mini fare on train to Naples?
 

In about 2 weeks we'll be in Rome! Wow, those 9 months passed quickly from when I first started planning!

We're going to do a day trip to Pompeii by train from Rome and I noticed that there are mini fares available for the train we'd like to take. If I would buy them now, would I be able to switch to another day if the weather isn't good the day I pick? If that is allowed, is there a fee to change days?

I can't find the post, but it seems I read that if I buy 4 tickets at once, we might not sit together? Was there something special to do to seat the family together, or was that some weird Fodors dream??!! The Trenitalia site asks if we would like to sit with anyone who already has a ticket. Do I have to buy one first and then book the rest? I'm sure I saw a discussion about this.

Anybody who purchases Trenitalia tickets at one of the advance-purchase, promotional "MINI" fares, without FIRST reading and understanding the rules and restrictions is bound to get burned!

1. You CANNOT change a "MINI" fare ticket on the day of travel.

2. You CAN POSTPONE travel with a "MINI" fare ticket by requesting a reservation change no later than 23:59 of the day PRIOR to scheduled travel. You CANNOT anticipate the travel date or time, only POSTPONE it.

3. If you MISS your train for whatever reason apart from the unequivocal major fault of Trenitalia, you lose your "MINI" fare ticket entirely.

4. If you request a REFUND of your "MINI" fare ticket (PRIOR to 23:59 of the day PRIOR to travel), you FORFEIT 50% of the ticket value.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...3f16f90aRCRD#3

HINT for a daytrip to Pompei from Rome:

1. Select a train which you're SURE you'll take from Rome to Naples, and try to get a good 'MINI" fare for that train. The first useful train of the morning departs Roma Termini at 6:27 a.m. (it's an Intercity train).

2. On the RETURN from Naples to Rome, maintain FLEXIBILITY by NOT getting a "MINI" fare ticket, but rather take one of the cheap (22 Euros) Intercity (IC) trains instead of the twice as expensive Frecciarossa trains. The IC trains run hourly in the late afternoon back to Rome.

3. Remember that the Circumvesuviana commuter train between Naples and Pompeii, which runs every 30 minutes and takes 40 minutes (2.80 Euros each way), is UNRESERVED.

Thank you for all that info! It sounds like there is no fee to change the date. I wanted to buy for Wed, knowing that Thurs was a possibility in case of weather issues.

Good tips for the Pompeii trip as well. We're going to stop in Naples after Pompeii so not buying the ticket in advance to go back to Rome was what I thought as well. Good to hear I'm on the right track.

My only concern going to Pompeii is having enough time to buy tickets for the Circumvesuviana train. It seems like a tight connection. Would it be better to buy at a kiosk or go to the ticket window to do so?

Even if you miss your "tight" connection to the Circumvesuviana commuter train, the NEXT train leaves 30 minutes later, so it won't be too bad. Better to buy the ticket for the Circumvesuviana at a kiosk or at the ticket window? That depends where the line is longer!

ha ha - cute answer GAC! ;)

GAC, you sound like an expert!
We'll be staying near the Piazza Navona - are there a lot of taxis driving around that area at 5:30 am if we take the 6:27 train? (I assume that would be a good time to leave the apartment.) Is a taxi around 10 E to Termini from Navona? I think I read that on another post.

Prices vary depending on time of day (late night to early morning they can charge more), whether you call for a taxi or go to a taxi stand, etc.

OK probably more than 10E if we leave at 5:30 am
thanks

Is Rome like NYC in that you can find taxis driving around all day and night?
I guess I can ask the apt owner when we check in.

It's best to reserve a taxi pick-up the evening beforehand.

OK that does sound like a good idea - Grazie!

marking

Well, I'm finally ready to book the mini fare today and it went up 2 Euros since last night. :( Just like the airlines.

To book one fare it's now 15E. To book for all 4 of us it's 69E. To do 2 at a time it's 33E.
Do teenagers count as adults?
Before I push that button, does this sound right or do you think I'm doing something wrong?

Doesn't seem fair!

I'm going to expand on of my above questions if anyone can help me.

The booking page asks how many adults and children need tickets, but doesn't define 'children'. Can I put 2 adults and 2 children when my kids are both 17? It gives a slightly better rate. I think I recall reading on another page that there are discounted rates for students under 26, but there are no student options on this booking page. I just don't want to get fined.

Thanks for any info.

No. Children are under age 12. There are no student options. You need to book 4 adults.

If you are booking one of the fast trains, use this Trenitalia link as it will let you select your seats from a seating chart. You can also have it search for cheapest train price.
http://www.fsitaliane.it/cms/v/index...003f16f90aRCRD

Thanks ky.

How can we sit together? There is an option to request window, median or corridor seats. Will clicking on one of those give us 4 of the window, for example, seats?

(I posted some of these questions on another post too incase no one checked this one out, but while I'm at it...)

Why do Mini Fare ticket prices go up when buying 4 tickets together? For now, I'm not booking one of the fast trains.

