GAC

Significant changes have been made to the "Sabato di Trenitalia" program, effective January 1, 2005:

1. You MUST purchase your ticket through www.trenitalia.com, or via the national call center in Italy (telephone 892021). You CANNOT purchase tickets in person at the railstation, through a travel agency, or through a self-service machine at the railstation.

2. RESERVATION CHANGES: allowed by internet or call center ONLY, up to ONE HOUR prior to departure time of originally scheduled train, to a LATER DEPARTING Saturday train, and always subject to availability of seats at the promotional rate. Changes only for travel on a SINGLE ES, IC or ICplus train (no back-to-back train changes).

3. TICKET EXCHANGES: if you don't qualify for a reservation change, you may EXCHANGE your ticket in person at any manned rail station in Italy within ONE HOUR prior to departure time of your originally scheduled train, by paying a non-refundable EXCHANGE FEE of 5 Euros (this is NEW), as well as the DIFFERENCE in price between the promotional rate and the full fare for the new train. This comes in handy if you want to take an earlier (as contrasted to a later) departing train, or travel on a day other than a Saturday.

4. Tickets are otherwise NON-REFUNDABLE.

www.trenitalia.com

GAC

Let's review the rules which HAVE NOT changed (please read the official rules on the www.trenitalia.com website):


1. Travel must be on any ES, IC or ICplus train departing on SATURDAY only

2. 15 Euros, inclusive of seat reservation, for travel on any SINGLE IC or ICplus train in either first or second class

3. 30 Euros, inclusive of seat reservation, for travel on any SINGLE ES train, or on any back-to-back IC, ICplus, or ES trains, or any combination thereof, provided in one continuous journey, in either first or second class (e.g. Milan to Palermo, connecting in Rome, combination of ES and ICplus trains)

4. Seats are limited and capacity-controlled

5. EXCLUDED trains: Espresso (EXP), Intercity Night (ICN), Eurocity (EC), Eurocity Night (EN), International trains including Cisalpino and Artesia, even for travel wholly within Italy

6. Tickets must be purchased within 60 days, and midnight of the day, PRIOR to day of travel.

7. "Ticketless" or electronic ticket available for those trains so designated on the Trenitalia website. In this case, you get an e-mail confirmation showing the train and date of travel, reservation code, as well as railcar and seat number. You are given a paper ticket on board the train by the ticket agent.

8. Ticket is valid only on the date and train for which the seat is reserved.

GAC

The "Sabato di Trenitalia.com" promotional fare is valid ALSO for a journey involving back-to-back ES trains, or back-to-back IC trains, or back-to-back ES/IC or IC/ES trains, as long as departing on a SATURDAY.

For example, you can travel on any Saturday between Milano Centrale and Reggio di Calabria for 30 Euros on back-to-back ES trains connecting at Rome Termini, a journey which normally costs 111.45 Euros in reserved first class. The promotional fare represents a discount of 73%. A party of four will save up to nearly US$ 450.

For an even greater savings on the same route, you can take the ICplus train no. 589 departing Milano Centrale at 8:48 bound for Reggio di Calabria Centrale (ar. 21:40) for only 15 Euros instead of the regular reserved first class fare of 89.20 Euros, a savings of 83%. A party of four will save up to US$ 400.

The single ICplus train takes a little longer than the back-to-back ES trains, but costs half as much with the promotional rate (15 versus 30 Euros), and yet is nearly equivalent to the ES service in terms of comfort and amenities. You also avoid the connection in Rome.

Think about the "Sabato di Trenitalia.com" promotional rates when planning your rail travel in Italy.

ira

Thanks for the very clomplete information, GAC.

rex

ttt... cLomplete indeed!



Best wishes,

Rex