Self-service train ticket question
 

My daughter and her best friend are going to Italy for two weeks after high school graduation. Friend has never been out of the country. They have decided upon their itinerary and I have purchased their train tickets. For two of their three train trips I was able to do ticketless travel. For the third trip it was not an option and I purchased self-service tickets. These tickets are for travel from Venezia to Salerno with a train change in Bologna. The tickets are in my daughter's name, but I used my credit card to pay for them. I speak reasonable Italian and saw nothing on the trenitalia web site to indicate she must show my credit card, but saw an old post from Ira indicating the credit card also had to be presented to collect the tickets. Sorry for the lengthy question. It seems to me "self-service" should mean they can collect the tickets using a machine and since they are already paid for I can't see why they would need my credit card. Has anyone bought tickets on-line and collected them at a self-service machine? What exactly is involved? With ticketless travel, you need nothing other than the email confirmation. Thank you. They are resourceful girls, but I am sure precise instructions about how to proceed with these tickets would be helpful.

I think I may have the answer to your question, having recently bought self-service tickets on trenitalia.com for use from Rome to Chiusi. When I went to Termini, there were some Trenitalia "angels" there in orange vests with Customer Care emblazoned across the back. I showed one of the angels the email confirmation with the reservation number (actually letters) on it. She led me to the kiosk, demonstrated the procedure and stood next to me until the transaction was complete. A piece of cake. I'd guess there will be someone comparable at the station in Venice. You have to type in your surname (probably the name on the credit card) as well. No credit card needed. It wasn't at all complicated, and I probably could have figured it out without the angel, but it was nice that she was available.

Based on my experience (a couple of years ago) all she'll need is a confirmation number or the name on the credit card and it's all done at an automated kiosk machine..nothing else.

Alissia, I needed the confirmation number AND the name on the credit card. Both needed to be typed into the automated kiosk machine.

Thank you both, but I notice another post from Ira indicating the necessity of having the credit card with which the tickets were purchased. Ira, can you explain?

This is true for tickets pre-ordered in France as well. It is meant to be a form of identification that the person trying to get the tickets is the person who bought them.

Hi marie,

It seems that it is no longer necessary to have the CC at a ticket kiosk in Italy - only the confirmation number and name on the CC.

When we were there in Oct 2003, the ticket agent swiped our credit card to verify our tickets.

As travelnut noted, this was to ensure that the person getting the tickets had not stolen the confirmation number.

((I))

Thank you so much. I am much reassured. I note that it was also true in Spain that it was necessary to produce the credit card with which the tickets had been purchased. In my daughter's case, the on-line service allows for the designation of the name of the person who will actually be using the tickets so I think this would alleviate any theft concerns. My daughter will certainly be able to demonstrate that she is the person named on the email confirmation and for whom the tickets were purchased.

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