Trenitalia "MINI" fares as low as 9 Euros SYSTEMWIDE

How do I buy these? I go online to check the dates we need travel but I can seem to a 9 Euro fare. Suggestions?
I will be traveling at the end of March.

"MINI" fares are capacity-contolled, and availability can vary according to route, date, train category, time of departure, and class of service.

The lowest fare of 9 Euros will not be available on all trains at all times!

Here are some more things to know about the "MINI" fares:

There is a great deal of misinformation about the Trenitalia "MINI" fare on the internet. Here are some points to remember:

1. MINI FARE TICKETS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE ON OR AFTER THE SCHEDULED DAY OF TRAVEL. Nevertheless, MINI fare tickets (with a face value of at least 10.01 Euros) ARE refundable, with a 50% FORFEITURE of the fare actually paid, IF the refund request is made no later than 23:59 (Italy time) of the day PRIOR to scheduled travel. Refunds of PAPER tickets can be done at the train station ticket counter. Refunds of ELECTRONIC tickets can only be done via the Trenitalia LE FRECCE website, by e-mail, or via the Trenitalia call center. Refunds can take several weeks to post back to a credit card.

2. MINI FARE TICKETS ARE NOT CHANGEABLE ON OR AFTER THE SCHEDULED DAY OF TRAVEL. Nevertheless, MINI fare tickets ARE changeable, ONCE ONLY, with a SURCHARGE to the "base" fare, IF the change is requested no later than 23:59 (Italy time) of the day PRIOR to scheduled travel. The new reservaton must be for a LATER-departing train (not an earlier-departing train). ONE booking change can be done at the train station ticket counter, electronic ticket machines, Trenitalia call center, Frecciarossa mobile desks at the station, or via the Trenitalia LE FRECCE website.

3. Examples of when MINI ticket refund/booking change requests will NOT be honored:

You MISS your scheduled train because of (i) a LATE-ARRIVING PLANE, ship, or connecting train (with the exception of a connection from another Trenitalia Freccia or IC train, at the discretion of the Trenitalia customer assistance staff); (ii) your alarm clock did not go off in the morning; (iii) the taxi taking you to the train station was caught in traffic; (iv) you forgot about the hour change with daylight savings; (v) you injured yourself walking to the train station, etc.

BUT, there are times when you MAY seek a (partial) refund of, or booking change to, a "MINI" fare ticket (no later than 23:59 (Italy time) of the day PRIOR to scheduled travel), e.g.: (i) your travel plans change; (ii) you become sick and cannot/choose not to travel; (iii) you are injured and cannot/choose not to travel.

4. MINI fares must be purchased no later than 23:59 (Italy time) of the day which is TWO DAYS prior to desired travel. After such time, the MINI fare is no longer available. The better "MINI" fares are usually found with a much greater advance purchase.

5. MINI fares give a discount between 10% and 90% off the "base" fare, in increments of 10%. Discounts tend to get SMALLER the closer the travel date approaches. There is usually no advantage to wait to purchase the MINI fare (as long as one's travel fares are fixed).

6. MINI fares are often lower for trains departing as less popular hours (outside of peak commute times), or trains arriving at or departing from secondary stations such as Venice Mestre, Florence Rifredi/Campo di Marte or Rome Tiburtina.

7. MINI fares are available in both first and second class. Sometimes, the percentage discount in first class is greater than for the same train in second class (because MINI fares are all-capacity controlled).

8. MINI fares vary according to travel date, specific train, and class of service. Remember that the "MINI" fares for the Intercity (IC) trains will be cheaper than those for the more expensive Freccia trains.

9. Once schedules and fares have been uploaded to the Trenitalia website, MINI fares can usually be purchased up to FOUR MONTHS in advance (although this is not a "hard" rule).

10. Except in very narrow circumstances involving missed connections from one of the Trenitalia fast national trains (Freccia or IC), you FORFEIT your MINI fare ticket if you MISS your scheduled train, even by one second. For that reason, it's risky to book the MINI fare on the same day as arrival by plane (unless the fare is so low that you're prepared to forfeit the ticket if you miss the train). As a rule of thumb, it's also risky to book a "MINI" fare ticket for a second or third connecting train (i.e. not the first train in a series of connections).

11. Outside of a couple of days each year, it's usually not necessary to book Trenitalia tickets in advance if one is not interested in saving money with a MINI or other promotional fare. Also, on popular tourist routes, fast trains usually run every hour or less.

