First Class Trenitalia Italy Train Question
 

Hello all,

This is my first time posting at this site, I hope someone can help. I will be going to Italy for the first time in a couple of weeks. I have read a lot of the advice on this website but there is one thing I cannot seem to find, so I hope you can bear with me if this seems to be an obvious question/answer.

I am going to be taking a morning train from Venice to Rome one day of my trip, and the train from Rome to Naples another day. I have heard if you book first class there is more room to keep your luggage under your seat and that it is not much more expensive than 2nd class, so I want to do this because I don't think I will be able to lift my luggage above my head. My question is (forgive me if this is obvious), when you are waiting at the train station, how do you know which car to get on. In other words how do you know that you have gotten on the first class train car?

Also I am wondering what the train station is like in terms of how far in advance I would have to get there to purchase my ticket. I was going to purchase it online in advance but I have read on here that people had problems with the trenitalia website, in fact it is confusing to me as well, so I'm wondering what the experts think.

Thank you for your help.

Well I probably woldn;t wait until the trip to buy the tickets, but get them when I arrived in the city. There's usually room day of on trains - esp in First Class - but not a guarantee. Typically the cars have a 1 or 2 on the outside to tell you which is which. And at many stations there are signs on the platfor indicating where each will stop.

Also - you do realize that you usually have to get your bags up several narrow, steep steps just to get into the train. So - be sure you can manage them easily.

Your ticket will indicate which car and wich seat. Look for these words:

TRENO will indicate the train number.

CARROZZA is the car number

POSTO is the seat number.

You won't know the track number until you get there but it will be listed on the departure board as
BIN or Binario.

Your ticket will also say first class, under the heading CL, it should say "1".

I agree about buying the first class ticket. You do have a bit more room for luggage and self. The first class cars are usually closer to the terminal side.

A half hour should be enough time but I always plan for hitches, so I end up getting there sooner and sitting around for an hour or so.

Slowtrav has some excellent information about Italian trains with up close pictures of ticket machines, tickets, etc. Click on reading basic ticket, reading reservation ticket, and reading Euorstar ticket.
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/index.htm

Thank you all for your help. I think I will just try and buy the tickets ahead of time on Trenitalia's website since the amica fare is available. Has anyone tried the "ticketless" solution? I think this just gives you a pin number or something. Then do you still have a seat number and do they let you know what it is? Or should I just forget about that and buy it at the train station when I arrive? I would just like to be prepared in advance since I'm a first timer don't want to have to worry about it. Thanks so much.

You can't purchase more than 2 months in advance on Trenitalia (some tickets less than that). You need to have an e-mail address that will not block Trenitalia's e-mails when they send your registration/password confirmation. AOL is one ISP that will tag it as spam before it ever gets to you - it won't even go to your spam folder. Once you get registered, you need to notify you credit card company that you are making a web purchase with an Italian company. Don't attempt to use AmEx. Give them time to enter the info on your file (ask how long it takes them). Try to purchase only during Italian week day working hours. For some reason Trenitalia seems to be less finicky during their work week. If all else fails, buy them at the airport train station on arrival. The Amica fare must be purchased 24 hours in advance so could still be available when you arrive if you aren't training the day of arrival.

As for 1st cl v 2nd cl, 2nd cl is fine on ES trains, especially Rome/Naples since travel time is only 90 minutes. Luggage is usually stored at the end of the car where the steps are on racks similar to airport shuttle bus storage. There will also be storage by your seat overhead. Many times there will be some room behind your seat depending on train.

I guess I'm one of the few people who have never had a problem buying my tickets ahead of time on Trenitalia. The tickless option is great. They will send you an email, which is your confirmation. Print it out and take it with you. No need to validate a ticket. When the conductor comes around, just show him the confirmation.

There really isn't space underneath the seats for luggage. If you can't fit it overhead, it will have to go at the end of the car, where there is space for larger luggage. Sometimes where sets of four seats face each other, there is a little room between the sets, but you can't count on that.

Obviously, I meant ticketless!

I've had the same experience as Susan - both on tickets & luggage. You could even write the confirmation number on a napkin or display it as a text message on cell phone - it's the number they want not any specific printout.

There is room for luggage at the end of each car in both 1st and 2nd class. In my opinion the only reason to buy a 1st class ticket is if your girth requires extra seat space. 2nd class is quite comfortable, and gets into the station the same time as 1st.

Thanks for the advice. I'll register this weekend on the website and then let my credit card company know and purchase the fares (ticketless) during the week. I'm sorry if I didn't make this clear but what I was wondering was if you don't have a ticket, then how do you know what your seat number is ahead of time? Is that in the confirmation email?

Also, one last question. If you have traveled from Venice or know anyways, what is the difference between VE S.L. and MESTRE? I'm assuming these are different train stations in/near Venice. Some fares say both, and some say just Mestre. The train I want to take lists both. Does this mean it stops at both stations or something? And whatever is in red is the time it arrives at your destination? I think I just figured that out for myself but you can never be too sure, right? I'm assuming the Venice train station you want to leave from is Mestre.

