Advance Train Tickets
 

I just received our tickets (for 2 people with seat reservations) and I am so confused (the agent I dealt with does not seem to be with it). These tickets are like little booklets containing 2 yellow "coupons" which state the departure station and destination only, followed by 2 white "coupons", one of which contains the date/time of travel, train number, seat numbers etc. Three of our tickets don't include these white sheets so I have no way of knowing the train number, departure time etc. Are we supposed to validate these tickets or just hop on the train. We're leaving in less than a week and I'm getting a little nervous. I know someone out there has the answers. Thanks.

<BR>Maria,<BR>Do you have any idea which country the tickets are for? Are you as clueless as your travel agent? OK, I'm sorry for that comment, but just maybe you are part of the problem here. Travel agents are very professional or they are not travel agents very long.

Well, pardon my ignorance slider, but I thought I had posted my message on the "Italy" forum. My mistake. The travel agent I'm using has not been very helpful (ie doesn't return calls). I thought perhaps someone on this forum could help me sort out these tickets. Sorry for the inconvenience.

You did post under "Italy" which you probably think of as "the Italy forum". but the vast majority of "use" just come to "the forum at large", i.e., without specifying any particular country. and we get no clue that you posted under Italy.<BR><BR>I'm not sure the country is relevant to yur question. <BR><BR>You say that one of the white coupons "contains the date/time of travel" and yet you "have no way of knowing the ... departure time".<BR><BR>I suspect that there is nothing confusing about your tickets to the staff at the train station. Just show up 10-60 minutes before your scheduled departure (depending on how uneasy you feel), and someone there will help you.<BR><BR>And - - please let me clarify that this is strictly my own opinion - - I would submit that your experience is one of the many reasons I recommend: buy your tickets when you get to Europe. You paid more, and you didn't even get any extra peace of mind! You're also locked in to travel on that train on that date in those seats. Not that it will cost you much to change. But I prefer to confirm my train plans according to weather, mood and what attracts me to stay or move on, at the time.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Now I'm really speaking out of turn here, but I've been following the info on train reservations. Could your tickets situation be this: the yellow coupons are the actual ticket you paid to board the train, while the white coupon is a seat reservation? It is possible on some trains to buy only a ticket, w/o having a reserved seat, meaning you could board the train but ride standing, while the reservation is just that - actually holds a place just for you. Does that seem to fit what you have? Other 'train-riders' jump in here...

<BR>Maria,<BR><BR>Your post showed on the Europe forum with no indication of country or city. My apologies for the sarcasm.<BR><BR>It sounds as though the yellow coupons are your tickets and the white ones are your reservations. Apparently you have reservations for only one segment of your travels. <BR><BR>As for validation, since the yellow coupons are open tickets valid on any date you most certainly must validate them before you get on the train. I haven't been on an Italian train in a couple of years and can't recall exactly what a validaion machine looks like there. Many stations in Europe have little red, yellow, or orange boxes in the entry way to the platforms or on the platforms. Put your ticket in the slot and it will hammer an impression of the date and time. The ticket will then be valid for that day only. It's not always easy to find English speaking people in Italian stations, but ask at the information office or a ticket window for help. Beware of "helpful strangers" who may be pickpockets or baggage thieves. <BR><BR>You should be able to make reservations for your other tickets when you arrive in Italy. But then some trains do not have reserved seating. Generally it's not necessary anyway, but if you want to make sure of a seat ask. <BR><BR>I suggest you find another travel agent for your next trip. Help retire yours.<BR>

<BR>Maria,<BR><BR>While I was scribbling my last message Rex put in his usually good advice. EXCEPT, do not cut it to 10 minutes on your first visit to an Italian train station. Give yourself a half hour minimum, expecially in major cities. Italian train stations are about the most confusing in Europe and the line at any window can be a half hour, not counting the people who will cut in the line. What a country! If something can go wrong . . . you know the rest.<BR><BR>Rex also offers "And - - please let me clarify that this is strictly my own opinion - - I would submit that your experience is one of the many reasons I recommend: buy your tickets when you get to Europe. " Yup. Unless someone else insists on paying for your ticket, reservation, and/or supplement buy them in Europe. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

So Rex & Slider, you two just show up at the train station on the spur of the moment, correct? What do you do if there aren't any seats left-you wait until there's another train? That's great if you are traveling independently, but most of us have families so we need more than one seat and don't want to just chance it. You're right when you say it's only "your opinion" because it is just that.

