I called CIT to purchase train tickets and make seat reservations for our trip to Italy and I'm trying to figure out how much more it will cost to use CIT rather than purchase our tickets once in Italy. <BR> <BR> They will charge me $10 for administrative fees and $10 for shipping which is fine with me. I asked for a sample price and they told me that a Eurostrar ticket from Florence to Venice is $35.00 which seems about right since on the trenitalia website, the price is 76,000L. CIT also said that there was an additional $15 charge for the seat reservation. Would there be a similar charge if I made the seat reservation in Italy? <BR> <BR>I have no problem with CIT making money with by increasing the price of tickets/reservations. I just need to decide how much more it will cost us given the number of train tickets we will need and whether that amount is worth the peace of mind for having the tickets done in advance as well as the amount of time it will take us to purchase the tickets once there. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance for your help.

I seem to recall that when I purchased my ticket in Italy at CIT there was a reservation charge. Although I couldn't tell you how much. Since I was travelling solo and had to do my schlepping and handling of bags, I didn't mind paying for the convenience of knowing I had a seat.

I bought my tickets at the Venice train station 2 days before my trip to Florence -- I went 1st class on the Eurostar, Venice to Florence (round trip) and it was about $80 including reservation. I was in the smoking car, but almost no one was smoking. But if even the tiniest bit of smoke bothers you, don't do it -- after all, it is a smoking car! I am a smoker, and I usually refrain on the train -- it grosses me out -- but the cleanliness of the air was commented upon by my non-smoking seatmates. <BR> <BR>Unless you're a real hardy type, do NOT take a second class smoking car -- it's truly disgusting.

Thanks for your help. Does anybody else know whether there is a seat reservation charge,in addition to the cost of the ticket, when you buy a ticket in Italy?

Sorry Judy <BR> <BR>I was trying to get out so much info I wasn't clear. <BR> <BR>When you buy the ticket in Italy, ask for a reservation. It's imperative or you may not wind up with a seat (or have to move several times -- the seats on the train are not marked as reserved or not, so you won't know if you're sitting in someone's seat who may get on in another city on the way to Florence -- with a reservation, the seat is yours, you won't get kicked out of it.) <BR> <BR>What I did was write out the date (day first, then month) and the time of the train with the word "reservation" next to each leg of the trip and then handed the paper to the ticket agent. I can't read Italian, but the French translation of the Italian on the ticket said something along the lines of "nous vous avons reserve" -- we have reserved you. It's near the top of the ticket. <BR> <BR>The cost of my ticket included the reservation fee -- it wasn't broken down, so I don't know what it was. <BR> <BR>Hope this clarified my prior. <BR> <BR>Chris

Judy <BR>the fs-on-line Italian train website may have the cost info you're looking for