I need to travel in april via train from Bologna to Venice and then from Venice to Milan. Should I purchase the tickets or make rservations now (in the US) or can it wait until I arrive in Bologna? If I need to purchase/reserve now, what website should i use?

Thanks in advance for the help

The advantage of doing it ahead of time is to find reduced rates. The website is www.trenitalia.com

Of course you "can" usually wait except during peak travel times.
For example for Venice-Milan, if you bought a ticket for a trip in April, if you bought tickets:

3 months ago = €9
now = €18
day of departure = €37.50

For the Bologna - Venice part of your journey loook at Italo as well - http://www.italotreno.it/EN/Pages/default.aspx

You could for dirt-cheap fares take regional trains between those places though they take about twice as long often and you may have to change but they have a flat-fare structure so just buy tickets as you go - will be cheaper now than buying any discounted fast train ticket.

For lots of great info on Italian trains: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

If you want the fastest trains book NOW for rather minor savings overall and pegging yourself into a non-changeable non-refundable train I believe - 37.50 euros for full fare is IMO not that expensive and saves all the hassles of naviagting often fickle web sites (like notoriously so www.trenitalia.com) - just buy when you get to Vienna - these trains would rarely sell out and there are so so many trains - first class aomost never sells out and is IME much more relaxed - especially for folks carting baggage around - lots of empty seats usually in first-class.

First-class tickets are also discounted and if discounted first-class tickets don't cost much more than 2nd-class ones go first class - and if not on a starvation budget tyring to save about the cost of a typical meal in Italy go first class.

thank you all for the feedback

my eager travel partner jumped on it and bought the tickets, putting us into second class

not sure if it is too late to upgrade or worth the effort. we will each have two small bags that fit in an overhear bin on a plane

follow question: since already received the ticketting email with seat assignments - is it correct to assume that we just print out the email and do not get actual paper tickets but just get on board and show the ticket agent our email?

Don't worry, the difference between 1st and 2nd class is so minor, it's not worth the extra money. I live in Italy and travel by train frequently. The only time I ever buy a 1st class ticket is when there's a big discount on 1st class, making the price the same as 2nd class. It's not that I'm on a starvation budget, it's just that I don't like throwing my money away.

That's correct. The email should have your reservation number (PNR) as well as the carriage number and seat number. Get on the right carriage, sit in the right seats, and show the PNR to the ticket collector when he comes around.

>>>my eager travel partner jumped on it and bought the tickets, putting us into second class<<<

2nd class is perfectly fine on the fast trains in Italy (much better than economy on a plane). Most of us book 2nd the majority of the time. If your partner selected seats with tables, you will have that to use (seats at the ends of cars have flip down trays instead of tables). You are only talking about 1 1/2 hours Bologna/Venice and 2 1/2 hours for Venice/Milan. If you regularly book 1st class flights for 1-3 hour flights, then you might be ever so slightly disappointed. This is a picture of 2nd class fast train.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ssainterno.jpg

that is a staged picture of a spanking new train - a promo photo and in NO way is what you should expect in 2nd class on Italian trains - fill up every seat with luggage racks stuffed and that would be a true impression of 2nd class - I always call kybourbon out of this and it perplexes me why she repeatedly shows such a misleading photo - 2nd class is fine but not as luxurious as this photo - no way Jose.

And again 2nd class is perfectly fine - just that first class is much finer so don't get me wrong - take a walk into the first class coaches on your train and see the real difference.

I am now looking at Italian trains. I noticed that Italo has four classes, offering an economy plus fare for 2 more euros, e.g. Rome to Florence 18 lowest then next up 20. That must be worth it?

thanks for the additional info

>>>that is a staged picture of a spanking new train - a promo photo and in NO way is what you should expect in 2nd class on Italian trains<<<

All the fast trains I've ridden look exactly like that and it's exactly what you can and should expect the train to look like. While sometimes you may be on a full train, other times they can be quite empty (even in high season between major cities). The last time I took the fast train between Naples/Rome in high season (first week of Sept) there were only 5 people in the car.

>>>I am now looking at Italian trains. I noticed that Italo has four classes, offering an economy plus fare for 2 more euros,<<<

They do seem to be offering a fare between Smart and Prima that gives you a wider seat, but not the amenities of Prima (sort of Smart Plus level, but only the amenities listed on the Smart page). On the fare selection page, mouse over the + at the top next to each fare. A pop-up will appear telling you what you get for that fare. You will get three seats across instead of four for your extra 2€. Here's the differences in Smart and Prima so you can see the difference in seat layout (Italo doesn't seem to let you pick your exact seat like Trenitalia does).

http://www.italotreno.it/EN/discover.../overview.aspx

http://www.italotreno.it/EN/discover.../overview.aspx

FWIW - On some of Trenitalia trains there can be up to six class levels on some routes.