Thanks so much to Ira and other fodor friends with our trip plans so far! We are a family of 4 with 2 adults and 2 teenagers. I am now trying to buy tickets:

1. Florence to Paris June 5, 2008 Overnight train EN 226 Palatino leaves at 20:53 and arrives at Paris Bercy 9:10.
The Trenitalia website will only let me book the C4 couchette for 60 euros. Am I able to book the 6 person couchette for 35 euros, the "smart price" rate?


2. I also must book travel from Switzerland to Rome. Do you know if there is a reasonable train fare? On the Trenitalia site there are reasonable "Smart Price" fares from Italy to Switzerland, but the fare quoted to me by the Swiss Railway was over 100 euros each.

Any information you can share is greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much! Karen

Hi M,

I'm seeing only 60E 2cl tickets on the Palatino.

Raileurope says that it should have T6 berths.

Bahn.de says it should have T6

It is possible that they are all booked.

You might have to settle for a T4.

www.easyjet.com has flights from Pisa to ORY for 38.99E

www.ryanair.com has Pisa to Beauvais for 15E.

You might want to fly.

PS,

I think that for CH to Italy, you have to buy your tickets from the Swiss people.

I was in a 6-berth couchette Florence to Paris last year

Thanks again for helping! We may just go ahead and book the 4 person couchette from Florence to Papris since the train ride itself is quite an adventure!

As for Switzerland, I have found a "Smart price" fare of 58 (swiss francs I think) on the EuroNight Luna from Switzerland to Rome. I have submitted the request and guess will hear back from them within 48 hours. It looks like we will try for May 29 on the EN 313 North/South boarding in Zurich. Of course, this may be booked already but for now I will be hopeful.

Again.....Your expertise is greatly appreciated!

Many thanks, Karen

Enjoy your visit, M.

Take a picnic to share on the train. I doubt that you will all go to sleep early.

bookmarking

It appears you were able to buy tickets for June on Trenitalia. How did you do it? I can't get anything placed into a cart. What am I doing wrong? And, am I misunderstanding about the ticketless purchase? If so, how am I supposed to get my tickets from Paris to Rome? Please explain step by step to me! If you choose, you can email the routine to me. It would be great if I can buy these tickets now as the Italian agent says I can't until April. I hope he is wrong.

Thank you.


[email protected]

Judy,

Last year I was successful with buying tickets on the sncf site. I got some help from the folks on this site. I haven't bought anything yet. When I do soon, I'll record the steps I follow and try to send it to you. I'm a novice but I am happy to help if I can.

Karen

Hi TT,

>It appears you were able to buy tickets for June on Trenitalia. How did you do it?

Bookings are available at least up to June 5.

However, you can't print out online. You must have your tickets delivered in Italy.

They are the same T4, 60E tickets available from SNCF.

Metry--thanks for your response--look forward to hearing from you later on.


Ira-- So, I can reserve with Trenitalia, a couchette for 4 for June 1, 2008 from Paris to Rome for 60 euro per ticket, but I have to pick them up in Italy? Do you know of an agent in Paris that can get them for me? I know I am asking a lot, but I, quite obviously, need help!!

Also, how do "ticketless" purchases work that are talked about on the Trenitalia site? I interrupted it to mean I could pay now and they would send a receipt by email. Am I mis-reading and wishful thinking?

Judy

Some ticketless Trenitalia tickets just require a code to provide the conductor - a copy of your ticket acknowledgment

othertimes, more commonly, you can retrieve them in a Station machine, i believe with the credit card you used to buy them or go to the ticket window

no Paris agents to do that

these are answers based on Ira's and other Fodorites that i've been reading

so stand to be corrected if so

We took the Florence to Paris in November 2007. The 4 person berth.
No problems felt very safe.

PalenQ---Thanks. I understand, finally, no agent in France to contact. I'll try the agency Pantheon Travel, mentioned by another poster. By the way, I just left a message asking if anyone is having trouble at this moment, with SNCF. I am. Is it just my system? I use a MacBook and it's usually great, but having glitches tonight, it appears.

Thanks.

Judy

It may be your system but people have been having tons of problems with both Trenitalia.com and sncf.com for years here - loads

Ira or someone will surely be able to help so keep topping - it can be done ultimately