Ira or Anyone with some Train Experience Would you do this?
 

Ira would you book your train travel for shorter trips. We are also doing a Med. Cruise post land trip. Would you book Livorno to Pisa and Messina to Taormina now or only when ship docks at those places? I have checked the number of ships docked at these locations and in Livorno we are there on a Sunday with 1 other ship in port and Messina on a wed. with 2 other ships in port. With the new site it seeems easier to book albeit I do not see the youth/ under 26 tickets on offer. The cost of these tickets is off course very little and if I mis the scheduled trains , not an amount I would loose any sleep over. What do you think , will I save alot of time buy just getting my tickets now. Thanks. Leaving next week so hopefully no more queries.

No on such short trips you will save nothing - buy at station in Italy.

I doubt that booking in advance will save you much time since you still have to pick up the tickets once you arrive at the train station, either at the machine or at the ticket window.

If you go to the station without booking a ticket in advance you still have to go to the ticket machine or to the window.

I'd be much more concerned with how you are going to GET to the station in Livorno, for example, from the cruise ship. Some ships offer a free transportation service from the dock to the train station, otherwise you take a taxi or get local transport. The "taxi" poses a possible "problem" in Livorno since many of them which will be nearby the dock would prefer to take folks who want a taxi for part, if not all of, the day.

For journeys like these, you just buy a ticket which is valid for two months - the ticket is not for any specific train. Before boarding the train, you must stamp it in a machine which stamps the date and time on the ticket, and you then have six hours to complete the journey.

Hi D,

I agree with the other posters.

You are taking short trips.

The trains don't require reservations.

Even if you book online, you will have to get your paper tickets at the stations.

Might as well just buy them when you get there.

Have a nice visit.

((I))

Thanks for the help. Will buy tickets on day of travel.