Train Help - Rome to Naples, different tickets?
 

Hello! I know there have been recent posts about the trains from Rome to Naples. I am looking on this site:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...0080a3e90aRCRD

And I am confused about the 3 different options for the express train (we want to do the express train for sure).

What is the difference between Flexi (56 euro), Base(45 euro), or Mini Fare(41 euro)?
Flexi means that we can cancel and rebook?
What's the difference between Base and Mini Fare? Mini Fare is cheaper than the Base but what are we giving up by picking that? We dont need first class.

ALSO

We will be arriving in Rome at 9am and hoping to get to Naples as quick as possible. I read on another post to expect about 2 hrs (luggage, customs, train to Termini) between landing and getting to the Termini station. So we were going to pre-purchase tickets for 11:30am. Should we just wait and get them when we land in Rome? Or should we get them before we leave for Rome?

We leave in 1.5 weeks so any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Flexi is like an open air ticket - with more change options than most people need.

"Base" is what you'd normally buy.

With the "Mini" fare, you get a discount, of up to 60% in some cases - at the expense of opportunities to change much, and can only cancel with a 50% penalty... which of course may not cost much more than the 20% fee for doing so with a "Base" ticket!

Probably best to only buy the Mini when very sure you'll be able to catch the train concerned..... miss it and your ticket is wastepaper!

And if you're not buying a Mini, on that route - whose very frequent services we've been using for a decade with no real problems - there's no great advantage to buying ahead.... so for that day you may as well waiting until you're at the airport!

Peter

For the official explanations, see...

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

and...

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

and also this, a copy of the full version of the "Mini" ticket's terms and conditions...
http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/image/132965255

Or here, for a humongous list of them all that's sure to cure you of insomnia...
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms-file/h...n.html#16_80_1

Peter

For convenience perhaps just plan to head to the Rome Airport train station once you have cleared everything and buy a ticket with seat reservation for the next feasible train from Rome to Naples - you will pay a bit more but won't be faced with either twiddling your thumbs in Rome Termini or if the plane is really late worrying about a hard to change and perhaps non-refundable ticket. with 2-3 trains an hour Rome to Naples often do not worry about getting on.

I kept my ticket receipt from traveling to italy in 2009. I did buy that particular route from Rome to Naples online via Trenitalia website. It didn't state which fare it was, but the price was about 28,90 euro for one-way to naples, and it was on train ES Italia AV 9421, leaving at 8:44am arriving at 10:05am. Those seats i bought were definitely not first class, but that train was really clean, with the luggage rack overhead, and it was a very comfortable ride, so I didn't think I gave up much with whatever the first class had to offer. Hope this helps!!

Hi tf,

Sonce you will be saving only 4E pp by buyint in advance, vs the chance of losing 40E is you are delayed, do what PalQ suggests.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))