"MINI" fare tickets: Trenitalia sells Three Million so far this year
Apr 23rd, 2011, 04:34 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"MINI" fare tickets: Trenitalia sells Three Million so far this year
In a recent press release, Trenitalia announces that it has sold over three million "MINI" fare tickets since the beginning of the year, over one million of which just in the past month. The three most popular routes for the "MINI" fare are: Milan/Rome; Florence/Rome and Naples/Milan.
"MINI" fares are available on ALL LONG DISTANCE Trenitalia trains. That means all trains EXCEPT the unreserved and undiscountable "regionale" commuter trains.
"MINI" fares are capacity-contolled, which means that the lowest fares are usually found by booking far in advance (but never more than four months). The fares vary widely according to route, date of departure, time of departure, class of service, and train category.
The savings can range anywhere from 10% to 70%. No other discounts can be aggregated with the "MINI" fare, and that includes the discount for children between 4 and 12. In some cases, the "MINI" discount can be more generous than the usual 50% discount for children between these ages (toddlers under 4 always travel FREE).
The absolute deadline for trying to purchase a "MINI" fare ticket is 23:59 of day prior to travel. Obviously, the closer one get to the purchase deadline, the more difficult it becomes to find a big discount.
While the "MINI" fares are quite desirable, they are not appropriate in all cases. Because "MINI" fare tickets cannot be changed at the last moment, and become worthless if the reserved train is MISSED (there is no one hour grace period, as with regular fare "base" ticket), it is imprudent to book at the "MINI" fare if one is not CERTAIN to "make" the reserved train. Consequently, when taking the train immediately after a plane or boat arrival, the "MINI" fare ticket could become worthless if there were an unexpectedly long connection delay. (Of course, if the "MINI" fare is extremely low, one might well take the risk of losing the ticket.).
Booking electronic tickets on the Trenitalia website is now easier and faster than ever. You must bring the ticket information received by e-mail with you on the train, and the ticket agent validates the electronic ticket with his hand-held device.
BEFORE getting the "MINI" fare, be sure to READ the very restrictive rules on reservation changes and refunds:
www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp…
www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp…
Now more than ever, it's possible to travel on Italy's fastest trains at incredibly attractive fares. Three million "MINI" fare tickets already sold in just a few weeks, purchased by travellers from all over the world.
www.ferroviedellostato.it
BTW, the Trenitalia schedules will be revised effective June 12. Consequently, it is not presently possible to book a train AFTER June 11. The new schedules (which should not be significantly different from the current ones) will be uploaded gradually on the Trenitalia website, but the complete uploading won't occur until soon before June 11. Don't be surprised, therefore, if the schedules seem unusually "sparse" if you are searching over the next several weeks.
ReplyEdit
"MINI" fares are available on ALL LONG DISTANCE Trenitalia trains. That means all trains EXCEPT the unreserved and undiscountable "regionale" commuter trains.
"MINI" fares are capacity-contolled, which means that the lowest fares are usually found by booking far in advance (but never more than four months). The fares vary widely according to route, date of departure, time of departure, class of service, and train category.
The savings can range anywhere from 10% to 70%. No other discounts can be aggregated with the "MINI" fare, and that includes the discount for children between 4 and 12. In some cases, the "MINI" discount can be more generous than the usual 50% discount for children between these ages (toddlers under 4 always travel FREE).
The absolute deadline for trying to purchase a "MINI" fare ticket is 23:59 of day prior to travel. Obviously, the closer one get to the purchase deadline, the more difficult it becomes to find a big discount.
While the "MINI" fares are quite desirable, they are not appropriate in all cases. Because "MINI" fare tickets cannot be changed at the last moment, and become worthless if the reserved train is MISSED (there is no one hour grace period, as with regular fare "base" ticket), it is imprudent to book at the "MINI" fare if one is not CERTAIN to "make" the reserved train. Consequently, when taking the train immediately after a plane or boat arrival, the "MINI" fare ticket could become worthless if there were an unexpectedly long connection delay. (Of course, if the "MINI" fare is extremely low, one might well take the risk of losing the ticket.).
Booking electronic tickets on the Trenitalia website is now easier and faster than ever. You must bring the ticket information received by e-mail with you on the train, and the ticket agent validates the electronic ticket with his hand-held device.
BEFORE getting the "MINI" fare, be sure to READ the very restrictive rules on reservation changes and refunds:
www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp…
www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp…
Now more than ever, it's possible to travel on Italy's fastest trains at incredibly attractive fares. Three million "MINI" fare tickets already sold in just a few weeks, purchased by travellers from all over the world.
www.ferroviedellostato.it
BTW, the Trenitalia schedules will be revised effective June 12. Consequently, it is not presently possible to book a train AFTER June 11. The new schedules (which should not be significantly different from the current ones) will be uploaded gradually on the Trenitalia website, but the complete uploading won't occur until soon before June 11. Don't be surprised, therefore, if the schedules seem unusually "sparse" if you are searching over the next several weeks.
ReplyEdit
Apr 23rd, 2011, 04:49 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here are those two Trenitalia hyperlinks:
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...3f16f90aRCRD#4
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...3f16f90aRCRD#4
Apr 24th, 2011, 04:52 AM
#5
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
every time i try to buy the trenitalia ticket online I go through a lenghty process of signing up and when I'm finally through to the step of purchasing it just doesn't accept my australian mastercard ( regular mastercard with all the "up to date" features ) ...I have tried to do this every time I've been in Italy for last 3 years and to no success...
and I always wonder how all these large amounts of travellers from all over the world have no problems booking online and I always have to opt for the base fares buying at the counter on the same day.... even missing out on some trains due to places being sold out...
