validate (time stamp) the ticket in the yellow box at the station, get on the train and go. Do the reverse coming back.
2. Older machines will but newer ones might not. But buy the tickets at any train station prior to arrival. Avoid the whole problem.
3. Yes, IF you buy a Regional train ticket.
4. Have no idea since we followed our own recommendations.
5. Just look around.
>>>>Your tickets will be good anytime.<<<
Tickets for R trains bought online have more restrictions that R tickets bought at the station.
>>>>Does any one know any nearby tobacco shop that will sell tickets?<<<
Stop in any place that has the Trenitalia logo displayed in the window. There are bars/tabacchi in the station that will likely sell tickets. There are also ticket machines. Tickets to Lucca are just a few euro so have some on hand in case your card doesn't work. Pay attention whether it's a cash only machine or whether it accepts credit cards. Learn how to use the machines so you don't have to wait at a ticket window. How to use the newer machines is first on this link and the older machines at the end.
http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/buying-train-tickets-updated
Thank you all for your inputs and suggestions. They are all helpful and informative. We still opt for trains instead of car hire. My question is how to buy the open tickets that are good any time online. When I try to search the tickets, I always have to enter the date and time of travel and choose from the specific schedules as listed. Thank you for any advice.
The regional train is the ONLY train in Italy that does NOT require a reservation. You can only buy regional train tickets on line the week before. But there is absolutely no reason to do so. No discounts are available and tickets never sell out. However, MOST CRITICAL, those tickets must be validated (time stamped) in little yellow boxes near the head of the platform or outside the station. It will be very expensive and unpleasant if you don't do it.