Is there somewhere in France that I can buy my Italian train tickets?
May 27th, 2010, 04:34 AM
#1
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Is there somewhere in France that I can buy my Italian train tickets?
Is there somewhere in France that I can my my Italian tickets?
Also, you can only buy regional train tickets 7 days in advance, correct?
Also, you can only buy regional train tickets 7 days in advance, correct?
May 27th, 2010, 04:45 AM
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You should able to buy a railroad ticket for Italy at any SNCF ticket office or boutique outlet in France. You'll need to know the date and timing that you want I would suspect. The ticket offices are linked to other country national railroads and computer systems.
I am not aware that you can only buy regional tickets 7 days in advance so someone else will have to comment. My own experience with "regional tickets" has been they are often good for a period of time such as 30-60 days and that you validate them on the day of use.
I am not aware that you can only buy regional tickets 7 days in advance so someone else will have to comment. My own experience with "regional tickets" has been they are often good for a period of time such as 30-60 days and that you validate them on the day of use.
May 27th, 2010, 05:50 AM
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You can buy a regional train ticket in Italy right up until the moment the train departs. There's no rule that they have to be bought at least 7 days in advance. Trenitalia would lose a boatload of money if that were the case.
May 27th, 2010, 05:52 AM
#6
Trenitalia ticket agents in France.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
Are you talking about tickets for R trains? There is no point in buying those in advance. You can't reserve a specific train or seat and the price doesn't change.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD
Are you talking about tickets for R trains? There is no point in buying those in advance. You can't reserve a specific train or seat and the price doesn't change.
May 27th, 2010, 05:57 AM
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The biggest Trenitalia agent in France is called SNCF.
You don't need to be in country to buy the tickets for that country. Every rail organisation has access to other rail organisations of other countries. You simply go to the counter and buy your ticket.
That said, there is no point in pre-buying Italian or Swiss tickets - you can always buy them from the next ticket machine when you are there.
You don't need to be in country to buy the tickets for that country. Every rail organisation has access to other rail organisations of other countries. You simply go to the counter and buy your ticket.
That said, there is no point in pre-buying Italian or Swiss tickets - you can always buy them from the next ticket machine when you are there.
May 27th, 2010, 06:19 AM
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What I meant about 7 days in advance is that I believe that the earliest you can even purchase regional train tickets is 7 days in advance vs. the other tickets by Trenitalia (60 days in advance)
Can I buy Swiss tickets in Paris?
Can I buy Swiss tickets in Paris?
May 27th, 2010, 08:00 AM
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You can buy tickets for anywhere in Europe at any train station anywhere in Europe. But there's no point to it, really - just something else to misplace or lose along the way. Since you need to go to the train station to get on the train, seems a lot easier just to buy them then.
May 27th, 2010, 11:33 AM
#11
The Trenitalia R tickets are good for two months so would, but online R tickets only 7 days..
The AV/ES can be purchased four months in advance.
>>>>Tickets
You can buy your train tickets from station ticket desks during opening times, or from automatic ticket dispensers and self-service ATMs in many stations. You can also buy season tickets and tickets on-line, at Trenitalia's website.
>>>Validity
Normally, tickets expire two months after the issue date, except for the distance-validity tickets and those with voucher stickers, which do not expire, and the tickets bought and printed on-line, which can be bought with 7 days before the departure date.
Validation and duration
The time-length validity of your ticket starts from validation by stamping them in the dedicated machines ("obliteratrici") at the stations.
The journey must be completed within 24 hours from validation (in Trentino, by midnight of the day of issue). For distances longer than 200 km, the trip must be completed within 6 hours from validation (in Lombardy within 3 hours, for distances of up to 50 km).Tickets for journeys on regional trains with departure and destination stations in different regions are valid for 6 hours from stamping.
On-board validation formalities
You can only board trains in Italy with a valid ticket, which is stamped if so required. You can no longer buy or stamp tickets on board.
If you don't have a ticket - or have one that you ought to have stamped before getting on at the station - you will be liable to pay the full ticket price plus a 25 euro fine. If you produce a ticket that is not valid for the train or service you're using (i.e. one issued for a different train category at a different price, etc.) you will be asked to pay the difference with respect to the full ticket price, plus an 8 euro surcharge.
