cdispoto

Spending three weeks in Italy in the fall and I'm hearing conflicting things. Should I book my train tickets before the trip or get all my tickets at the stations during the trip?

Seems easier to d it when I'm there since I don't want to be held to getting to the station in every city at a specific time.

Thoughts?

bookchick

You should be fine waiting to get tickets after you arrive, but try to keep your eye out for news of a strike. Train strikes are usually announced well ahead of time, making domestic flights more in demand. (This happened to me once, so instead of taking a train from Rome to Milan, I took a flight.) The only time to really be concerned about "pre-trip buying" of a train ticket is if you'd be there around the time of a big holiday, like Easter or Christmas, as many Italians compete with non-domestic tourists for seats on trains.

BC

AJPeabody

The fast trains need reservations. Also, if you want to save a lot of money, getting Mini fares well in advance is worth it, but you have no flexibility after purchase.

bobthenavigator

Alert the media---we have a Bookchick sighting.

I often suggest getting all of your tickets at one time at your first destination in Italy---hoping to get some mini fares.

bookchick

B The N: please note I am nursing a broken ankle now, am in a cast, and my idea of "a big trip" constitutes hauling my leg and the rest of my body just about anywhere within a 20 foot radius of where I presently am!

BC

ira

Hey BC,

Sorry to hear of your current disability.

Get well soon.

ira

Hi CD,

You have to make seat reservations for the high-speed trains. You will get reduced fares if you purchase ahead of time at www.trenitalia.com.

If flexibility is more important, by all means buy tickets in Italy at the station. However, keep in mind that you will have to stand in line to get those tickets, unless you have a chip-and-pin credit card (I think).

TimS

Unless things have changed recently, ticket machines in Italian train stations do NOT require chip & PIN cards.

bobthenavigator

Bummer !
But still good to see you back here.

kybourbon

The ticket kiosks in the main stations didn't require chip and pin cards on my last trip (last fall). They also take cash. Some machines will be designated cash only.

You can save as much as 60% by purchasing online in advance, but that will lock you into a specific train at a specific time.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

Here's instructions on how to use the kiosks.
http://www.roninrome.com/transportat...ickets-updated

fb

I am in Italy now and tried to use the ticket machine for the Leonardo express from the Rome airport to town. I put in my Visa card and the it asked for my code (as if it were my debit card). I tried the code on the back of the card and my debit card's PIN, but both were rejected. Luckily, the guy at the ticket window was moe than helpful. What code were they asking for?

NoCaliGal

Until the American credit cards get onboard with chips in their credit cards, we are usually out of luck using these machines. You have to go to a manned window. This is also true of the London Transport (tube and buses) system, and if there is no manned window, you can be up sh$t creek.
By going to the train station and consulting with the booking people, you get get this done, but go early and be prepared to wait in line for an agent in the large cities. some of them are pretty limited in English, so write down what you want. Remember the DAY date goes before the MONTH date in the European system, so Aug 14 would be 14/8.

It also appears impossible for Americans to book on the trenitalia site (and MANY of us have tried) in advance, with our credit cards, for one of the special discounted fares.
At least you can use the site for schedules and stop information.

AJPeabody

I had no trouble at all booking on line on Trenitalia's site from the US using a Cap One CC (previously released for foreign charges with Cap One). I think I did have to enter the printed code number from the back of the card, but the sale went through and the charge showed up on my bill, just like any other charge, and we had no trouble on the train itself.

NoCaliGal

Good to hear, AJ, a lot of people were waiting for this to take advantage of promotional fares, like on the Frecchiarossa fast train.

pctraveler

We have gone to Italy the past two falls, and again last month, and made many of our Trinitalia reservations on their website from here in the US. Was able to get the mini-fares and used a Cap One CC. Now when we were unsure as to which train we would take, I went to the window at the station and made sure that I had enough time to wait in line. I tried to use the kiosks once and some guy wanted to "help" me -- for a fee. I ignored him and went to the window. Works well.

Now a couple of days ago, I tried to make some reservations for a trip we are taking next Feb, but there appears to some sort of time frame limit, as I could not make those reservations.

cdispoto

Thanks for the advice but after looking at this in depth, I'm feel a headache coming on thinking of purchasing tickets separately in Milan, Venice, Florence, Sorrento, etc.

I think it's best for me to just purchase my tickets in advance so I'm all set.

jat

I am also thinking about buying tickets in advance, because there are significant discounts. When you do this, I assume you just print out the receipt and bring it with you? Then what do you do in the train station in Italy? Thanks for any information you can give on this!

cdispoto

I was reading this article: http://www.roninrome.com/transportat...ebsite-updated

It explain the ability to basically have paperless tickets that only require you to have a PIN number. Although I havent looked into it more extensively than this.

socaltraveler

In April we needed a pin and chip card in the train stations, so we either used Euros or went to the manned windows. We now have a pin and chip card.

Yes, you can get discounted by purchasing in advance online; you have to decide if you want to lock the schedule up this far in advance. We did a combo, certain trains we could make a given, others, especially daytrips, we were fine to wing it.

jat

Thanks, all, this is very helpful. I have spent about an hour trying to register on the Trenitalia website, using two different browsers and trying to register twice-nothing works. Guess I will try to buy tickets without registering, although it makes me nervous to try to buy tickets if it is impossible to even register successfully!