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- - Train paranoid (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/train-paranoid-128954/)

Please share with me what information I need to have / provide at the station ticket booth when buying a ticket? Do I refer to a train number or name? Time of departure? I assume I can "bluff" my way into a description of first class / non smoking, but how do I request reserved seats? Also, would someone tell me how to enter the station name for town closest to Assissi on the rail web site? Can't seem to get that one to work.

Jim, I can help you with Italian trains.Get your train tickets and reserve seats a few days before you travel, There is no cap on the number of tickets they will sell,except for the Eurostar.So, if you want a seat you need to reserve one. By tickets according to your destination. I had the easiest times getting tickets at travel agencies or at American Express offices(good one in Florence).You will find that many people speak English and are very helpful.Pay close attention to the "binario" number(track number) that your train will leave from. What will be most unnerving is that your destination may not be what is called out over a P.A. system...for example...your destination may be Genova,but they name it according to the final stop on the route.Get a phrase book....email me if you need any more help. I am uncertain about Assissi. We ended up renting a car for Tuscany because there were no trains to the places I was most interested in. Relax have fun,Maggie

It is easy to buy tickets at the train stations (especially if you are in the smaller towns). Write down the destination and time you would like to travel along with the number of people. I suggest you pick up an talian/English dictionary (Rick Steve's has a good one that gives you the phrases to purchase a ticket and reservation, if needed. When doing you schedule search, type in "Assisi". This should work. The station in actually in a small town outside of Assisi (I can't recall the name}. There is frequent bus service from the station to 3 drop off points in Assisi. Have a great trip.

In almost every train station we visited (mid-to-large towns), they had a helpful information desk across from the ticket booths. These information desks: *spoke english *usually operated on an efficient take-a-number basis. *would print out the exact itinerary you wanted with times, train number and transfers. Then you could take it up to the ticket booth to pay for it. It all worked out well -- it is different but don't let it intimidate you.

Hi, used trains quite a bit last October in Italy and thought they were great - all of the advice so far is good. We had no problem with language-most agents understood English. Two things I haven't seen posted on this thread:1. BEFORE boarding, validate your ticket in the little "time clock looking" machines at the entrance to almost every binario - we saw people fined by the conductor for not validating but only do it at the beginning of each leg - the validation is only good for a period of time. #2. Get one of the free luggage carts in the terminal even if your luggage has wheels, you can walk forever to get to your car. Cars are marked with a 1 or a 2 for first and second class and show smoking and non-smoking as well. We did 2nd class with no problems. Enjoy

i'm leaving in just under 3 weeks and am getting a little ansty about the whole train thing too. I have a 2nd class Eurrail pass. How does this differ from point-to-point tickets? I know I need to write the date on the pass, but is any other validation necessary? As well, how will i know if a reservation is mandatory? Can I just show up half an hour before and get in line with my pass? I'll be taking the train from Amsterdam to Heidelberg and then from there to Venice (and all around Italy once I'm there). Thanks!!

The station for Assisi is Santa Maria degli Angeli Sahn-tah Mah-ree-ah dale-yee ahn-jell-ee This information might make you feel a little less paranoid: http://www.frommers.com/destinations...170010002.html But on the web site www.fs-on-line.com you can simply enter Assisi Worried about the ticket window? Write it down: da Roma a Santa Maria degli Angeli (Assisi) 1 clase 2 persone partenza 13:50 arrivo 15:33 Best wishes, Rex

Meagan, On the first day of your travel, you'll need to have your Eurail pass validated (stamped). It is very easy to do at the international information office at Amsterdam Central Station. Just remember to take a number at the kiosk when you enter the door so you will be served when it's your turn. This validation is the only one you will need on your trip. From then on, as you said, you write the date in the boxes. As for reservations, when you received your pass, you should have also received an orange timetable book along with it to plan your itenierary. On certain trains, there is an 'R' next to the train number -- these are the trains that have mandatory reservations. That said, there are certain high-traffic routes where reservations are recommended, such as Florence-Rome, Rome-Venice, Venice-Milan. See my message above -- the helpful people at the information desks will tell you when they think you'll need a reservation. On the trains that need reservations, I would get them the day before. On trains that don't, show up a half-hour early. As stated elsewhere, the non-smoking cars can fill up fast. If you are like my wife and can't stand 2nd-Hand smoke, reservations are a good idea. You'll get a feel for it -- it's lots of fun!

I already have my Eurostar reservations in hamd for my Venice-Rome trip - yes I am a bit anal and needed to have them in hand. What do I do when I get to the station in Venice???? Thanks.