Italian Train Help Needed
May 13th, 2005, 10:27 AM
#1
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Italian Train Help Needed
We are a family of 6 traveling in Italy. Our train travel is as follows: Florence to La Spezia (Cinque Terre) one day, La Spezia to Rome one day; Rome to Sorrento (Naples, I guess, and then the local train) one day; and then Sorrento back to Rome.
Questions: We got tickets priced from Railsaver.com (cheaper than RailEurope). They suggested point-to-point tickets. Seat reservations would be an additional cost of around 15 dollars per person per segment. We will be traveling in June. Do I need to make seat reservations? Also, is there a better (less costly) way for us to travel? Should we rent a car for some of this travel?
Thank you so much!
Questions: We got tickets priced from Railsaver.com (cheaper than RailEurope). They suggested point-to-point tickets. Seat reservations would be an additional cost of around 15 dollars per person per segment. We will be traveling in June. Do I need to make seat reservations? Also, is there a better (less costly) way for us to travel? Should we rent a car for some of this travel?
Thank you so much!
May 13th, 2005, 03:00 PM
#2
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Hi tracy,
Now that you know that PtP will be cheaper than a railpass, go to www.trenitalia.com.
You can buy the tickets on line if you wish.
Seat reservations for IC trains are about 3E. On ES* trains, which are reserved seat only, the price includes the cost of the seat reservation.
Have a nice visit.
Now that you know that PtP will be cheaper than a railpass, go to www.trenitalia.com.
You can buy the tickets on line if you wish.
Seat reservations for IC trains are about 3E. On ES* trains, which are reserved seat only, the price includes the cost of the seat reservation.
Have a nice visit.
May 13th, 2005, 03:41 PM
#3
Buy your tickets in Italy. You will qualify for a family/group discount on several of these routes. The tickets for Florence/La Spezia are about 10E per person each way part of which will probably be a regional train that doesn't allow seat reservations. The Rome/Naples Eurostar(includes seat reservation) are about 22E per person each way. Naples/Sorrento about 4E each way and you can't reserve seats on this train.
In other words you are talking about a total of 75E per person for all of your train tickets. I can't imagine any railpass being that cheap.
You won't be able to get the family discount on the Eurostar but you should on the Florence/La Spezia routes.
www.trenitalia.com
In other words you are talking about a total of 75E per person for all of your train tickets. I can't imagine any railpass being that cheap.
You won't be able to get the family discount on the Eurostar but you should on the Florence/La Spezia routes.
www.trenitalia.com
May 13th, 2005, 03:56 PM
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Hi Tracy,
I gather from your other posts that you will be in Rome for several days and that this is two different trips going north or south one weekend, and then the opposite direction the following weekend also from Rome. I also "get it" that Trenitalia.com can be frustrating. GeoffHamer and Ira have given you very good advice about family fares.
Two thoughts for you to consider:
1) Wait until you arrive in Rome and get your tickets (2 family fares for each segment) and seat reservations from a train station ticket office or a Trenitalia authorized travel agent (no mark up).
2) If you feel you absolutely must have your tickets in hand before you leave home ask Euraide if they can get the family fare tickets for you. Euraide headquarters is in Munich, but there is an office in FL. (If you get voicemail leave a callback message - someone will call you back.) If they are able to obtain the family fare tickets for you, they will not inflate the prices for the tickets or seat reservation fees. They will deliver everything to you for a flat $45 fee.
www.euraide.com
I gather from your other posts that you will be in Rome for several days and that this is two different trips going north or south one weekend, and then the opposite direction the following weekend also from Rome. I also "get it" that Trenitalia.com can be frustrating. GeoffHamer and Ira have given you very good advice about family fares.
Two thoughts for you to consider:
1) Wait until you arrive in Rome and get your tickets (2 family fares for each segment) and seat reservations from a train station ticket office or a Trenitalia authorized travel agent (no mark up).
2) If you feel you absolutely must have your tickets in hand before you leave home ask Euraide if they can get the family fare tickets for you. Euraide headquarters is in Munich, but there is an office in FL. (If you get voicemail leave a callback message - someone will call you back.) If they are able to obtain the family fare tickets for you, they will not inflate the prices for the tickets or seat reservation fees. They will deliver everything to you for a flat $45 fee.
www.euraide.com
May 14th, 2005, 07:55 AM
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Thank you for your replies. Ira--I can't seem to figure out the trenitalia site. I try to put in one adult and then a family pass, but it only lets me select 3 for family, and then it says something in italian that I don't understand. I am hopeless! Also, when I spoke with railsaver.com, they said that the seat reservations are 15 euros per person, and that the ES trains require a seat reservation.
Kybourbon and Rookie--I can wait until I get to Rome to buy tickets, if you think that would be the cheapest way to go.
All--And, you are right about my travel. We will be in Rome (I am teaching there) and have 2 weekends to travel. We have a place in Florence booked for 3 nights, and then thought about going to Cinque Terre for 1 night, and then back to Rome. The second weekend we plan to go to Sorrento for 2 nights and see things from there (recommendations?). Do you see any problems with our travel plans? We want to keep down costs, as traveling with a family of 6 is expensive.
I love this site--everyone is so helpful.
Thanks!