I said ten TO SIXTY minutes in advance - - referring specifically to their case, where they already have tickets in hand. I fully expect that they will arrive closer to 60 minutes ahead, not 10. <BR><BR>As for my own personal plans, it depends on how many people i am traveling with, and what I am doing before hand. Sometimes, I am coming directly from an airport; I go straight to the train station, and yes, in some cases, I have arrived 10 minutes before a train departed, bought (a) ticket(s), and gotten on board. Traveling solo or with as many as six others.<BR><BR>When I am already in a city, I like to make an early morning trip to the train station and buy the tickets for travel later that day. Then I (we) return 15-30 minutes before departure. When a taxi is involved, sometimes I show up earlier than that, simply because I have found that it is hard to predict how long it will take a cab to traverse city traffic to get me to the train station.<BR>

I have just come back home from my local train station in Perugia - I wanted information about tickets but the booking office was closed. The queues were a mile long at the 2 windows for ticket sales. <BR>I talked to the head of the station and there are a lot of industrial problems in trenitalia at the moment (you can't even buy tickets online at rip-off prices!). I would strongly advise you to leave a lot of time if you intend to buy tickets before you get on the train.

Maria<BR><BR>I would like to know where are you going and from where. you may have to swap trains and at lest one of the trains might not allow reservation. Also, usually the ticket is one piece of sheet and the reservation is another.<BR>If your case is the second option, just do not worry.<BR>If your case is the second, we should check whether these tickets are for trains that allow reservation or aare they trains that do not allow it. In the first case, you may still reserve your seats as you arrive in Italy (usually yoiu can till find seats until 24 hours prior the departure and I have often reserved seats no earlier than the morning for leaving tn int late afternoon). Queues are huge, but if you can reach a smaller station you might find no queue (I usually do not book tickets at Milano Central station, I go all the way to Lambrate station where I gan get my reservation in but a few moments with no queuing).<BR>For non bookable (or non booked) train tickets, you just pay for the type of the train and for the length of the travel, but you can take any train as long as it goes your way: ou arive at the station and you jump on the first trin available for your destination, making sure that you are not hopping to an Intercity train with a Interregionale ticket (or you will have to pay for the fine plus the IC suplement).<BR>As for validation, you are always supposed to validate all your tickets (except Eurostar tickets) at the small yellow machines you can find on the platforms of the stations. In case they do not work, step on the train and search for a cunductor that will validate them for free. If you don't validate them and wait for the conductor to arrive he may fine you 10 euro for each ticket.<BR><BR>If you want any help to sort the problem out without being too public (you might need to tell me edstinations and prices), feel free to e-mail me privately. In particular, you might send me a .jpg of the tickets I might explain them in detail either here on the forum or privately. My address is shown above, just cut off the "invalid." part.

tops<BR>

there sure are alot of toxic people who frequent this sight. this was my first and last visit to this portion of fodor's.com

to cindy: good. don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out.

IF you are going to Italy DO NOT buy your tickets before you get there!!!!<BR>I saved approximately 40% by buying them there in Feb.

up<BR>

My wife and I had the good fortune of spending the month of June in Italy, with Rome as a base. We travelled all over using trains and busses,with now problems, the reason was we would go to a travel agent a few days before we wanted to travel, paid a small fee and had our reservations and seats. believe me the fee is worth the money rather than stand in line for who knows how long. And yes you must validate your ticket before boarding, the machinse are either red or yellow and are at the enterance of the train track. You will pay a hefty price from the conductor if the ticket is not validated. Do not get paranoid using the public transportation it is fun and easy.

<BR>Vinny,<BR><BR>Your post does not say anything about your tickets. You say "paid a small fee and had our reservations and seats." A reservation is for a seat. Did you buy your tickets at travel agents, also? Or just your reservation? <BR><BR>How full were the trains? When on the trains did you see any empty seats? A lot? A few?

I am sorry if I did not make myself clear. I received my train ticket, and seat assignment, from the travel agenct. They print the tickets and give them to you, It works just like getting airline tickets and reservations from Travel agents here in the states