12. MINI fares are the same for adults as for children. There is a separate child's fare, but it's not cumulable with the MINI discount. Sometimes, the regular child's fare (50% for children between 4 and 12) is lower than the MINI fare for the same train. (Toddlers under 4 ALWAYS travel free without a ticket and without a guaranteed seat). "MINI" fares also cannot be combined with the "Familia" fare (which is sometimes less generous than the better "MINI" fares for all travellers).

13. MINI fares are available on all Trenitalia trains EXCEPT the unreserved regionale trains (which are non-discountable aside from children's fares).

14. As contrasted to the MINI fares, regular "Base" fares do NOT increase as the travel date approaches (UNLESS there is a system-wide tariff change).

15. As contrasted to the FAST trains, it's usually a very bad idea to purchase an electronic ticket for the unreserved regionale trains. Electronic tickets have significant restrictions which traditional paper tickets (purchased in Italy) don't have, and advanced purchases for the regionale trains don't generate any real benefits (aside for the convenience of not having to buy them in Italy).

16. Saavy travellers won't purchase a "MINI" fare ticket which gives only a 10% discount. That's because the "MINI" fare has inherent risks (noted above), and a 10% discount is usually too small to justify that risk.

17. People purchasing Trenitalia tickets through the Trenitalia website should read carefully the tariff rules for the ticket purchased ("base", MINI, etc.), as well as the rules on Electronic tickets.

When you purchase these mini tickets (I found some I would like), does Trenitalia send you email confirmation that you present at the train station? I am not sure how this works.

Thank you so much for all of the information

How Trenitalia "ticketless" electronic tickets work:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=38ae99e8e609a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

Yes! You've made it so clear---Much appreciated info. Thank you GAC.

One or two things it's perhaps worth adding to that?

Use the Le Frecce site and you'll see something like this...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/141557589/original

First, good news for many - the 6th May blockage has gone, and these are prices for May 17th

Second, indeed €9 Mini fares - here for travel between Naples and Rome that day, available on both FrecciaRossa and Intercity services

Third, a hidden benefit - in as much as some trains apparently now offer a "2nd class standard" level of accommodation, for which the Base fare is only €43 - whilst on others the cheapest looks to be €45 in "2nd class", the same as it's been until now!

In the dropdown menus a variety of other options can be found: 2nd Premium (Mini €39, Base €50) and four further - increasing expensive - levels after that, up to Executive (Flessible tickets only), which costs a whopping €99...

Peter

Ok I've skimmed thru the posts and links and what I want to know is can you book from the US or does the snafu with the credit cards continue?

Yes, you should be able to book from the US and elsewhere outside of Italy, using a credit card. If you're unsuccessful, you should check with your card issuer to make sure the transaction is not being blocked on your end.

Print out ALL the confirmation information you receive, as it might be necessary in case you need to make a reservation change or seek a (partial) ticket refund. You'll also need to show the reservation confirmation number to the ticket agent on board the train, as is explained in the hyperlinked posting above (how Trenitalia "ticketless" electronic tickets work).

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't go to the page where the Minis are. I keep being directed to the page with regular schedule and prices

use this website:

www.lefrecce.it

thanks GAC for such a detailed summary of the fares and how to use the system.

I have a question on the seating on 1st class trains from Rome to Florence. Are the single seats facing each other? When I look on the 1045Am on 5/6 I see seats but with a large blank space in between seats (not the aisle) What is that? Also on the lst class trains where are the larger suitcases stored in the front of the train or the back?
Thank you for any help you can give me..

Yep, we got minis to and from Naples about 10 days ago. R/T per person was well under 20 euros...real happy...weird thing was on the way down they were for a regionale but on the way back on a high-speed

With one-ways to Firenze, tickets were 27 euros each on the fast train.

dave

QUESTIONS

Are the single seats facing each other? When I look on the 1045Am on 5/6 I see seats but with a large blank space in between seats (not the aisle) What is that? Also on the lst class trains where are the larger suitcases stored in the front of the train or the back?

ANSWERS: Some single seats face each other, with a folding tray table in-between (that's the "large blank space" you see between the seats, with a grey line for the table). Other single seats (at the rail car ends) face in the same direction (as on a bus or airplane). Very large suitcases (which won't fit in-between the seat rows or in the overhead racks) can be stowed in the oversized luggage racks which are found at the end of each railcar OPPOSITE the end which has the restrooms. The seat maps shown on the LE FRECCE Trenitalia website (which you must specifically select before completing your purchase) will help you locate the railcar end with the oversized luggage racks (it will be on the OPPOSITE end which has the "WC"). It's not a foolproof method, so don't be annoyed if you end up near the end of the railcar with the restrooms instead of the large luggage racks!

