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Need help with train service Bologna, Rimini, Rome

Need help with train service Bologna, Rimini, Rome

Old Oct 20th, 2016, 02:10 PM
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Need help with train service Bologna, Rimini, Rome

I'm hoping someone will have the answer to what is probably an obvious question so forgive me in advance.

I'm looking to travel from Bologna to Rimini 1st class
then Rimini to Rome 1st class
When I click on the drop down for locations it will have several choices i.e. Bolgna centrale

How do I know which location to select?
If I purchase one then need to change it can I do so?
Can I change departure times a day before if I have already purchased my ticket?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.
sanmarinopro is offline  
Old Oct 20th, 2016, 02:25 PM
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Bologna Centrale is the main station you will use

Rimini is just called Rimini

Trains Bologna Centrale to Rimini are mainly regional trains that you should just buy your ticket for before the train either in machines or at a ticket window- no savings for buying in advance and no seat reservations possible- can always get on even if seats are full - these trains go frequently all day.

Rimini-Rome

Though there are a few at odd hours direct ES (high-speed) trains nearly all other rail links involve going back to Bologna Cle and changing there to a high-speed train, taking about 3.5 hours all told Rimini to Rome including the change.

If I purchase one then need to change it can I do so?
Can I change departure times a day before if I have already purchased my ticket?>

Regional trains just buy the day you want to go

High-speed trains require a seat reservation - comes automatically with the ticket - full-fare tickets can changed without problem before the train I believe- discounted tickets are train-specific and are only valid on that train- they can be applied if cancelled before the train (I think not sure) and applied towards a full-fare ticket.

www.trenitalia.com for booking discounted tickets - need to do so well ahead of time as they are sold in limited numbers. Full fare first class always available IME - right up until time of train. If you can't book Rimini to Rome just book Bologna Cle to Rome and buy a regional ticket to get back to Bologna.

For lots on Italian trains check www.seat61.com (great info on discounted tickets); www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

bvlenci hopefully will see this and tell more authoritatively about changing tickets and penalties or not.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Oct 20th, 2016, 02:36 PM
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Oh Rome Termini is the main station in Rome

most trains also stop at Tiburtina, a large secondary station that comes before Termini.
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 08:11 PM
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In case you didn't realize it - the Bologna-Rimini trip takes you very close to Ravenna, and if you look it up, you may find it's a place you don't want to miss. The mosaics (in several locations, all worth a look) are sublime - well over a thousand years old and looking like they were put in yesterday.
www.ravennamosaici.it/?lang=en
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 06:07 AM
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You will find Rimini/Bologna more frequently served by regional trains (often have no class distinction, but sometimes have 1st and 2nd), not fast trains. The regional trains will be slower because they stop at the small towns.

For the fast train between Rimini/Bologna, I wouldn't be concerned about 1st class. You will barely have time to sit down before it will be time to gather your things to get off (30 minute ride).

Keep in mind that can also use Italia from Bologna Centrale to Rome.

http://www.italotreno.it/en

You need Bologna Centrale station for Bologna/Rome (you want Termini there), but you didn't state which train station in Rimini (there are several). The fast train will only service the one listed as Rimini only.

You can only change full fare tickets. Check the fare rules for details. I find Italo to be a few euro cheaper on walk-up fares last minute than Trenitlia (Italo does not operate from Rimini). To have use of the Italo lounge in the stations, you must have a Club Exec ticket.

http://www.italotreno.it/en/the-train

If you take a regional train from Rimini to Bologna, you will arrive ground level. You will need to go down 3 levels to catch a fast train (both Trenitalia and Italo). It takes a bit of time to reach so allow some changing time.

I prefer Trenitalia trains over Italo, but I haven't used the Club Exec level which is sort of a level above 1st class (Comfort or Prima on Italo which are configured 3 seats across like Trenitalia's 1st class are 3 across). I have used Italo's Prima (1st cl) and Smart (2nd cl). I don't believe Italo allows online seat selection like Trenitalia does and I prefer a seat with a table over a seat with a drop down tray.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 06:34 AM
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Discounted Trenitalia tickets can't be changed at all on the day of travel. Some discounted tickets can be applied to the cost of a full-price ticket before the day of travel. Full-price tickets can be changed up until an hour after departure.

