Italian train help
 

Hello. My wife and I are flying into Venice on Sep 13, staying 4 nights, then taking the train to Cinqueterre (Vernazza but I guess the train goes to Monterosso?) and staying there for 2 nights, then taking train to Florence. We would like the fastest travel we can between cities. Can I book this myself? Do I have to do it in advance? If not, am I sure to get us tickets the day of at the stations? I know I can go from Venice to Milan on a Frecce train, then intercity to Monterosso. Then Monteresso to Florence??? Is this correct? Should I book it in advance on the internet? And how to get from Monteresso to Vernazza with luggage?
Finally, I read somewhere I need to get tickets validated. What does this mean? Thanks!!

Go to the official website of the Italian train system, http://www.trenitalia.com/ and click on the British flag at the top for English.

I haven't booked via this website in years, but you can try. You can get discounts if you book ahead, but you are also locked into specific trains at the cheapest fares, most likely.

Otherwise, you can book everything the day you get to Venice at the station there, if you like. You don't have to wait until day-of to book. You can't buy tickets on the trains FYI - you have to buy them at the station from an agent or at a machine. (Machines that take credit cards may not accept US credit cards that aren't chip-and-PIN FYI).

Many trains that go to the Cinque Terre only stop at the larger cities and won't stop in Vernazza. That means transferring at one of the larger stations like Monterosso. But, just book whatever the best connection is on the website or at the station. No need to overthink it.

Many Italian trains, particularly the faster ones, are "reservation only" and others are regional. If you have specific seat reservations on an Italian train, you don't need to validate it. If it's a regional train (and/or no seat assignments), you DO need to validate - at one of the machines on the platform or at the station before you get on the train. Do it BEFORE YOU GET ON or you risk a fine if inspected.

If in doubt, validate. There's no penalty for validating a ticket that is reserved and doesn't need it.

Even though you'd be using the English language version of the Trenitalia website, you need to use Italian spellings for all destinations. Venezia, Firenze, etc.

<i>Italian train help
Posted by: JeffRome on Jun 28, 14 at 11:04pm
And how to get from Monteresso to Vernazza with luggage?
Finally, I read somewhere I need to get tickets validated. What does this mean? Thanks!!</i>

For answers to those questions see http://tinyurl.com/eym5b, a general introduction to train travel in Europe. For your specific questions contact http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/. The web site is great and free personal phone service from Ann Arbor is outstanding.

Fast trains are cheaper if booked in advance at trenitalia.com and as mentioned are for a fixed date and time and seat. Regional trains do not require advance bookings - I find it easiest to use the automated kiosks at the station. Timetables for regional trains are published at certain times of the year so if you can't find them for your dates, check a date next week. For regional trains click on 'tutti treni' as the default is fast trains only.

I would suggest booking at least from Venice to Milan, and possibly also from Milan to Monterosso, in advance, to save money on the fast (Frecciargento, Frecciabianca, or Intercity)tickets. I would do this as soon as possible, as tickets have already been on sale for over a month, and the best discounts sell out quickly. These are nonrefundable tickets, but if you miss the connection in Milan due to a late arrival of a Freccia train, they'll give you a new ticket.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...005817f90aRCRD

In Venice you want the Venezia Santa Lucia station, and Monterosso is just plain Monterosso, not Monterosso Marche.

On the Trenitalia web site, they'll show you various itineraries, some of which require two or more changes of train, which would be a pain with luggage. However, leaving Venice at 8:50 and at 10:50, you can make a good connection to Monterosso with just one change in Milan. Milan is an easy station for changing trains, especially with luggage, because everything's on one level.

