Italian Train Trouble!
 

Having some trouble booking an italian train fare....maybe someone can help me.

I have gone on the trenitalia site and put in my information on the train i'd like to take. The first choice shows that there are no seats available for one of the legs of the trip.

SO, I look at the next option, and I put in all my desired information and when I get to the fare choice and choose it, the site says seats available for what I am choosing. Then I proceed to the next page to see the confirmation and I get a message that the service I am requesting is unavailable?!?! I have tried to change my fare thinking they only allow a certain number of reduced fares per day, but regardless of the fare I choose I get the same message! Why does it state there are seats available, but then next tell me the service I am requesting is unavailable?

I looked at other train times/options (that I DON'T want) and went through the same booking process and can get to the payment part, but can't seem to get it for what I DO want.

I am trying to book a 4 couchette from Milan to Sapri (4 hours south of Rome) on a Friday evening. There are 3 trains that have this option. One states seats are NOT available, but the other two state there ARE, but then won't proceed any further. Is it possible that there really ARE no couchettes available?

If that turns out to be the case, how far do seats recline and is it safe to try to sleep in regular seating?

...... ah, the trials and tribulations of Trenitalia !
Perhaps you can find enlightenment in a lengthy and ongoing post of a few years .......

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...on-the-web.cfm

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks JBX. I just read this thread, and I have done basically all that was suggested up to the payment part as I don't seem to be able to get that far! I have had an account set up since January and was just waiting till the 60 days out to book this one train. I have been trying for a week or so to do this with no success. I am just getting worried that we will end up sleeping in seats for 11 hours...ugh!!

The only thing I can think is that part of the trip is on a regional train and it is further out than 7 days. I will go back in and see if I can book only the couchette portion which is NOT regional.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated!!

I think you've identified the problem. Good luck w/ booking couchette portion.

hi jen,

quoting from man_in_seat from my thread venice-rome night train.

Man_in_seat_61 on Jun 22, 11 at 7:48pm

The night train is safe and comfortable in a sleeping car (the rail equivalent of a hotel), OK in a couchette (rails answer to a youth hostel) but not safe or comfortable in any class of sit up all night seat (the equivalent of sleeping in a shop doorway)

apparently my friend also said not a very good idea to take the night seats?

hopefully, u manage to book your tickets!

seat61.com good info folks to help with.

Go a lot easier better cheaper always for me to wait

book on site cheaply from small machines locals use at

station. Never have had a completely booked train in Italy.

Couchettes undomfortable not great usually ride regional

trains first class from 3 euro per hour very uncrowded.

In May for me Orvieto to Florence 4 euros had an ENTIRE

private compartment of six seats all to myself.

Regional trains best value for me if budget is good

fast trains are best my wife prefers those.

Both of us agree that night trains couchettes are not

the way to go... to much train lag the next day a bit dodgy

particularly second class...

Careful research will yield better experience.

Good luck u will need it.

qwovadis.....We will be traveling from approximately 8-10pm through the night to about 6am the next morning. I think that the couchette though not the most comfortable will be better than sitting up all night.

Do the couchettes fully book up? We don't want to share a 6 compartment couchette, so i am trying to get the 4 person.

Wikie....I did read that information from Man_in_Seat_61. I just am fearing that we won't have an option as we won't arrive to Milan before 4pm that day. I guess I didn't expect ALL couchettes would be booked on a night train.

I think I will try calling Trenitalia and hope I get an english speaking person. If not, I plan to call budgeteuropetravel.com tomorrow am. Hopefully by tomorrow am I'll have everything booked.

Did you try booking in sections to see if the couchette was available? It seems one changes in Genoa, one in Rome (arrives in the middle of the night), one in Naples and one with no changes. I would search for the E trains only (denotes it's a night train or sometimes you will see an ICN train) to see if the couchettes show up. You can book the other leg separately. I would get couchettes before sitting up all night.

kybourbon....I have tried to book only the portion with the couchettes without success as well. The little green bubble shows that the couchette is available after I choose my fare and couchette choice, but when I continue to the next screen it states the service I have chosen is unavailable.

There are some trains where the little bubble is red indicating no seats available, so I don't understand why the bubble isn't red if the service is unavailable.

I HAVE been able to get through to the payment part for sit up seats all night long. I did that just to see if the website was the problem, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I am trying to get the 4person couchette on the train that leaves Milan and with no change arrives in Sapri around 644am. I know it stops at about 10-12 other stations, but we wouldn't have to change trains.

If I am lucky budgeteuropetravel will be able to help me in the morning!

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

I entered a few random dates for that train and couchettes were available on some and not others. It's possible that it is sold out for that night.

So, budgeteuropetravel cannot help as the dates are too close. I am having my father go to the swiss rail station and see if he can book it there.
If not, we'll either leave earlier in the day....or sit up all night.
Sure wish the trenitalia site worked better. I'd have booked these a few weeks ago...sigh.

Yes couchettes on that train do indeed book up - especially in summer when so many northern Europeans flock to Italy.

Hmmmmmm... just recently one poster above assured me that Trenitalia.com was now a snap - had made everything so easy - ummmmmmmm seems some things never change and for the novice at least dealing with trenitalia.com often seems so flummoxing!

>>>Sure wish the trenitalia site worked better.<<<

Being sold out for what you want has nothing to do with how Trenitalia's website functions. The couchettes are available to purchase on Trenitalia on other dates.

So, my dad went to the SBB office in Bern and purchased our tickets for us. Turns out ALL the C4 couchettes were sold out, but he got us the C6 couchette and purchased the extra two seats so we won't have to share. I was unable to do that without having names to put on tickets.

Now we'll have to make sure they don't resell our extra seats when they see we only have 4 in there! Hopefully since we paid for it all, it won't be problem.

Turns out ALL the C4 couchettes were sold out, but he got us the C6 couchette and purchased the extra two seats so we won't have to share. I was unable to do that without having names to put on tickets.>

Well IME on full trains when there are no shows like your two fantom friends the conductor can after 20 minutes or so give those berths to other folks who want them and this could happen at a station down the line after the conductor knows they are no shows and folks board the train asking if there are berths. So good luck but do not be surprised if those berths go up for grabs despite you having paid for them.

I was worried about that...but I will try to make sure that the conductors know we PAID for it.

I had read somewhere that someone else did this and was able to have the car to themselves, so hoping for the best!