sermormo

Hi, I would like to know if somebody can help me to clear a couple questions related with the Thello train EN 220. Today, I bought an train ticket from Milano Centrale to Paris Gare du Lyon . However, I dont have any international train experience, so I just wondering if somebody could recomend me a online source information where I can know all the required information to board and use my ticket. Here there are some of the questions I am confused :
1. I bought a cabine 2 Lit ticket, may I use it with my wife? I heard that Thello only allow persons of the same sex on their cabine or couchettes?
2. What is the boarding process for an internacional train on the Milano station(Milano centrale)? Do I have to validate my ticket? If so where? Are the international trains published on the station board?

Thank you very much in advance for any information you can provide me.

fmpden

1. Never heard that.

2. No need to validate since your ticket is for s specific time, train, and seat. The international trains are just like any other train - nothing different. It is list on the boards with the other trains, Just find it and get on. The days of having your passport checked at the border is over.

sermormo

Thanks for you early reply. Do you know where I found information about the boarding process at the Milano centrale?

kybourbon

1. Did you book on Trenitalia? Did you enter 2 people and select the 2 person cabin and select complete cabin?

2. Find your train and get on. All trains are listed on the overhead electronic boards with which track # (binario). Whenever you have assigned seating (in this case assigned cabin) on a train in Italy, you don't have to validate your ticket. The personnel on board will check your ticket.

Here's some video from the train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfjiaO2lyOw

Here's some more info.
http://www.seat61.com/thello-train-f...s-to-italy.htm

Use only bottled water on board as the water in the sinks is not potable.

fmpden

I still don't understand your question about boarding process. Boarding process at Milano is no different than any other train station in Italy or Europe for that matter. You find the track/platform number (posted about 30 mins prior to train arrival, walk down the platform till you find a car number that matches the car number on your ticket. Find the stairs at either end of the car, climb the stairs, store big pieces of luggage in the bins, stumble down the aisle till you find your seat number. Store carryon luggage in the overhead rack and sit down. Were you expecting something different. Like, "Papers, please !"

sermormo

fmpden, At not time, I said papers , However please take in consideration that I have never taken a train in Europe before. thanks for the info anyways.

kybourbon,
1. I did not use TrenItalia website. Instead of TrenItalia I bought the tickets directly at Thello website. The ticket is a Cabine 2 lit.

Thanks both for the explanation about the boarding process.It is exactly what I was looking for.

kybourbon

>>>store big pieces of luggage in the bins, stumble down the aisle till you find your seat number<<<

On overnight trains, keep your luggage with you in your cabin and always lock your cabin. There will be a dining/snack car, but you can take some snacks/drinks/wine on board if you want.

Longer distance trains are usually in the station longer than local trains so you have a bit more time to board. It may be in the station for boarding no more than 15 minutes, but possibly a bit longer.

If you will be using other trains in Italy, only the slow R trains (no reserved seating) require validating of tickets before boarding (yellow machine track side). All other Trenitalia trains are reserved seats so you don't need to validate. Some trains passing through smaller towns stop for as little as 1 minute so you need to be ready with your belongings at the door to get off or on. Stations that are not pull through have a bit longer stops as the trains have to pull in and then back out.

This link is about Rome, but it shows you how to check the station boards, find your track/car, etc. Scroll down to the pictures
http://www.roninrome.com/transportat...rains-in-italy

sermormo

kybourbon, Thank you very much for your reply.

Dont you know if there is a website with a map and information about the milano centrale station. I mean diferent of the trenitalia website. I just want to know all i can about it.

Thank you

Pee_Dwells

If you are going to use this train from Italy to France BEWARE it often runs very late!
When I used it it was five minutes late into Milano Centrale (not a problem - it was due a long stop) and it was over an hour late in Dijon so I missed my connecting TGV to Lille. The train crew let me stay on to Paris and Eurostar in Paris changed my Lille London ticket to Paris London free of charge - WELL DONE EUROSTAR!. However, my prebooked/prepaid ticket onwards from London was no longer valid so I had to pay GBP 40 for a new ticket. Thiello have refused to contribute to this.

Thiello is part of Transdev-Veolia. In France Veolia provide infrastructure services such as water and sewage . .. .

fmpden

I know Pee.D that you just joined and are eager to contribution, but a good habit to develop is checking the dates of the postings that you are respond to or digging up. The OP was inquiring about a train in 2012. I am sure he has been to Italy and home.