Don't pay more than 9 Euros for the train between Milan and Venice (unless you can't find this absolutely lowest fare):
http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums?a=tpc&s=759607521&f=862600685&m=454008416001&r=454008416001#454008416001
Milan to Venice on Trenitalia for as little as 9 Euros
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"MINI" fares are offered on ALL Trenitalia trains EXCEPT the unreserved "regionale" trains, and international trains such as the Eurocity (EC) or Euronight (EN). The fares are offered in both classes of service, in both directions of travel, and even between city pairs anywhere along the route of the train.
However, the "MINI" fares are all capacity-controlled, which means that they vary according to city pairs, category of train, class of service, travel date and time of day. Sometimes, the lowest "MINI" fares are found on trains departing at somewhat less convenient hours; e.g. very early morning or mid to late afternoon. It pays to search for the lowest fares by using the powerful search/booking engine at www.lefrecce.it, which allows you to bring up fares for an entire week, then scroll forward and backward day by day.
The key to getting the lowest "MINI" fares is to book as close as possible to the four-month window for reservations (as long as schedules and fares have been loaded onto the Trenitalia website). Not many people have the luxury of booking so early: you've got to be retired or a tourist making very long (and rather inflexible) travel plans. Of course, the downside of booking very early is that, if your plans change, you will be penalized whether you make a reservation change to the "MINI" fare ticket, or request a ticket cancellation and partial refund (incurring a 50% forfeiture). And by the way, a "reservation change" can ONLY be to a LATER-departing train (not to an earlier-departing train). This is explained in the Italian-language webpages of the Trenitalia site, but not on the English-language pages.
Consequently, "MINI" fares must be selected with great care and foresight. Seasoned travellers will often shun a "MINI" fare giving only a 10% discount, since the significant risks associated with this fare can't be justified for only a small savings. The greatest risks are: (i) the inability to make changes on the day of travel; and (ii) total fare forfeiture in you MISS your scheduled train, even by one second. This can happen in many ways, from a missed connection to a late arriving plane or taxi, to a road obstacle which delays your arrival at the station, to an alarm clock which fails to go off in the morning due to a power outage. Sometimes, last moment revisions to travel plans (not allowed for "MINI" fare tickets) are precipitated by unforeseeable events such as an illness or accident.
On the other hand, the "MINI" fares do give discounts of up to 72%, making long-distance travel cheaper than taking a city taxi!
The lowest "MINI" fare of 9 Euros between Milan and Venice (in either direction) is really fetching. You can save lots and lots of money by taking CAREFUL advantage of these promotional fares.
www.fsitaliane.it (main Trenitalia website)
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=38a304ae4f9ec210VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD (restrictions of "MINI" fares: incomplete information on English-language Trenitalia webpage)
www.lefrecce.it (booking and search engine)
marking
Marking as well!
seat61.com/italy
regionale similar price point for me 2-3 euro per hour
always easy to just stay flexible hop on when I get there.
Lots of hassle booking italian trains abroad
Many CC issues on the boards...
Prefer to stay flexible for similar money.
qwovadis, please explain to all of us how to buy those Italian train fares by the hour.
bkmrkg
I've found Trenitalia to be inconsistent between the Le Frecce booking link and the regular Trenitalia booking link. You can get different fare results/prices at times between the links.
Not surprising. I have found inconsistencies in the description of certain fares (rules and restrictions) within the Italian-language webpages, as well as numerous inconsistencies between the Italian-language and the English-language webpages! Some webpages get updated, while others lag behind, resulting in the inconsistencies. The English-language webpages are particularly noteworthy for their omissions (compared to the Italian versions).
Does it let you get off in various towns between Milan and Venice? Thank you.
Bookmarking
juliamjayne - The fast trains (AV/ES) are fast because they stop at very few towns (only 2-3 stops on this route). You can't hop off and on as you are buying a ticket for a specific seat on a specific train (reserved seating is mandatory and included with your ticket purchase). If you want to stop somewhere on the high-speed routes, you would book a ticket from Milan to that particular town (Brescia, Verona or Padova on this line).
If you want to have a selection of more stops, you would have to take the old R trains. They stop at some of the smaller stations. You can hop off and on a bit with these tickets as they are good for 6 hours once activated. There are no reserved seats on these trains and you have to validate your ticket before boarding. You would have to make sure you complete your journey before the ticket expires.
Where do you want to go? Sometimes buses are the better option for smaller towns.
Have to mark this. The trains are the one thing that I am nervous about because I have never done them before. I am reading everything I can!
FYI - Don't buy an R ticket online as there are more restrictions (only good for date purchased for four hours).
TTT
This posting really needs some updating:
1. The Trenitalia "MINI" fares have been replaced by the capacity-controlled "ECONOMY" and "SUPER ECONOMY" fares. These fares are both non-refundable, and the "SUPER ECONOMY" fares are also non-changeable. While there technically is no advance purchase requirement, in practice you do need to book well in advance to get the lowest fare of 9 Euros on the fast hourly Frecciabianca trains (or even the 19-Euro fare). The EARLIEST you can book is 120 days, as long as schedules have been uploaded.
2. The ordinary, unrestricted "BASE" fare on the Frecciabianca train between Milan and Venice is 36 Euros. Children between the ages of 4 years, 1 day and 15 years, 0 days get a 50% discount (18 Euros). However, the 9-Euro "SUPER ECONOMY" fare is a better deal, even for children (who count as adults for purposes of this promotional fare).
3. Toddlers up to the age of 4 years, 0 days travel FREE without a ticket and without a guaranteed seat.
4. There are only a couple of UNRESERVED "regionale" trains left between Milan and Venice. Seats cost 17.95 Euros (50% of the "BASE" fare for the Frecciabianca train), but travel time is 3.5 hours versus 2.5 hours for the faster reserved train. Children between the ages of 4 years, 1 day and 12 years, 0 days also get a 50% discount on the "regionale" train. There are no "ECONOMY" or "SUPER ECONOMY" fares for the "regionale" train, and there are no economic incentives to purchasing tickets in advance for the "regionale" trains.
5. I recommend against purchasing ELECTRONIC tickets for the "regionale" train, contrary to the advantages of electronic tickets for the reserved trains. Purchase a traditional PAPER ticket for the "regionale" train when at the station in Italy. The PAPER ticket gives much greater flexibility compared to the rather inflexible ELECTRONIC ticket. The PAPER ticket must be "validated" in the punching machine prior to boarding.
6. The fast reserved Frecciabianca trains on this route have both first and second class railcars. First class is really not necessary for such a short trip (and fare information reported here is for second class seats). First class seats are 8.5 centimeters wider than second class, and may have a bit more leg room. There is a snack/beverage counter ("corner bar") on the Frecciabianca train where you can enjoy an "ILLY" espresso and more, and a "pulitore viaggiante" who is supposed to keep the rest rooms relatively clean. There are also electrical outlets at each seat for electronic gear, and folding tables. Luggage can be stowed either in dedicated racks or wedged in-between the seat rows. Smaller bags can be placed overhead.
Frecciarossa corner bar:
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms-file/allegati/trenitalia/treni/Frecciabianca_cornerbar.pdf
7. Frecciabianca trains between Milan and Venice run every 30-60 minutes throughout the day. While the "BASE" fare is 36 Euros, the lowest fare ("SUPER ECONOMY") is still 9 Euros.
More information on the Frecciabianca train:
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=0042b602ba19a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms-file/allegati/trenitalia/treni/Frecciabianca_schedatecnica.pdf