Italian Trains--HELP!
 

When I tried to purchase train tix on the internet (for trains between cities in Italy), I chose Eurostar and got 9 different choices of ticket types! (1) What are the distinctions among these (Intera, Carta Verde, Carta Prima, Offerta Famiglia, Carta Blu, Ragazzi, Carta Argento, Carta Amico Treno, Carta Club Eurostar), and which is the plain vanilla one-way, one-person, one-trip ticket, please? (2) Any thoughts on Eurostar vs. Intercity vs. some other type of train for trips between Italian cities (and what does the "D" stand for under train type?)

I will leave the long answer of your question to one of the pros on this topic. Short answer is :Don't bother.<BR><BR>Go to Italy and then purchase the tickets.Rarely is it necessary to purchase more than one day ahead and even that is unusual for short hops. If you want to explore all the different options when you get there, major cities train stations (termini/stazione) have multi-lingual attendants and if you have the patience to wait in the lines, you can have all subtle differences of fares explained in great detail. <BR><BR>Or you can go to a machine and buy a ticket.

I second that, get the tickets in Italy. We were in Italy in February and traveled via train from Rome to Florence and then on to Venice. We purchased the tickets at the train stations when we arrived in each city. It was cheap and easy.

Hi<BR> You can't purchase tickets on the internet from trenitalia unless you are in Italy.<BR> The plain vanilla ticket is the one on the top left, all the others are discounts for families, seniors, vacation travel, ClubEurostar....<BR> The Eurostar is usually more expensive and offers more comfortable accomodations than an IC. <BR> The D train is &quot;diretto&quot; it is not as fast as an Intercity (IC).<BR> The R is the commuter train.

I agree with all the others - no problem getting a train ticket in Italy. Certainly when we travelled between cities Florence, Rome, Venice, we travelled in the Eurostar, second class, a bit faster and more comfortable. We certainly usually booked the day before. You must book a seat on the Eurostar and there is a supplement for this but well worth it if you like your comfort!!<BR>Enjpoy your holiday

Use the ticket machines. Press the British flag button and all the instructions will be in English. It's very easy. Validate your ticket in the machine before boarding.