>>>>pookymimi on Feb 17, 12 at 11:29am

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't go to the page where the Minis are. I keep being directed to the page with regular schedule and prices<<<

Even on the regular Trenitalia page, you can still select Mini Fares. Once you enter your cities/dates/time, on the next screen select the train you want and the fares will appear. If you are searching a route that isn't served by the faster trains, you will not see Mini Fares.

My question isn't about the mini fares specifically but since you are the train expert perhaps you can help me. In July I need to go from Milan to Luxembourg. The Trenitalia site says "no solution found". The bahn (German site) lists a train (two trains, with connection in Basel) but doesn't give a price and says you can't book connections outside of Germany online. The rail europe site lists the same train but when you go to fares and availability it says it can't find it.

So, is there any way to reserve this ahead of time. I'll be in Italy for 8 days before the day I need to travel to Luxemborg, but only in Milan the day before. Seems too risky to wait till I get to Milan. Advice?

Isabel: Please post this question as a separate thread. It does not belong to this discussion!

Thanks everybody, I found them.

I will have to wait for the price for our train trips to be posted as they start in June 16th, the first Venice to Naples x 4.

Depending on how much is for the 4 of us that trip if I still will buy the Eurail for us. I calculated with the minis for today and it came to 344 euros, so Minis may not be so convenient against the pass in the event you have more than 2 passengers. Although the price for one passengers are smoking!

Perhaps this is Trenitalia's "offensive" pricing strategy as NVT, (Ihttp://www.ntvspa.it/en/index.html) prepares to commence operations. Since NVT seems to be focusing on the high-speed traveler, it appears Trenitalia may try to squeeze them price-wise at inception. A very interesting strategy.

It will be very difficult for NVT to compete with the MINI ticket prices. They are also not able to put trains in Roma Termini and Milano Centrale which could impact their interest with tourists. It could be an interesting summer on the trains in Italy and it appears the big winner may be the consumer. Hooray for us!

OOPS... can't type - should be NTV which stands for
"Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori," privatized competition for Trenitlia!

Isabel - It's too early to purchase on Trenitalia, but there are discounts from Milan/Basel on Trenitalia (19€ Smart Fare 2nd class - two weeks advance purchase). The rules for Smart Fares:
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e6eaf0bde7aca110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

I would think you could purchase Basel/Luxembourg on the Swiss site or just buy when you arrive Basel.

>>>Depending on how much is for the 4 of us that trip if I still will buy the Eurail for us. I calculated with the minis for today and it came to 344 euros, so Minis may not be so convenient against the pass in the event you have more than 2 passengers. <<<

I see fares as cheap as 9€ per person for a random date in April that doesn't require a train change. No way a pass can beat those prices. Most Venice/Naples seems to require a change of trains somewhere so that means you must pay for two seat reservations for each person if you book one of those using a pass. That will add 20€ to each person for the day on top of the pass price.

Thanks for the info. I just found our trip from Venice to Florence for 18 Euros (sounds prety good to me).

kybourbon - thanks for that info.

. No way a pass can beat those prices.>

Yes IF you can get those very limited in number fares - if not you may pay more than a pass.

These 9 euro fares are extremely limited in number and to imply that they are generally available is misinformation - one should advice that you MAY be able to get it today but not tomorrow, etc.

Thank you so much. I was able to secure 2 tickets from Venice to Rome for a total of eighteen euros. My credit card went right though. I truly appreciate all of the help everyone has given.

After much trial and error I finally made it to the purchase page and was able to select the MINIfare for the four of us to travel round trip Florence Venice in May. But, sadly, the BIG discount was not there. The price shown is 39 euro instead of the 43 euro base fare. Could it be that there are NOT any highly reduced tickets for my journey in May?

It would be a mistake to choose a "MINI" fare which yields a miserly 10% discount. Don't do it. The savings don't justify the risk involved (in case you need to change the reservation or cancel at the last moment).

The cheapest "MINI" fares will get snapped up quickly, leaving the less generous discounts for those who have not been "quick at the draw".

Note: to see whether better "MINI" fare discounts are still available, choose the "Flexible dates (+/- 3 days)" option when searching on the LE FRECCE website. It will bring up the cheapest fares for an entire week. You can then scroll forward and backward one day at a time by clicking on the arrows.

