CristelleS

Hi from South Africa!

We will be taking a train in September on a (Saturday late-afternoon) from from Santa Lucia in Venice to Termini in Rome - though I would like the fastest one (believe it's the ES trains?), we are also on a very tight budget, - would it be cheaper to buy the tickets in advance online at Trenitalia's website?

From what I can see it will cost about E73 per person (a little steep, in my opinion) - however there is mention of some kind of "mini" discounts, but it seems a little complicated and I can't quite understand how it works from the website?

I also don't know what is meant with "base" fares?

Hoping someone can advise!

ellenem

Unfortunately, the schedules for dates after June 12 are not yet posted in total, so you may not yet see the best options for your September dates.

"Base" fare is the basic fare. "Flessible" means you choose to pay extra just in case you change your mind. After you choose a specific train, the options available will be shown.

Yes, you should be able to get some significant discounts when you purchase ahead. As an example, I just tried to purchase your trip on June 9 and was offered a "mini" for 61€. The discount might have been greater if purchased even earlier. Mini discounts are based on advanced purchased and availability—a limited number of these discounts are available and so may sell out as the travel date approaches.

You could also opt for a slower IC train. There are fewer and fewer avaialble and the trip takes more than 6 hours, 45€ for 2nd class.

rineurope

As suggested by ellenem, I'd opt for the MINI tickets. You can buy these in advance, and although inflexible,you can save up to 60% - which would be lower in price than the slower IC trains. These two links may give you some insight into the MINI tickets and buying online at the Trenitalia website:

http://tinyurl.com/MINI-fare
http://tinyurl.com/tren-online

CristelleS

Hi there ellenm and rineurope

Thanks so much for the advice, it definitely came in very handy!

Thanks also for the links to your blog, I thought I'd be intelligent enough to manage my way through the website myself (haha), but I found a lot of the hints on your step-by-step guide to buying a ticket very helpful - wil be sure to read the whole blog carefully when I have some time!

I registered, managed to find some good rates and was about to buy the tickets, but my first credit card was rejected twice, and when I decided to try again with a different card, it now says the fare is no longer available... goodness.

Can't decide whether I should try again at a later stage (can't imagine that they're all sold out this long in advance, or could it be?), or if I should just choose a different time (which might inconvenience our trip a little).

Either way, thanks again!

CristelleS

O dear - seems both my credit cards are being declined... now what?

ellenem

Your credit card companies may be blocking the purchase in the "foreign land" of Trenitalia.com, even though it is an online purchase. Some companies block them; other companies call you to verify that it is a legitimate purchase. Many companies will block purchases in Italy as a rule.

Call the companies for all the debit and credit cards you may be using to make purchases online in advance of your trip, and let them know that you plan to make these purchases. Also tell them your actual travel dates if you plan to be using their cards in Italy.

CristelleS

Hi EllenM

Thanks - I assumed that as I bought other flights and Eurostar tickets online that my card should work and that the fault might be with their website, but I'll definitely try and contact my banks first - really don't want to miss out on this good deal! (I can get two tickets for E58, as opposed to E74 per person!)

I appreciate your advice!

ellenem

If by Eurostar you mean the train between London and Paris, that company is not based in Italy, so the situation is perfectly understandable. Companies based in Italy seem to send up more warning flags.

jent103

Contacting your bank <i>should</i> solve the problem - I had the exact same thing happen. I'd made a few other purchases, but this was the one that set off my bank for some reason. Once I called them, they stayed on the line while I tried it out and all was well. I bought about six weeks ahead and got &euro;58 ES tickets as well for Rome -> Venice.

CristelleS

Hi all - just wanted to let you know the payment went through and I got my ticket for E58! Weird, after trying a few more times and contacting the bank it still didn't work, and then I just tried my other credit card again, and Voila!

Couldn't have done it without your advice, so thanks a million!

kybourbon

FYI:
>>>STATUS PENDING - TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF BUYING PROCEDURE
If two consecutive buying procedures are unsuccessful, the system will suspend service for 15 minutes.<<<<

>>>When making payment, the transaction can be blocked if:
• you use more than two credit cards with the same User ID;
• your credit card is used by more than two distinct users;
• malfunctions occur in the bankpass system more than twice when payment is being made;
• you use a credit card associated to a user that has been already disabled;
• you exceed your credit card’s monthly spending limit;
• the overall expense with the credit card you are using exceeds the allowed monthly limit (1,000 euro).

Please note also that, in agreement with the payment circuits, automated anti-fraud control systems have been implemented on online transactions for which reason transactions may in some cases be blocked independently of Trenitalia's will or power.

In cases where a transaction is blocked, the system automatically sends an e-mail to the e-mail address associated to the User ID used to make the purchase. This mail will give the reasons by the transaction has been blocked and instructions on how to go ahead with the purchase. <<<