Regional tickets are sold for a specific day, not a specific train. You can change them to a different day before the day of travel. When you're ready to use them, you have to stamp them in a machine by the trackside to establish their time of use and prevent re-use. Failure to do so results in a big fine. Buying regional tickets online brings additional restrictions:they can only be used within a four-hour window. Because of this narrow window, they don't have to be stamped.

I don't like to use two different train companies on the same trip. If you miss a connection, Italo may not want to issue a new ticket because your Trenitalia train arrived late.

There haven't been any ES trains for some years. Other than regional trains,there are Freccia trains (Frecciarossa, Frecciazzurro, and Frecciabianca) and a lesser number of Intercity (IC) trains.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 07:54 AM
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You have the choice between fast train connections via Bologna (3 to 3 1/2 hrs; standard fare about 75 EUR; reservation compulsory) and regional train connections via Falconara (5 1/2 hrs; standard fare about 25 EUR; no reservation needed)
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 08:23 AM
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There's one direct train each day from Rimini to Rome, passing through Falconara. It leaves Rimini at 6:44 and gets to Rome at 10:22. If you can get up that early, this is the most comfortable way to get to Rome. The regional train trip is very long, and the cars sometimes don't have adequate temperature control. On the other hand, changing in Bologna is not fun, because of the change of levels mentioned by kybourbon, combined by poor signage.

I had forgotten about this train until Necker mentioned Falconara. I have taken this train in both directions, but from Jesi, in Le Marche, near where I live.

This is a Frecciabianca train. The full price is €51.50 in 2nd class, €71 in 1st class. If you buy early (up to 120 days ahead), you can get discounted tickets for as little as €19.90 in 2nd class, or €29.90 in 1st class. There is a schedule change in early December, and prices (and schedules) may change. Trenitalia wanted to eliminate this train once in the past, but there was an uproar, and they decided to keep it (for now).

I myself never travel 1st class unless the prices are nearly the same (if discounts sell out in one class but not the other). The difference in comfort is minimal, unless you choose Business Class or higher on a Frecciarossa train, which has four classes. Other trains have only 1st and 2nd.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 09:06 AM
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A DIY resource for doing an initial research for "which station?" is the google map. Just enter the station names and you can see where they are located. For most but the largest cities, if you look around using google street view, you can quickly tell which stations are in the middle of the cities with bus and taxi stands outside and which are just suburban commuter stations.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 02:42 PM
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Some regional trains can get very crowded - I've seen school groups mob aboard for a few stops or at commuting hours - I have always had a first-class pass to use then and was happy I did as those seats were the only empty ones on some trains.

first class to me is always worth the extra money and to many Italians too but I agree 2nd class on today's Italian trains is acceptable.

You will be guaranteed lots of empty seats in first class areas on regional trains and the extra cost is nil.

Don't forget to cancel your own regional train ticket before boarding or it will not be valid- last I knew anyway.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2016, 01:38 AM
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2nd class regional ticket from Rimini to Bologna: €9.85. 1st class from Rimini to Bologna €16.60 That's not what I call nil; it's 64% higher.

Why do you think there are all those empty seats in 1st class? Because people think 1st class is only negligibly better than 2nd class, and not worth the extra cost.

I often ride regional trains to Rome, a 3 1/2 hour trip from where I live, and I've never bought a 1st class ticket. It's not that I'm a tightwad. If I can find a faster train than the regional train at the time I need to travel, I gladly pay extra for that train. I just don't see any advantage to 1st class that's worth extra expenditure. When I board the train, I have to look at the sign on the door to see which class it is.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2016, 04:08 AM
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>>>Some regional trains can get very crowded - I've seen school groups mob aboard for a few stops or at commuting hours
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