>>>These 9 euro fares are extremely limited in number and to imply that they are generally available is misinformation<<<<

Entering random dates in April/May/June (showing a week of fares at a time), the 9€ prices don't seem to be limited at all, not even Easter week. They are available every day for Rome/Florence. To imply that they are extremely limited seems to be misinformation. 9€ is less than the seat fee you have to pay to use a pass.

I will keep looking as I know the dates we have to travel, June 11 Venice-Naples, June 17th Naples-Monterosso, June 30th Monterosso-Livorno and small day trips in between.

If I can refrain from buying the pass, I'm all for it, but it seems the June dates I need are too far still.

Remember also that the "MINI" fares are NOT available for the unreserved "regionale" and "regionale veloce" trains.

The "MINI" fares are available only for the FAST trains (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, Intercity, Intercity Night, and Espresso (night trains)).

I can't repeat this often enough!

A quick question - Is there any problem on Italy trains of getting off earlier than the station on the ticket? I want to travel from Rome to Bologna but the 9 euro mini fares are only available for my train for the whole route Rome to Milan. If I buy a Rome to Milan 9 euro ticket, can I get off at Bologna without a problem? This may seem like a silly question but UK train companies say it is a breach of contract to do this. I'd like to know if Trenitalia has any problem with it. Thanks.

It's technically a breach of contract, but no one will notice, and no one will care (unless you do it habitually).

Remember also that the "MINI" fares are NOT available for the unreserved "regionale" and "regionale veloce" trains.

Yes, I know that it's only for fast trains and I intend only getting those as the distances for our 3 big trips are great, never mind the regionale for those.

annettafly,
Just now I booked a different mini fare ticket. It was Pisa to Venice (via Florence )in May. On the Florence to Venice portion of the trip with the fast train, I was able to secure the 9 Euro fare per person. My other ticket Venice to Rome was in May also.
Did you try the website GAC suggested?

Just booked Venice to Florence for 9 euros each. Appreciate the tip. Glad to finally catch a deal while planning our trip to Italy...

Why am I not surprised? Despite all your great info it just isn't meant to be for me. Yes, I tried over and over and over for two hours on the site GAC suggested. Kybourbon, you found a lot of low MINI fares in May? Unfortunately, my dates are not flexible because I'll only be in Italy for a two-week course in Florence April 30-May 12. The plan for a short hop to Venice is to go early Saturday, May 5 and return Sunday evening May 6. Maybe that's just a really popular weekend and those MINI's are sold out already. You're right GAC, I'm not going to lock into tickets now just to save 4 euro. On the up side: We have secured a great apartment in Florence, and really nice B&Bs in Venice for one night and in Rome for the night before flying back to Detroit. All is good.

I'm going to make a few comments about purchasing "MINI" fare tickets for the Trenitalia FAST trains (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, Intercity, etc.) when CONNECTING to or from another FAST train OR an unreserved REGIONALE train, because there are potential dangers which really should be avoided. These pitfalls are not self-apparent from reading the Trenitalia website. I will address these seriatim:

1. Connecting FROM a FAST train TO another FAST train (having a "MINI" fare ticket for the second train OR for both FAST trains):

It's very important that you have absolutely no less than 15 minutes official connection time between the two FAST trains. That way, if you were to MISS your connecting FAST train (for which you hold a "MINI" fare ticket), you SHOULD be accommodated to a later-departing FAST train to your destination, without penalty or surcharge. I say "SHOULD" because this result is not stated anywhere on the Trenitalia webpages. Nevertheless, Official Tariff Rule 7.3 for the National (i.e. FAST) trains SHOULD yield this result. If the official connection time is greater than 15 minutes, you will be better protected, and indeed, I would avoid a connection of only 15 minutes, opting instead of a longer connection time. Even though the "MINI" fare tickets are nonchangeable and nonrefundable on the day of travel, Trenitalia customer service personnel have the DISCRETION to accommodate passengers who miss their connecting trains, WHERE CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT. That means that you may (and you might not) be accommodated. I recently verified this information with two Trenitalia customer service agents in Florence.

If you can't bear this uncertainty, buy a "Base" fare ticket for the second (connecting) FAST train. That way, you'll have a ONE HOUR grace period to re-book in case you MISS the connection (and Trenitalia personnel have discretion to extend the grace period when circumstances warrant).