From Monterosso to Vernazza, you can take a regional train. These take less than 5 minutes, cost less than €2, and run roughly every half hour. There's no point in buying these tickets in advance, and they don't even sell them online more than 7 days in advance, by which time you probably wouldn't be able to get any discounts on the more expensive trains. You can buy the tickets from Monterosso to Vernazza in Venice, or at any other train station you happen to pass through, once you get to Italy. You can get them either from a ticket machine or at the ticket window. They're good on any regional train on that route in the next two months, and they have to be validated in a machine near the platform in Monterosso before you board the train. Don't forget to do this, or you'll incur a big fine.

Regional tickets are the only ones that need to be validated.

You will probably have to deal with stairs at Monterosso and Vernazza, so try to keep the luggage to an amount that you can easily carry up steps, and haul on and off trains.

Thanks for all the great info!

Folowing

We would like the fastest travel we can between cities. Can I book this myself? Do I have to do it in advance?>

You can always IME just show up and get on trains once there - there are so so many trains but you will save a significant amount of money by booking way in advance at www.trenitlia.com as bvienci thoroughly explains. Check www.seat61.com for great info on discounted train tickets.

From Vernazza to Florence, you will have to take a train to either Monterosso or La Spezia where you would change trains to Pisa. From Pisa to Florence. The first and last legs will be the regional trains so no advance purchase needed (these tickets must be validated before boarding). For La Spezia/Pisa, you will have a possibility of fast or slow trains (depending on time of day you travel) so you might want to buy that in advance if booking one of the fast trains (mostly IC on this route so not very expensive if you don't buy in advance).

It's true that trains hardly ever sell out, and if they do, the next one is usually along shortly. If you're not sure of your travel times, and if you don't mind spending a lot more for the tickets, you can just wait to buy them at the station on the day of travel. Check the ticket prices now to see how much you could save, and then decide how much flexibility is worth to you.

If rarely trains sell out in 2nd class there were probably be seats in first class, which is significantly more relaxed in my experience.

Just in case it hasn't been clear, to "validate" your regionale ticket, you stick it in a machine on or near the train platform that stamps the current date and time onto the ticket.

Since regionale tickets are good for ANY train at ANY time on the route, this validation ensures that the ticket will not be reused for another ride -- especially since there's a good chance the conductor may not appear in time to punch your ticket before you reach your destination. If caught without a validated ticket, you would be subject to steep fines.

As mentioned tickets for faster trains are purchased for a specific seat on a specific train at a specific time--all this will be shown on the ticket, so validation is not needed.

Since regionale tickets are good for ANY train at ANY time on the route,>

great tips from ellenem - but I do not think there is a limitless validity period on R train tickets but may only be for a specific day or time period.

I think but not sure some IC trains have a tad of open seating now so if so you may have to validate those seats as well if a full-fare ticket.

Not limitless, but in the past at least I know the R tickets were good for 90 days, perhaps it is a shorter period now. Certainly, for the average tourist one could buy a Regionale ticket between, for example, Florence and Pisa and hop on any Regionale that day between the two cities--just validate before getting on the chosen train.

ellen - that was my understanding as well but I believe several posts from others more versed in the nitty-gritty of regional trains say they now can have a much narrower validity period - I do not know but ask at the station when buying is my advice. Anyway no need to buy those type tickets in advance.

bvienci must know about the validity period of regional train tickets - hopefully he/she will notice and give us the low down!

>>>Not limitless, but in the past at least I know the R tickets were good for 90 days, perhaps it is a shorter period now.<<<

Buying a regional ticket from a store with the FS logo or at the station is different than if you buy a regional ticket online. Regional tickets purchased online are issued pre-validated so they are for a certain day.

From Trenitalia:

***Electronic regional tickets are issued pre-validated. Tickets are nominative and linked to the name and surname written upon the online registration or in the passenger's details; tickets purchased online for journeys on regional trains must be shown - upon request of the inspectors - in printed format (before departure print the PDF attached to the purchase email) or on the screen of an electronic device (pc, tablet, smartphone) able to correctly display the pdf file, jointly with a valid identity document.***

kybourbon,

How long is the current validity for tickets purchased at the station?