If you use the link I gave for Trenitalia, not the regular Trenitalia links, you will click "select my seat" and a seat chart of the entire car will appear. Green seats are available for selection. Seats with an oblong in between them (the oblong represents the table the four of you will share). If you select four seats like that it would be two of you facing the other two with the four of you sharing the table. Two of you would be on the aisle while the other two would have windows. Scroll down and click on the picture (to enlarge it) that says the interiors of the Frecciarossa. This is a picture of 2nd class seating on the fast trains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_Italy

Mini fare prices rise as they sell out as it's a sale price based on availability. It's possible a mini fare will start at 15€ and once several people purchase it, it's no longer available at that price, but there still may be a mini fare of 22€ until sold out, etc. Once all mini fares are gone it reverts to regular base price. If you use the link I gave, you can search by cheapest fare.

If you are getting an option for window, median or corridor, you must be selecting a slower IC train. Is that what you are trying to book?

If you are trying to purchase IC (Intercity), scroll down until you see the Intercity pictures on this link. These trains are not as nice as the faster AV and ES trains. The seats for 2nd class are 6 in a compartment (3 people facing 3 people, no table).
http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.h...0trains%20like

Thanks ky - I see the difference, although at that time of the morning, we'll probably be sleeping so won't really need a table.

Going back to Rome might be another story now that I see the picture, but more for the timing back - it will have been a long day so I think I'll book the faster train, but won't do it until we reach the station because I won't know what time we'll be ready to go back. Will there be any trouble getting on a fast train spur of the moment?

So getting seats on the slow train...are they reserved? If I say window, will we all get window seats and not be together? I check your site and it's only for fast trains. I'm going to show my husband your comments just in case ;) Maybe it's only a guarantee to sit together if you choose the seat together on the link you listed???

Children over the age of 4 don't get any lower fares with the "MINI" fares. Sometimes, it's cheaper to book a REGULAR fare at 50% for children between 4 and 12 (if the "MINI" fare results in a savings of less than 50%).

Remember that children under 4 DON'T PAY (and are not entitled to their own seat). DON'T count them at all when buying tickets (unless you WANT them to have their own seat, in which case count them as a child between 4 and 12, which pays 50% of the REGULAR fare).

CHILDREN UNDER 4 ride for free on ALL Trenitalia trains!!! Always.

CHILDREN between 4 and 12 are allowed to ride on ALL Trenitalia trains at 50% of the REGULAR fare.

All but R trains are reserved seats. R trains are the slowest trains. If you use the Trenitalia link I listed, it's just for the faster trains - AV, ES, ESCity. It's not for booking the IC or R trains.

There's also the bus option. Marozzi from Rome Tiburtina station(about 17€ each one way). Departs Rome at 7 am and drops you at the entrance to Pompeii at 10.
http://www.marozzivt.it/script/bigli...pobigl=marozzi

I hadn't considered the bus - much easier than switching to another train (and avoiding the pickpockets!) Thanks for another possibility.

Oops - forgot send so I can add to my post.

There doesn't seem to be an English button.
Do we have to reserve in advance? It seems we must because I think I am reading that the bus to Pompei on July 13 is almost full.
Where is the bus station?
It seems like there are a lot of different prices: the first on I might have seen says 18E
Then under tariffs the are a few more:

I hadn't considered the bus - much easier than switching to another train (and avoiding the pickpockets!) Thanks for another possibility.

Oops - forgot send so I can add to my post.

There doesn't seem to be an English button.
Do we have to reserve in advance? It seems we must because I think I am reading that the bus to Pompei on July 13 is almost full.
Where is the bus station?
It seems like there are a lot of different prices: the first on I might have seen says 18E, but that also says casello castellamare - maybe that means something about entrance fees?
Then under Prenotazione, tariffs the are a few more:
andata e ritorno - that must be round trip which we do not want
carta argento - do you need a special card for that rate of 14?
Coras Semplice - 16.5- - is this what we want?

Well, I don't know why the computer keeps posting while I am still writing :-?

Still under Prenotazione:
Corsa Semplice - 16.5 - what we want?
Carta verde and Motorizzazione - dont' want?

Then on the seating page it says posti primo piano - that didn't make sense on my translator
all the seats for July 13 are disponible - available?

So if we decide to do the bus which sound easier since it drops us at the gate to the ruins (correct?), we click on the seats (and finally some English - it says we can only book 2 seats at a time). I tried the buttom Ricerca and nothing happened. Then Carrello which is cart. It says to enter my email address in the posta elettronica box. Then lastly prenota, must be to pay so I didn't push that button. The price in my sample says 14.5. Sounds good to me, but I don't want to get the wrong thing. What does prenotazi mean? It has a 2 next to each seat - I don't get that.

Are these nice cushy busses? Would seats 27 and 28 give more legroom - they are the first ones by the middle door.

Thanks ky - you're great to help me out with my 1% understanding of this site!

"Ricerca" is search, "Prenota" and "prenotazi" both come from the Italian word for "reserve" as in "reservation." I believe those two buttons are inviting you to make a reservation.

The bus looks empty to me for July 13. You would want corsa semplice > one way.