2. Connecting from a FAST train to a REGIONALE train:

No problem here if you MISS the connecting REGIONALE train: just take the next one to your destination. If you have an ELECTRONIC ticket for the REGIONALE train, it's valid for 4 hours after the departure time of the train shown on the receipt. If you have a PAPER ticket for the connecting REGIONALE train (which does not specify any particular departure time), it's valid for 6 hours after "validation" in the little yellow punching machine at the track head (and you should "validate" it only prior to boarding the regionale train, not beforehand).

3. Connecting FROM a REGIONALE train TO a FAST train (for which you hold a "MINI" fare ticket):

DANGER HERE! The "15-minute" connection rule noted above does NOT apply when connecting FROM a REGIONALE train TO a FAST train. The REGIONALE trains have their own tariff rules, and they are not classified as "National" (.i.e. FAST) trains. You do run a real risk of forfeiting your "MINI" fare ticket for the connecting FAST train if you MISS it. Trenitalia personnel MIGHT accommodate you, but it's not at all guaranteed. I also verified this information with Trenitalia customer assistance personnel.

Solution: In this case, buy a "Base" fare ticket for the connecting FAST train rather than a "MINI" fare ticket.

>>>pookymimi on Feb 18, 12 at 4:22pm
I will keep looking as I know the dates we have to travel, June 11 Venice-Naples, June 17th Naples-Monterosso, June 30th Monterosso-Livorno and small day trips in between.<<<

Fares are only listed through June 9. Summer fares start June 10th and aren't loaded yet although you may find a few random trains loaded.

annettafly - I would keep watching for specials as Trenitalia often has a Saturday special that is 2 for 1. Currently it's scheduled to expire next week, but they often extend it or they might announce other discounts so you still might get a deal.

GAC
"3. Connecting FROM a REGIONALE train TO a FAST train (for which you hold a "MINI" fare ticket):"
We are going from Pisa on a REGIONALE train with a 30 minute layover in Florence. Then from Florence to Venice with a MINI fare. How does the 15 minute rule come into play here? Thank you

The 15-minute rule does NOT apply in this case, because REGIONALE trains have their own (different) tariff rules, and Trenitalia officially does not "recognize" CONNECTIONS from a REGIONALE train to a FAST train. This was explained to me my an experienced Trenitalia Customer Assistance Representative at Florence SMN Station.

He told me that the Customer Assistance Representatives have the DISCRETION to accommodate passengers with "MINI" fare tickets who have missed their connection owing to a late arrival of an incoming REGIONALE train, but that this is not guaranteed to happen. He also noted that a mere 15-minute connection "won't cut it", but said that a longer connection time (e.g. one hour) might. I did not specifically inquire about a 30-minute connection.

My recommendation to you (if you purchase a "MINI" fare ticket from Florence to Venice): take an EARLIER incoming REGIONALE train from Pisa to Florence to give you a one hour connection. Purchase an ELECTRONIC ticket for the REGIONALE train as well (that way, the departure time of the train will be noted on the receipt, and you'll be able to prove that you were booked on an incoming train which was supposed to give you a one hour connection in Florence, something you can't demonstrate as well with a PAPER ticket for the REGIONALE train, because PAPER tickets don't specify a train departure time).

Otherwise, if you are uncomfortable about the connection situation, simply purchase a "Base" fare ticket for the FAST train from Florence to Venice. (This of course defeats the advantage of the "MINI" fare). That way, if you miss the connection, you have a one hour grace period to re-book to a later-departing train without penalty or surcharge (and Trenitalia staff have the DISCRETION to extend this grace period further when circumstances warrant).

If you are travelling during a period of generally good weather, a one hour connection should be ample time, such that you should not miss your connection to the FAST train. If you do miss the connection, try to get accommodated by approaching the Customer Assistance Mobile Desk at the head of the center tracks at Firenze SMN. Tell the agent that you were booked on an incoming REGIONALE train which was supposed to give you a one hour connection. Show the agent your ELECTRONIC ticket for the REGIONALE train. Your odds of being accommodated should be better than even (but I make no promises here!).

NOTE: Even with an ELECTRONIC ticket for a REGIONALE train, you have the ability to take a LATER (but not earlier)departing REGIONALE train to your destination, departing within 4 hours of the departure time of the train noted on the ticket. That means that if your scheduled REGIONALE train is cancelled or is running very late, you could board the next train (let's say departing 30 minutes later), to arrive in Florence in time for the connection to the FAST train.

REGIONALE trains from Pisa to Firenze SMN run more frequently than every 60 minutes (on average, every 30 minutes).

jrecm: I now see that you have already booked an electronic "MINI" fare ticket from Firenze SMN to Venice for May.

