rbnwdln

OK, I decided to try to book these online. I've not done this before and in navigating the site I have some questions for those who have done this. First question - Choose a fare. How do I know? There is a 29 euro fare, which sounds like a good price. Does that mean we ride on the roof? They also ask us to choose a coach and seat number. How the heck do I know? We want 4 seats together. I can't figure out how to book that. Any other hints? Thanks so much!

Seamus

Airline? Train? What site? What dates? What time of day?

Maire

rbn - I'm new to this too, so can't help much. However, assuming you’re talking about Trenitalia:

After you click the shopping cart, it shows you the 1st & 2nd class fares (light gray). Below that, you select the class you want and the number of passengers.

THEN, where it says “Services Passengers,” you choose the seat position you want (left side has 4 seats; right has 2). So, since you want 4 seats together, you click the 4 on the left.

THEN, where it says “SEAT NEAR TO” and asks you to pick a coach and a seat – you can ignore this, I think, unless you are trying to sit with someone who already has tickets.

The English instructions are a poor translation of the Italian instructions:

In English, they ask you to:
“<i>Enter the carriage and seat number beside which you wish to travel here:</i>
but the Italian version says:
<i>Se invece vuoi viaggiare accanto a qualcuno che ha gi&agrave; acquistato il biglietto:</i>
which means roughly, “If instead you want to travel next to someone who has already bought tickets.&quot;

29 euro seems good; I entered an arbitrary date of 6/12 from Venice to Rome, and one selection showed 67 1stC, 45 2ndC.

Now, if I'm all wrong, I'm sure someone else will correct me. Good luck.

Neopolitan

The 29 euro fare sounds like the special on Eurostar trains anywhere within Italy. It's great. If it is available go for it.
When you book on the Trenitalia site, a seating diagram will appear and you can click the seats you want -- four together.

rbnwdln

Maire and Neopolitan - thanks for your help! Yes, it is Trenitalia and you answered my questions! I will try to book tomorrow. Can you answer another? Is the train station centrally located? We have never been to Venice and will be staying in the San Croce area (I think!). Our travel is in early June, leaving Venice for Rome on the 12th.
Thanks!

Maire

You're welcome. I haven't been there either, but here's a link about the train station, Santa Lucia.

http://tinyurl.com/9dacb

I think some trains only go to Mestre which is on the mainland. Fodorites can tell us how to get from Mestre to Venice, I'm sure.

Rbn, please let us know how your train booking goes tomorrow. I have to book mine eventually, and all hints are welcome.

ira

Hi rb,

You can see a map of venice at www.mappy.com.

It will also give you pedestrian routes.

rbnwdln

Yikes, thanks. I almost booked tickets from the Mestre station and it looks like we should go from teh other station. I'll look into this later and try to purchase the tickets. Maybe. Can train tickets be purchased at the Venice airport, does anyone know?
Thanks!

Janeyre

Don't know about buying train tickets at the Venice airport. We bought our train tickets from a travel agency in Venice (to Florence). In the Rick Steves Italy book he mentions this easy-to-find place. I had printed out the trip I wanted from the internet before I left home so the transaction went smoothly. It was one of the first things we did when we arrived in Venice.

Seamus

If you are taking the Eurostar (a great deal at 29 euro in first class) right from Venice Santa Lucia you can do ticketless travel. Two options - an email with your confirmation code, which you give to the conductor on the train, or an email with your code and you use a self service kiosk. Not sure if this would work if you are booking an itinerary that uses a regional train from Santa Lucia to Mestre where you pick up the Eurostar.

Maire

rbn - I just went to Trenitalia to find that 29 euro fare. Thanks for pointing it out; hope it's still there next month when I buy my tickets.

Seamus - 29 euro 2nd class, 39 first class - they are good fares

luli38

Look on a previous thread for great instructions on booking the train from Rome to Venice. I was finally able to get it to book through the trenitali asite and was able to get 1st class tickets at the 39 Euro rate.

ira

Hi rb,

I think that Luli is referring to http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34804587

carolsc

Stupid question but...in looking at the four seats shown together on the trenitalia site, how does one know if one is picking 2 side-by-side seats and traveling forwards (as opposed to backwards)? I want to see what's coming, not what's going!
Thanks.

ira

Hi Carol,

&gt;I want to see what's coming, not what's going!&lt;

No way to tell. Trains often reverse direction pulling into/out of stations.