Highlight the time you want by clicking on it. Corsa semplice is already checked. All the black seats are available. They used to have some English directions on their website, but when they last updated they left them off.

Rome Tiburtina station is a major train/bus/metro hub in Rome (a few metro stops from Rome Termini). There are areas outside for local city buses and usually across the street for long distance buses.

To purchase from an agency in Rome, click on informazioni Marozzi on the first webpage, then click le agenzie, mouse over the map and click lazio, then click rm when it appears. You will get a list of places in Rome to buy the tickets.

They are nice buses like tour buses where your luggage is loaded underneath. Last time I took this bus they made a pit stop on the autostrada at Autogrille for a coffee/bathroom break. They only stop for a few minutes so you must be quick.

how far in advance can a person book a mini fare?

Four months most of the time. But don't buy the "MINI" fare until you've first read the rules and restrictions, which are significant!

This is a picture of 2nd class seating on the fast trains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_Italy>

How many of Italy's high-speed trains are of this type? Very few - just the newest of the many Eurostar type trains - to say that this picture is typical of 2nd class on Italian trains in general is just pure misinformation and why this poster continues to do this type of things just to support the take that 2nd class is as good as 1st class is a mystery. There are relatively few of this model fast trains in the picture yet running and the picture is a staged photo op -does not show a packed train car, etc.

So this is NOT what 2nd class resembles on many Italian fast trains - or bourbon am I wrong about that and this is what you should expect on all Italian high-speed trains - maybe I am wrong?

That is an accurate picture, as I said, and is posted on most trains sites for the fast trains in Italy (AV, ES, ESCity). No it's not very few, it's typical of most. Only the IC trains are not like this.

>>>There are relatively few of this model fast trains in the picture yet running and the picture is a staged photo op -does not show a packed train car, etc.<<<

This is an inaccurate statement. I have dozens of my own similar photos on main routes and there are often lots of empty seats even in summer. Your need to insist everyone travel 1st class and buy passes on all train threads is outdated and does everyone a disservice. I see you didn't bother to comment on my other photo link of Italian trains for a site you always recommend which also shows similar pictures showing the classes on the fast trains by maninseat61. Are you now saying maninseat61 stages his pictures/website?

I have no financial interest in anything I post.

Well, we went with your advice ky and booked the bus. Not easy all in Italian, but we are the only 4 reserved seats on the bus. Pretty cool! Maybe we'll have a private driver :) and we don't have to deal with changing trains until afterwards going to Naples for a couple of hours.

Is it safe to assume that it's pretty easy to get to Naples from Pompei? I know there are lots of threads on how to change trains from Rome to Pompeii, but we probably can't make too many mistakes going from Pompeii to Naples with just one train line to deal with.

Thanks so much for all your help! Now we hope it doesn't rain!

Your need to insist everyone travel 1st class and buy passes on all train threads is outdated and does everyone a disservice.>

One does have to wonder why many Italians pay more to travel first class - are they idiots as you seem to claim?

bourbon: Please tell me what is the difference between first class and second class on fast trains in Italy or is there not any difference. If there is what is it?

thanks

Allow enough time to locate your bus at Tiburtina. This is a big bus hub and typically local Rome buses are in the piazza right outside the door while more long distance buses can be across the street or a trek down the street a bit. It's been a while since I used this bus and there has been some construction around the station so I'm not sure where they are currently located. Were you required to print a ticket or did you just get a code? Hang onto to your ticket/receipt until you exit the bus.

To return by train, exit the ruins using the same entrance where the bus dropped you. Turn right and walk just a bit and you will see the Pompeii Scavi train station across the street. If you zoom in on this pdf to 600% and scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see the Porta Marina entrance (where the bus drops) and the train station across the street. I had a day pass last time so I don't recall the current ticket purchase situation for the train. Either there will be automated ticket machines or you will need to buy a ticket nearby at one of the businesses. Ask at the Pompeii entrance where to buy them.
http://www.pompeiisites.org/allegati/mappa_pompei.pdf

they sent me vouchers to print - I already paid for them - and they have a barcode.
Thanks for the heads up about the station. I think we'll have a taxi pick us up at Piazza Navona around 6:00. Would that be enough time?

PalenQ - here are the typical layouts, rather more people per carriage in 2nd!

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/135290351

Peter

bourbon: Please tell me what is the difference between first class and second class on fast trains in Italy or is there not any difference. If there is what is it?

thanks

though Peter has thoughtfully addressed the question Kybourbon I would like your take on the difference between first and second class on the fast Italian trains - I think you should because you are always saying first class is a waste of money - or perhaps you have only seen first class in pictures? What is in your take the difference between classes?

thanks

PQ - You need to stop. I know you do this on all the train threads, not just the Italy ones or just to me, but it's time to stop. You are not helping anyone with your numerous rants on train threads.

A Brit - PQ doesn't want to know the difference, if he did, all he would have to do is look at the linked pictures. He only wants to push his 1st class rail pass agenda. I don't post on the French/UK, etc. train threads, but he does the same thing on those threads to posters who actually live in those countries. He makes up things and tries to imply I said them.