If you have not yet purchased the ticket for the REGIONALE train from Pisa to Florence, you've got plenty of time to do so. You could eventually (up to one week in advance) purchase an ELECTRONIC ticket for the REGIONALE train (to enable you to prove that you gave yourself a one hour connection), OR you could simply purchase a PAPER ticket at Pisa Centrale train station, but take an earlier REGIONALE train which gives you a one hour connection at Firenze SMN.

If you have already purchased ELECTRONIC tickets for both legs of the trip (assuming that the system allows this so far in advance), you probably should leave things as they are.

Either way, I view this a low risk, being that there are no snowstorms in May, and weather is generally quite good. A 30-minute connection should be sufficient, much of the time.

All right Thank You so much for your help. The 30 minute connection automatically came up, so I did not even think about. Hopefully, it should all work out.

At this price (such a good deal), if things do not work out, I could substitute teach when I got home to cover any additional costs.

Thanks again for your time and valuable information.

There is indeed a "serious disconnect" between Trenitalia tariff rules for regionale trains and the reservations system, which allows people to buy "MINI" tickets for connecting trains with 30 minutes or less of connection time! Most reasonable people would interpret this as implying that any missed connection would be accommodated without charge (regardless of the "MINI" fare rules). While a 30-minute connection from one fast train to another fast train is sufficient under the tariff rules for national (i.e. fast) trains, the same is not officially the case for connections from a regionale train to a fast train. You have uncovered yet another snafu with the Trenitalia site!

We could still buy another earlier regionale ticket, when we are in Pisa, if we were worried. right?

Trenitalia would still have the money from the online regionale sale, plus the money from the new tickets we might purchase. It is still much cheaper.

Yes, you could! But it probably won't be necessary, as long as the trains are running punctually from Pisa to Florence on your travel date. You could also ask the Customer Assistance Staff at Pisa Centrale whether you could "break the rule" and take an earlier-departing regionale train, because you're worried about a missed connection. You might also ask them what would happen with your connecting "MINI" fare ticket if you were to miss the connection in Florence. They might tell you not to worry, and just take your scheduled regionale train.

Thanks, Kybourbon---I saw the Saturday 2 for 1 special that's about to expire, but I will keep checking just in case they open up something for my Saturday.

hello! i purchased my ticket already before discovering this forum.

got the mini fare from florence to venice on june 8 12:25 pm 2:33pm

the problem is: i will be coming from riomaggiore and will be using the regional train
with the ff schedules

riomaggiore to pisa 8:56 10:38
pisa to florence 11:11 12

so there will be a 30 minute connecting time in pisa and 25 minutes connecting time in florence
do you also suggest that i buy the pisa-florence trip online as some sort of "proof"

One way to look at your predicament is the following: since you've already booked the "MINI" fare from Florence to Venice, you've hoping to "make" both of the two required connections (at Pisa Centrale and at Firenze SMN), and not miss the fast train to Venice for which you hold the "MINI" fare ticket.

Having an electronic ticket from Riomaggiore to Pisa Centrale, and from Pisa Centrale to Firenze SMN, can indeed be "proof" that you were scheduled to take regionale trains designed to connect to the Florence/Venice train. Having this "proof" might indeed help you avoid forfeiture of the "MINI" fare ticket if you were to miss that train (or it might be of not help to you). I don't know the answer, because I've never gotten a straight answer from Trenitalia.

One thing is clear: you'll need either an electronic or a paper ticket for the regionale trains from Riomaggiore to Florence. That being the case, you might as well get the electronic ticket, which will give you the "proof" described above.

If you do purchase the electronic ticket, however, you'll have to wait until May 31, because electronic tickets for the regionale trains are sold beginning seven days prior to travel (and not sooner).

Sorry, you'll need to wait until June 1, which is seven days before your travel date of June 8!

alright! thank you for your suggestion. i will be sure to buy the electronic tickets on june 2.

Bookmarking

Hi,
The trenitalia site has been changed today (26 March 2012) and I was trying to book 4 tickets for 4 July 2012 in Mini category. This is for Roma Termini to Firenze S.M. Novella on 4th July 2012. Funnily all MINI tickets are coming for Euro 0 (ZERO). Any idea why the fare is NIL and whether this can be booked or not ?

Trenitalia has been doing an upgrade to their website the last week or so. July 4 is summer and summer schedules aren't loaded yet. They might not be loaded until late May or early June (they start about June 10), but keep checking the website. They seem to load the new schedules randomly.