You can ask to purchase, stamp or be assigned a seat on board without paying fines or surcharges in the following cases:
if you travel in a superior category on the average and long distance trains or if - having a ticket valid for the train you are on - you ask to move to a Couchette or Wagon Lits or a different Wagon Lits; if you have a season ticket for IC trains, if you travel with a ticket for Eurostar Italia season ticket holders on a train other than the one booked within the 24 hours after the departure, or if you validate your ticket and board but cannot find a seat.
The AV/ES can be purchased four months in advance.
>>>>Tickets
You can buy your train tickets from station ticket desks during opening times, or from automatic ticket dispensers and self-service ATMs in many stations. You can also buy season tickets and tickets on-line, at Trenitalia's website.
>>>Validity
Normally, tickets expire two months after the issue date, except for the distance-validity tickets and those with voucher stickers, which do not expire, and the tickets bought and printed on-line, which can be bought with 7 days before the departure date.
Validation and duration
The time-length validity of your ticket starts from validation by stamping them in the dedicated machines ("obliteratrici") at the stations.
The journey must be completed within 24 hours from validation (in Trentino, by midnight of the day of issue). For distances longer than 200 km, the trip must be completed within 6 hours from validation (in Lombardy within 3 hours, for distances of up to 50 km).Tickets for journeys on regional trains with departure and destination stations in different regions are valid for 6 hours from stamping.
On-board validation formalities
You can only board trains in Italy with a valid ticket, which is stamped if so required. You can no longer buy or stamp tickets on board.
If you don't have a ticket - or have one that you ought to have stamped before getting on at the station - you will be liable to pay the full ticket price plus a 25 euro fine. If you produce a ticket that is not valid for the train or service you're using (i.e. one issued for a different train category at a different price, etc.) you will be asked to pay the difference with respect to the full ticket price, plus an 8 euro surcharge.
You can ask to purchase, stamp or be assigned a seat on board without paying fines or surcharges in the following cases:
if you travel in a superior category on the average and long distance trains or if - having a ticket valid for the train you are on - you ask to move to a Couchette or Wagon Lits or a different Wagon Lits; if you have a season ticket for IC trains, if you travel with a ticket for Eurostar Italia season ticket holders on a train other than the one booked within the 24 hours after the departure, or if you validate your ticket and board but cannot find a seat.
May 27th, 2010, 12:47 PM
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You can buy tickets for anywhere in Europe at any train station anywhere in Europe.>
Sorry but this is not true - IME it is often impossible to buy any tickets not involving the country you are in. Not sure about France but would be very surprised if you could buy Italian tickets at any train station in France.
The only one i know where it may be possible is at the Gare Sain-Lazare in Paris at the Gare Saint-Lazare International ticket window - a separate office from the domestic ticket windows.
But IME in researching this it is nearly impossible to buy tickets for other countries in any country but that one - it was once but no more - regional train tickets in Italy need not be bought in advance nor any others as they will always be readily available on site - ditto for Swiss.
Sorry but this is not true - IME it is often impossible to buy any tickets not involving the country you are in. Not sure about France but would be very surprised if you could buy Italian tickets at any train station in France.
The only one i know where it may be possible is at the Gare Sain-Lazare in Paris at the Gare Saint-Lazare International ticket window - a separate office from the domestic ticket windows.
But IME in researching this it is nearly impossible to buy tickets for other countries in any country but that one - it was once but no more - regional train tickets in Italy need not be bought in advance nor any others as they will always be readily available on site - ditto for Swiss.
May 27th, 2010, 01:02 PM
#13
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Now wait a moment. We went from Barcelona Sp. to Monpelier Fr. and bought the tickets in Barcelona. We met a guy in Venice who was going to Berlin (he may have had to go to some other country first) and he was getting tickets there.
Palenque, I'm not an expert but I'd think the info people at any train station would get one on the right track (har) for another country.
Palenque, I'm not an expert but I'd think the info people at any train station would get one on the right track (har) for another country.
May 27th, 2010, 01:19 PM
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My daughter bought train tickets from Rome to Venice at Bordeaux St-Jean station.
TDudette, I think what Palenque is saying is that you can't go to a French train station and buy a ticket between two places in, let's say, Switzerland. But the international guichets at most train stations I've been in seem to be doing that.
TDudette, I think what Palenque is saying is that you can't go to a French train station and buy a ticket between two places in, let's say, Switzerland. But the international guichets at most train stations I've been in seem to be doing that.
