Train tickets
 

We are travelling by train from Rome to Florence on June 18th. There will be 5 of us. Would it be better to purchase tickets now online through Trenitalia, or wait until we are there and use a kiosk? We will also need to get from Florence to Venice later in the week. Or, is there another travel option I'm not considering? We aren't too worried about a particular time, other than preferring to leave in the morning. Thanks!

If you want to book advance purchase discounts for the fast trains, then you need to go on and book online with Trenitalia. Trenitalia is the Italian government train system/company. There is a new train company, Italorail (private company), which uses the Tiburtina station in Rome. They have advance purchase discounts also.

<i>Train tickets
Posted by: nikkiirwin1 on May 18, 13 at 4:24pm
We are travelling by train from Rome to Florence on June 18th. There will be 5 of us. Would it be better to purchase tickets now online through Trenitalia, or wait until we are there and use a kiosk?</i>

I would buy the tickets at the station in Rome when you arrive. It is my understanding that most if not all trains from Rome to Florence and from Florence to Venice require seat reservations. Thus you leave your options open. June 18 is a Tuesday and not likely to pose a problem getting seats near the last minute, though I wouldn't wait til quite that late.

Thanks..after a lot of practice I think I might have the hang of Trenitalia.

How important is price?

In advance, fares from €9. On the day, all tickets €44.

Or if you want to take twice as long as the faster trains you can always just show up and hop a regional train between Florence and Rome - I did it recently and really liked the fact that this train line goes thru cities - teh new high-speed line goes on dedicated new rail line avoiding all cities and views often obscured by wind blocks.

On the regional train for example it will go by Orvieto and stop there - you at least can see this immense volcanic pile with the famous hill town topping it, etc.

Best thing about regional trains is you get a flat fare ticket and just hop on - and the price is extremely cheap - rivaling those ballyhooed 9 euro tickets (which must be booked when the come on the system months in advance as they are sold in very limited numbers and then cannot be changed nor refunded I believe.

So if you just want to forego all the frustration trenitalia.com causes for so so many folks just wait until Florence and hop a regional train - no reservations even possible.

For lots of great info on Italian trains check out these superb IMO sites - Man in Seat 61 who posts above - his fine fine site - www.seat61.com; and www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Search for Fodor Italina rail expert GAC as he recently posted a detailed look at taking regional trains Florence to Rome.

>>>Or if you want to take twice as long as the faster trains you can always just show up and hop a regional train between Florence and Rome<<<

Most people don't want to waste their valuable/limited vacation time riding a train with no AC (some R trains claim AC, but I've never encountered working AC if it exists). The fast train takes 80 minutes and the slow R train is 218 minutes so it takes almost 3x as long as the fast train.

>>>Best thing about regional trains is you get a flat fare ticket and just hop on>>>

The tickets are city specific. You don't get a flat fare and hop on any R train, only the train for the city destination listed on your ticket.

>>>and the price is extremely cheap - rivaling those ballyhooed 9 euro tickets (which must be booked when the come on the system months in advance as they are sold in very limited numbers and then cannot be changed nor refunded I believe<<<

Not so. The price for the cheapest ticket on an old R train on the Rome/Florence line is 20.25€. Certainly not cheaper than 9€ (although you don't see many 9€ fares on this route). Almost every fast train for the OP's date has 19€ fares still available even though it's in a few weeks not months in advance. Still cheaper than an old R train. I would rather be on a nicer train with AC and amenities, getting to my destination faster than spending hours on an old R train.

Super Economy tickets can't be changed, but Economy can be changed to a later train if done before departure of original train.

Every Italo train for June 18th has 20€ fares also which are supposed to be for sale up until a few minutes before departure if still available. You can also change their "economy" fare tickets, but not the "low cost" fare.
http://www.italotreno.it/EN/timetabl.../overview.aspx

Italo also has a promo that would give you free public transport in Florence for 24 hours with the purchase of your Italo ticket.

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

I would feel better to have something this important planned in advance. I will look into Italo as well. You are all so helpful!!! I love reading the advice.

>>>Best thing about regional trains is you get a flat fare ticket and just hop on>>>

The tickets are city specific. You don't get a flat fare and hop on any R train, only the train for the city destination listed on your ticket.>

Well igt seems GAC differs with you on that!

In his thread "It can Make Sense to Take A Regional Train Rome to Florence" he says:

CAN BREAK JOURNEY: ONLY on the regionale trains (and NOT on the reserved trains), you are allowed to break your trip with one (or even more) short stopovers (e.g. in Orvieto or Arezzo), without needing to purchase a new ticket for the second leg, AS LONG AS you re-board your final train DURING the six-hour VALIDITY of the PAPER ticket, and don't abuse the privilege such that you MIGHT be questioned (e.g. by boarding within 5-15 minutes of its validity, when the balance of the trip takes over two hours).

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...make-sense.cfm

Here;s GAC's very informative thread about "Unreserved regional trains between Rome and Florence can make sense - so though they make no sense to kybourbon they do make sense to some Italian rail experts - question is who is right or wrong about being able to break your journey on them? Two experts saying opposite things - what's the real deal?