Kybourbon and Rookie--I can wait until I get to Rome to buy tickets, if you think that would be the cheapest way to go.
All--And, you are right about my travel. We will be in Rome (I am teaching there) and have 2 weekends to travel. We have a place in Florence booked for 3 nights, and then thought about going to Cinque Terre for 1 night, and then back to Rome. The second weekend we plan to go to Sorrento for 2 nights and see things from there (recommendations?). Do you see any problems with our travel plans? We want to keep down costs, as traveling with a family of 6 is expensive.
I love this site--everyone is so helpful.
Thanks!
May 14th, 2005, 11:31 AM
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Hi Tracy,
>..I try to put in one adult and then a family pass, but it only lets me select 3 for family,...<
The family pass is for 2 adults traveling with one child under 12.
Every other child under 12 has a reduced fare - "Young person railcard"
Youths between 12 and 26 have the "Young Person Railcard (still 26 years old)"
You can buy only 5 tickets at once online.
What are the ages of your group?
>...when I spoke with railsaver.com, they said that the seat reservations are 15 euros per person, and that the ES trains require a seat reservation.<
You can only buy the ES* tickets with reservation from Trenitalia. All of their agents sell you an "open seat" ticket for the same price as the Trenitalia ticket w/reservation and then sell you the reservation for 15E.
Hope this helps.
>..I try to put in one adult and then a family pass, but it only lets me select 3 for family,...<
The family pass is for 2 adults traveling with one child under 12.
Every other child under 12 has a reduced fare - "Young person railcard"
Youths between 12 and 26 have the "Young Person Railcard (still 26 years old)"
You can buy only 5 tickets at once online.
What are the ages of your group?
>...when I spoke with railsaver.com, they said that the seat reservations are 15 euros per person, and that the ES trains require a seat reservation.<
You can only buy the ES* tickets with reservation from Trenitalia. All of their agents sell you an "open seat" ticket for the same price as the Trenitalia ticket w/reservation and then sell you the reservation for 15E.
Hope this helps.
May 15th, 2005, 06:10 AM
#7
Wait until you get to Italy. I don't think it matters about ages for the family/group discount. I had a group of adults and the ticket agent at the train station said we qualified for group discount.
You DO NOT want railsaver! You are not taking enough trains to make a pass worthwhile. Railpasses do not include seat reservations.
The tickets for Eurostar on Trenitalia from Rome to Naples is exactly 22.21 Euro per person and includes your seat reservations. You can take cheaper trains such as the r or d trains for as little as 10E per person. These trains make more stops between Rome and Naples and take about 2 1/2 hours instead of 2 hours like the ES trains. The r and d trains are older and don't allow seats to be reserved.
Part of the trip to La Spezia has to be on r trains because you can't get ES or IC all the way to La Spezia.
I have booked ES trains for Rome to Naples for a group of six 10 minutes before departure in mid June with no problems. Since you are going to be in Rome a few days just book a day or two in advance at a travel agency there.
If you really want to save train money take all d and r trains. Your entire itinerary will cost about 50E per person.
You DO NOT want railsaver! You are not taking enough trains to make a pass worthwhile. Railpasses do not include seat reservations.
The tickets for Eurostar on Trenitalia from Rome to Naples is exactly 22.21 Euro per person and includes your seat reservations. You can take cheaper trains such as the r or d trains for as little as 10E per person. These trains make more stops between Rome and Naples and take about 2 1/2 hours instead of 2 hours like the ES trains. The r and d trains are older and don't allow seats to be reserved.
Part of the trip to La Spezia has to be on r trains because you can't get ES or IC all the way to La Spezia.
I have booked ES trains for Rome to Naples for a group of six 10 minutes before departure in mid June with no problems. Since you are going to be in Rome a few days just book a day or two in advance at a travel agency there.
If you really want to save train money take all d and r trains. Your entire itinerary will cost about 50E per person.
May 28th, 2005, 06:24 AM
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Does anyone know why I cannot buy these tickets online through trentalia?
At first I was told they couldn't be purchased prior to 3 months in advance but now it still says "NO" next to the purchase option. At this point I don't even care what it costs. Nice Ville to Montrosso, July 15, one way, 1st class, leaving 10:05 am arrives 4:54pm. HELP!
At first I was told they couldn't be purchased prior to 3 months in advance but now it still says "NO" next to the purchase option. At this point I don't even care what it costs. Nice Ville to Montrosso, July 15, one way, 1st class, leaving 10:05 am arrives 4:54pm. HELP!
May 28th, 2005, 07:00 AM
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Hi mike,
It is often NOT possible to purchase interational tickets to/from Italy online at www.trenitalia.com.
Go to www.sncf.com.
If you can't get tickets all the way to Monterosso, buy your tickets to Genova Piazza Principe.
You can buy your tickets from Genova to Monterosso at www.trenitalia.com
Your train from Nice is scheduled to arrive in Genova at 13:06.
See http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
It is often NOT possible to purchase interational tickets to/from Italy online at www.trenitalia.com.
Go to www.sncf.com.
If you can't get tickets all the way to Monterosso, buy your tickets to Genova Piazza Principe.
You can buy your tickets from Genova to Monterosso at www.trenitalia.com
Your train from Nice is scheduled to arrive in Genova at 13:06.
See http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