Thanks again.

Mestre is on the mainland, just before the causeway to Venice.

If you are staying in Venice proper you want Venice Sta Lucia (SL).

All trains bound for Venice SL stop at Mestre. Not all trains that go to Mestre continue on to Venice - some continue on up the coast. There are frequent (every 10min or so?) trains that shuttle back and forth from Mestre to Ven SL so you can change if needed.

Your confirmation will show a coach (carrozza) # and seat #. You need to know both, as seat numbers repeat in each coach.

Thanks so much J62. It's a good thing I asked about the Venice train station then. So Venice Sta Lucia is the one on the Grand Canal? And whatever time the trenitalia website says is the time it arrives there? Clearly it can't arrive at both train stations at the same time. So I'm guessing it's either the red wording or the black wording for time? Is this right?

When you are looking at the train schedules, click on details on the right-hand side next to the price of the train you want. When the next screen appears, click on the train number (number is on the left side next to train type - ES/AV/IC). The next screen will list all the stops that train makes with the times.

Thank you very much kybourbon.

Do you think I need to pre-purchase train tickets from Santa Lucia/Venezia to Desenzano? Or are we fairly safe to purchase them before departing? Thanks for any help! :) Melissa

No, you don't need to pre-book tickets from Venice to Desenzano. There are trains 1-2 times per hour throughout the entire day.

Thanks so much! :) Melissa

This is my first time posting on this site. My husband and i are traveling to Rome in July. We have been trying to by our Trainitalia train ticket from Rome to Napels on line, and are having major problems. Trainitalia will not let use use any of our credit cards ( master card, visa, amx). They say we need a security code. Well we have called our credit card co. and they have never heard of this. If anyone has any suggestions, We're a little nervous getting into Rome without reserved seat on the train. Also, we are concerned if the plane is late if and how we can change our ticket times.
thanks for any help

TSatl - You don't need to book in advance - just buy your tickets when you arrive.

Steve

All of the travel books are telling use to reserve a seat. After flying for 8hrs we don't want to have to wait for an available train. How often do they leave for Naples?
Thanks

You can see the schedule at
http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/fer...il/inglese.jsp

There are at least two trains an hour during most of the day.

Guidebooks are often full of misinformation. Maybe they mean that you have to have a seat reservation, which is true in certain classes of train, but if it is required, it is automatically included in any ticket you buy in Italy.

I have been successful purchasing tickets on Trenitalia using my Citibank MC. I use the citibank 'virtual card number' feature (see their website). This generates a new card # with limited expiration date so I don't have to use my real card # on the internet.

If you are a citibank customer, check it out. If you are not, ask your issuing bank if they have a similar identity theft option.

Great info and so quick, love this!!

You can buy all your train tickets at the airport when you arrive. Allow enough time to get to the station. The Leonardo Express runs every 30 minutes and travel time to Roma Termini train station takes about 30 minutes. You will also need to allow time to get from your train to find the other one. You will probably want to allow enough time at Termini to buy some drinks/lunch to take with you on the train.

Purchasing AV or ES in advance online will be a bit of a gamble if your flight is delayed (most are these days) or if it takes a long time to get your luggage.

As far as the security code they are asking for, it's that 3-digit number on the back of your credit card. Lots of places are asking for that now.

While I'm all for buying your tickets ahead of time, I think the exception is when you're taking a train immediately following a flight. As you say, if your flight is late, you will have to change the reservation. I think it's a lot easier to buy the ticket after you arrive than to have to change one you bought ahead of time.

I ended up having problems buying on the trenitalia website also. Kybourbon, I see that you said you can purchase train tickets at the airport. I'm flying into Venice. Do you know if I can purchase my train tickets at the Venice airport and if so, where? Thanks

You can purchase train tickets at FCO at its train station. This was suggested because the posters were heading immediately to Naples. Some people might make the mistake of standing in line to buy the ticket from FCO to Roma Termini, and then stand in line again at Termini to buy the ticket to Naples.

Venice airport has no train station. I'm not sure if the counters where you can purchase local Venice transport tickets also sells train tickets. If you don't need to use the tickets immediately (I'm sure you're arriving and then staying in Venice a few days . . .), just go from the airport to your hotel in Venice. Get your tickets at Venice SL or a local travel agent in Venice.

I don't know if you've decided to book first class or second but a few years ago I took the Venice train from Rome and booked first class. I was traveling alone so the difference in cost wasn't much and there was more space availble in the compartment and in the car in general. There were only three other passengers in my compartment so there was space for luggage on the seats for a 20-22 inch suitcase. When I walked down the car to the lav I noticed empty compartments and many empty seats. Of course, it doesn't mean the same thing would happen when you go but I was glad that I'd paid the bit extra for first.

There was also a huge difference in the queue getting onto the first class car and the rest.