May 27th, 2010, 01:20 PM
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>Sorry but this is not true - IME it is often impossible to buy any tickets not involving the country you are in. Not sure about France but would be very surprised if you could buy Italian tickets at any train station in France.
No, Pal, you are not in the right here. Any station will be able to sell you any standard (TCV) ticket within Europe - or even in parts of Asia, since Russia and China are for example also TCV members.
That said, local tarifs are often cheaper than TCV tarif - by a few % in France or Germany, up to almost half in Eastern Europe.
Any differentiation by "international"/"National" counters only exists for customers convenience. The people buying international ticket usually need more time to do so and would annoy the majority of customers who just want "a one-way ticket to Lyon, the 14:33, please, 40 €, thanks, bye" 30 seconds routine. No technical differences. They may simply refuse to sell them at wrong counter to not hold up other passengers.
No, Pal, you are not in the right here. Any station will be able to sell you any standard (TCV) ticket within Europe - or even in parts of Asia, since Russia and China are for example also TCV members.
That said, local tarifs are often cheaper than TCV tarif - by a few % in France or Germany, up to almost half in Eastern Europe.
Any differentiation by "international"/"National" counters only exists for customers convenience. The people buying international ticket usually need more time to do so and would annoy the majority of customers who just want "a one-way ticket to Lyon, the 14:33, please, 40 €, thanks, bye" 30 seconds routine. No technical differences. They may simply refuse to sell them at wrong counter to not hold up other passengers.
May 27th, 2010, 06:30 PM
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No, Pal, you are not in the right here. Any station will be able to sell you any standard (TCV) ticket within Europe - or even in parts of Asia, since Russia and China are for example also TCV members>
No you are simply wrong, for once - I have made a practice of asking about this wherever i go - and lately in Amsterdam i assure you NS ticket windows would NOT sell me any ticket not involving Holland.
If you go on www.voyages-sncf.com and put in Pisa to Florence you mean they will sell you a ticket - they should if they can at ticket windows.
Well i will try
But i do 99% believe that i am right that it is not true that in ANY European train station you can buy a ticket for travel in any other nation.
I will put my four decades of being a professional travel write specializing in European trains as knowing of what i speak>
Anyone expecting to go into any European train station and buying a ticket for any other European train may well be disappointed.
Now i am not saying that they could not but that they will not - and i have asked in many different stations - out of a professional desire to have accurate info and the answer is usually no - as happened to me in Amsterdam several times - even trying to book a connecting train in nearby Germany.
But they could - like Rail Europe can in this country - book any train - but there is no incentive to do that and is a bother of their time from what i gather.
Oh well when the OP buys a regional train ticket in Italy from any French station then i will eat my words.
No you are simply wrong, for once - I have made a practice of asking about this wherever i go - and lately in Amsterdam i assure you NS ticket windows would NOT sell me any ticket not involving Holland.
If you go on www.voyages-sncf.com and put in Pisa to Florence you mean they will sell you a ticket - they should if they can at ticket windows.
Well i will try
But i do 99% believe that i am right that it is not true that in ANY European train station you can buy a ticket for travel in any other nation.
I will put my four decades of being a professional travel write specializing in European trains as knowing of what i speak>
Anyone expecting to go into any European train station and buying a ticket for any other European train may well be disappointed.
Now i am not saying that they could not but that they will not - and i have asked in many different stations - out of a professional desire to have accurate info and the answer is usually no - as happened to me in Amsterdam several times - even trying to book a connecting train in nearby Germany.
But they could - like Rail Europe can in this country - book any train - but there is no incentive to do that and is a bother of their time from what i gather.
Oh well when the OP buys a regional train ticket in Italy from any French station then i will eat my words.
May 28th, 2010, 07:48 AM
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No, Pal, you are not in the right here. Any station will be able to sell you any standard (TCV) ticket within Europe - or even in parts of Asia, since Russia and China are for example also TCV members.>
then any online site like bahn.de or sbb.ch should also sell those tickets - show me on those sites where you can even get a price.
I think you have given misinformation on this - you are saying i can pop in Boppard, Germany's train station and buy a ticket from Beijin to Shanghai?
That is what you said and i simply do not believe that is true.
then any online site like bahn.de or sbb.ch should also sell those tickets - show me on those sites where you can even get a price.
I think you have given misinformation on this - you are saying i can pop in Boppard, Germany's train station and buy a ticket from Beijin to Shanghai?
That is what you said and i simply do not believe that is true.
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