Has anyone else encountered this problem??? GAC do you know Is there any guidelines with trenitalia what creditcards they accept and what not???? Please help...
and I always wonder how all these large amounts of travellers from all over the world have no problems booking online and I always have to opt for the base fares buying at the counter on the same day.... even missing out on some trains due to places being sold out...
Has anyone else encountered this problem??? GAC do you know Is there any guidelines with trenitalia what creditcards they accept and what not???? Please help...
Apr 24th, 2011, 05:06 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you tried to book within the past 30 days? Trenitalia very recently changed its credit card processor, and now it's very easy to buy tickets online. Before the change, virtually no U.S. credit card would be accepted.
As an afterthought to my original posting: there is no reason to buy tickets for the unreserved and undiscountable "regionale" tickets online. Buy them in Italy at the train station staffed ticket window or automated ticket machine. To see the fares for the "regionale" trains, you must put in a date no more than seven days out. Tickets for the "regionale" trains must always be time stamped prior to boarding in the little yellow stamping machines by the rail track.
Use the Trenitalia website to purchase tickets for the fast trains, especially if you find one of the fabulous "MINI" fares. You do not need to time stamp tickets for the fast trains, because they can be used only for the reserved train noted on the ticket.
Reservations for the fast trains are allowed up to four months in advance, or the date of the next general schedule change, whichever first occurs.
As an afterthought to my original posting: there is no reason to buy tickets for the unreserved and undiscountable "regionale" tickets online. Buy them in Italy at the train station staffed ticket window or automated ticket machine. To see the fares for the "regionale" trains, you must put in a date no more than seven days out. Tickets for the "regionale" trains must always be time stamped prior to boarding in the little yellow stamping machines by the rail track.
Use the Trenitalia website to purchase tickets for the fast trains, especially if you find one of the fabulous "MINI" fares. You do not need to time stamp tickets for the fast trains, because they can be used only for the reserved train noted on the ticket.
Reservations for the fast trains are allowed up to four months in advance, or the date of the next general schedule change, whichever first occurs.
Apr 24th, 2011, 09:10 AM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Shmushma - granted it was a couple of years ago now, but I tried everything to book with a NZ credit card, it never worked, and I eventually rang my bank and they informed me that they blocked Trenitalia because of fraudulent transactions (not that Trenitalia would steal your credit cards, but that stolen credit cards were used on the site so often that they just blocked it entirely). Given that many NZ banks are Australian-owned, you might just find that this is the case for you too if you can't get it to work next time. (I was with the National Bank in NZ, which is Australian-owned.)
Unfortunately the upshot for me was that my bank wouldn't budge on letting me use my card on the site, so I missed out on the discounts
Hope the new system works for you!
Unfortunately the upshot for me was that my bank wouldn't budge on letting me use my card on the site, so I missed out on the discounts
Hope the new system works for you!
May 11th, 2011, 03:13 AM
#15
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,198
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I broke down pricing for our trip from Milan to Lucca, and by getting a Mini fare for the part from Milan to Florence, I save 11E, but I'm concerned that I only have 38 minutes between trains in Florence to buy the ticket for the Regional train from Florence to Lucca. Is that enough time to allow to find and get to the ticket windows/machines, wait on line, purchase the tickets and find the next train, or should I just buy the full-fare ticket online and forget saving the 44E for the 4 of us? Seems tight, but maybe the set-up is good for something like this. I'm game if it's easy.
I tried to enter info into TrenItalia as if I was going to buy Regional train tickets for this weekend online and it only had the option to buy one at a time. Is it possible to buy 4 at once online? (I know you said that you don't need to buy them ahead, but I thought I'd check in case that would alleviate the rushing around)
Thanks for any help.
I tried to enter info into TrenItalia as if I was going to buy Regional train tickets for this weekend online and it only had the option to buy one at a time. Is it possible to buy 4 at once online? (I know you said that you don't need to buy them ahead, but I thought I'd check in case that would alleviate the rushing around)
Thanks for any help.
May 11th, 2011, 05:53 AM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,872
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kwren: Why not buy your Florence to Lucca tickets at the station in Milan? That way you'll have them in hand in case the train from Milan to Florence is late. And since it's just a regional train to Lucca, it won't matter if you miss the one you want; with no seat assignments, just take the next one.
May 11th, 2011, 09:44 AM
#17
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,198
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually we have less time in Milan and wouldn't want to cut it close if we had the Mini tickets (miss the train and you are out of luck), but I did think about trying there and if we didn't succeed, trying in Florence. I also discussed with my husband that if we missed the train in Florence, just having something to eat and waiting for the next train, but we really prefer to just get to Lucca after sitting on trains all day. It is good to have 2 chances to get the ticket though.
May 15th, 2011, 01:27 PM
#18
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
GAC, thanks for the information about Trenitalia updating its schedule after June 11. We arrive in Italy June 30. Does that mean I can not buy any tickets until after June 11? If I were to purchase something before that, am I at risk for that train to be nonexistent?
May 15th, 2011, 05:31 PM
#20
>>>Does that mean I can not buy any tickets until after June 11?<<<
It means you can buy your tickets as soon as Trenitalia loads the a fares. Could be today, tomorrow or June 11. No predicting, but some fares are already loaded so you just have to keep checking.
It means you can buy your tickets as soon as Trenitalia loads the a fares. Could be today, tomorrow or June 11. No predicting, but some fares are already loaded so you just have to keep checking.
