Anyone who has bought train tickets for Italy in advance before?
 

I bought train tickets to and from Siena--> Rome in advance from the Trenitalia web site. Is this really as easy as it seems? I have a confirmation # in my e-mail -- supposed to just bring it with me, find an automatic yellow ticketing machine at the station, enter the code in and get my tickets. Has anyone tried this before? Please tell me if there is anything else I need to know! Hopefully it is as easy as it sounds!

Kello,

Print out the Trenitalia reservation confirmation and bring it with you on the train.

When the conductor asks you for your ticket, hand him the (paper) confirmation. He will enter the appropriate information from your ticket into a hand-held computer. The computer is also a printer and he will print you a receipt.

That's all there is to it.

You do not stamp the reservation in a yellow ticketing machine at the station for tickets purchased on-line.

Thanks! That is good to know. I thought I had to enter the reservation code into a machine/computer at the station. If I just need to have the paper, that is even easier!

Kello,

I am a worrywart. I suggest if you are traveling with another person, give that person a copy of the Trenitalia confirmation, in case you misplace your copy.

Good advice from i_am_kane

We used the confirmation number option from Trenitalia in May 2005 a couple times and had no problems whatsoever. Very simple and convenient!

It is easy as long as you don't need to make any changes. In May, I had a really hard time as I needed to change my itinerary and it became a big headache. I had a full fare ticket so it shouldn't have been a big deal...but it was.

I plan to buy my tickets locally next time as I think it is just as easy.

Hi K,

Italy is somewhat ahead of us benighted Americans.

Over there, you can buy a ticket 5 min before the train leaves using your cell phone. Just show the conductor your cell phone confirmation.

((I))

kane... I'm a worry wart too... I'll probably print out a few copies of all my reservations, but definitely I will give my mom a copy too.

Actually... I ordered her and my ticket on the same reservation, would she need her own copy anyway just for that reason, or do we just need to show one paper to the conductor for both of us?

Kello,

One more thought...I know you can purchase tickets very close to your departure time; however, you did not mention when you are traveling.

In our case, we were a family of 10 and needed to be on a specific train and all together in one train car.

This was June/July of this year and we always booked first class tickets. Every single seat was reserved. There were no available seats in our train cars. I was amazed.

Kane is "the man," or however you would say that in Italian :D

Kane, we are travelling to Siena from rome on Sept 2nd then bck to Rome on September 9. I booked the 1st class seats in advance because I heard they do fill up, and being 18 weeks pregnant, I'm not going to want to stand...My mom definitely needs a seat too. I *think* that these tickets actually reserved a seat for us, because I got to select the seats I wanted on the web site. That was only for the train from Rome to Chiussi though. The train from Chiussi to Siena was only a 2nd class train though -- I'm worried about not getting a seat!!

Kane's advise is right on the mark. I travelled Florence to Rome last September using an e-ticket. The conductor found me within a few minutes aboard the train. He already had the ticket information loaded on his handheld and asked to see my printout for confirmation, but for some reason was not able to print out a receipt. No problem, nobody bothered me again. Easiest thing in the world.

kswl,

So funny because I just finished watching the DVD "The Man" with Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy - and the bad guy was named KANE!

Hi kello,

Did you purchase tickets on an Intercity train from Chiusi to Siena?

The Movie Gods are not with you, Kane!