I want to buy some point to point train tickets for Italy from the US before I leave. I will just be too busy the first few days getting settled to buy them over there and I am willing to pay some extra for the convenience.
I called the local AAA and they sell them there and it takes about two weeks. Anyone ever done this? Are their prices competitive?
Thanks.

I used 1-800-CIT TOURS and found them quick, reliable, and I would use them again
the tickets arrived within a few days

thanks I will call them too.

Although I have never used them, there are good reports (including from Ben Haines, who knows far better than most people here) about www.euraide.de - - with at least one office here in the US. Much, much closer to the prices you would pay from other sources.

If AAA is telling you two weeks, I am guessing that they are obtaining them from www.raileurope.com (where they are already marked up a lot) - - and perhaps adding further to the price!

Best wishes,

Rex

I checked on the euraide.de site - it's no cheaper than AAA, and AAA throws in free insurance on the tickets for members. I got my Saver Select Railpass through them for our upcoming vacation, and it was at our house within 4 days of the order. My only issue with them is for you to make sure what you want before you call to order, as some of their agents are not familiar with the railpasses and all the options. I researched at raileurope.com, got the info and the prices, then called AAA to order so we could get the free insurance. have a great trip!

thanks, I will do my research then go over to the local AAA at lunch tomorrow and see what they offer, I do like the idea of free insurance.

If you are just buying point to point and not any rail pass or other ticket that must be purchased outside Italy, my suggestion is that you contact your hotel by fax or e-mail and ask them to purchase them for you. They can do this and may or may not charge a small fee; you should ask if there is a booking fee for train tickets. If there is, I would assume it is cheaper than AAA price. I find this the easiest way to obtain train, concert and other tickets.

As for insurance, as the tickets would be refundable in virtually all cases, I don't see any advantage to it.

For rasspi 2: Please can you tell us more ? I do not know how to find point to point fares on the Euraide site. Perhaps you found pass prices ? I am sorry to trouble you, but you see from Rex that I need to be right if people are trusting me.

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Hi Ben,

Euraide has offices in Germany and in the US. They sell P-t-P tickets over the phone.

I think that you would have to call their German office.

Don't use Raileurope as your source for P to P tickets, thet will be much higher than the actual tickets.

Although there is a fee at euraide, that will be added to actual ticket prices, rather than inflated, raileurope prices, so the final price will probably be cheaper.

I meant to say:
Don't use Raileurope as your source for P to P ticket PRICES.

Question to elberko: does this mean that you HAVE purchased P-to-P tickets from them? Can you give some idea of the fees? and the ticket prices (ideally with accurate historical prices of what tickets would have cost there, at the time you used them?)

As Ben says, it seems that the Euraide name has been circulated around (and I plead guilty citing something I didn't know from my own personal experience) - - without as much factual information as ought to be had.

Rex-

I haven't bought PtoP tickets from euraide, I didn't even know they did that. I HAVE used them to buy reservations and sleepers, when we used a Railpass.

I don't know about Italy, but for France and Germany, Ive used the national sites (SNCF and BAHN) to buy tickets directly.