Train from Pisa to Florence
 

Hi,
I will be traveling from Riomaggiore to Venice by train on Wed. Sept. 25th., via La Spezia, Pisa, Florence, Venice. I have booked the tickets from La Spezia to Pisa and Florence to Venice on line already. However, Raileurope wants an $18. shipping fee for 2 $11 tickets from Pisa to Florence. I have to take the 1:11 train to fit in my schedule. My question is should I wait and buy the tickets in Italy from Pisa to Florence? Would there be any possibility of them being sold out? I hate to pay an extra $18 for $22. tickets, but I don't want to risk missing my train from Florence to Venice. Thanks for your help..

Use Trenitalia instead of Raileurope. Instructions here:
http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.h...Trenitalia.com

Pisa to Florence is largely regional trains which do not demand seat reservations nor can you even make them - flat fare - just buy your tickets before travel - are good on any of the zillions of regional trains Pisa Centrale to Florence SMN - you will only be wasting money by buying those tickets ahead of time from RE - and there again is absolutely no benefit to doing so - buying tickets in Italy from machines is a snap or at the counter. Buy them at a Cinque Terre train station in advance but be sure to indicate day of travel.

For lots of great info on Italian trains I always spotlight these IMO superb sites - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id12.html.

again regional trains cannot sell out - you can always board them even if seats are full - highly unlikely in the many times I've taken trains from Pisa to Florence. Put any angst to rest.

Wow. I wish I had asked the question sooner. I've spent so much time trying to do this. This website took 2 minutes. Thank you so much.

That train is very unlikely to be anything like full at midday.

Use www.italiarail.com if you have ANY trouble booking Italian rail tickets on the Trenitalia site.

those regionals Florence-Pisa and reverse run almost every hour.

Wow. I wish I had asked the question sooner. I've spent so much time trying to do this. This website took 2 minutes. Thank you so much.>

Even if by rare chance it is you can still clamor aboard and you'll get seats at the next stop when people leave at worse case scenario.

When you are travelling on a regional train within a single region, often generic train tickets for a given distance can be bought from the station tobacconist or newspaper agent. Just stamp them with the departure station and time from one of the stamping machines around (you would have to stamp your ticket before boarding anyway).

Just buy the tickets at the ticket machine in the station... they are easy to use and have an English language option. Some take both debit and credit cards, too.

"...you would have to stamp your ticket before boarding anyway."

If you forget to validate your ticket before boarding and remember after it's too late I was shown by another passenger how to write the date & time on the ticket to avoid a possible fine for not doing so.

>>>Use www.italiarail.com if you have ANY trouble booking Italian rail tickets on the Trenitalia site.<<<

Italiarail is a reseller just like RailEurope.

>>>My question is should I wait and buy the tickets in Italy from Pisa to Florence?<<<

Yes. Regional tickets purchased online have more restrictions than bought in Italy. Italiarail adds their own restrictions on top of the Trenitalia ones. Purchase Pisa/Florence from Trenitalia (or any store with the Trenitalia logo) at the Riomaggiore station.

>>>Would there be any possibility of them being sold out?<<<

Regional tickets don't sell out (no reserved seating), you just pack in like sardines if the train is full and stand until some people get off.

>>>I hate to pay an extra $18 for $22<<<

Pisa/Florence is 7.90€ ($10.53) 2nd class or 11.90€ ($15.87) 1st class.

>>>but I don't want to risk missing my train from Florence to Venice. <<<

There is no guarantee that trains will be on time.

You can purchase the entire journey Riomaggiore/Venice with one purchase on Trenitalia. Just enter Riomaggiore and Venezia.

Riomaggiore 08:56
Pisa Centrale 10:38
Travel with train change
Regionale 2041
Price starting from 42. 50€
Pisa Centrale 11:11
Firenze S. M. Novella 12:00
Regionale Veloce 3150
Firenze S. M. Novella 12:15
Venezia S. Lucia 14:20
FRECCIARGENTO 9416

I guess there's no stopping this train of a thread even after the OP's long gotten where she was going. I guess we must all say it in our own words. And others will appreciate it down the line.

How has the OP gotten where she is going if she isn't traveling until Sept. 25th?

Where she was going today was online to buy a ticket and apparently arrived at the 3rd reply, 8:25 AM.

Thank you all again for your thoughtful and comprehensive answers. I knew I could count on your help. Joan