Trains, Buses etc in Northern Italy
 

First time traveling to Northern Italy. I will be working on a vineyard. I was told I have to take a train from the airport that I'm flying in at (Torino) to Bra or Cera & get on a bus to arrive at Dogliani. I was given trenitalia.com to find times. Should I purchase tickets beforehand - I don't want too & have my flight be late then miss the train/bus? Are the train/ buses similar to an airport where I have to check my bags? Any books that you recommend that lays out Italian culture & the norms there? This is my first time to Europe so anything would help.

The trains between Torino and Bra are Regionale, the slowest local type of train. It is of no benefit to buy the tickets online because there are no reserved seats--just purchase and get on the next train traveling between Torino and Bra. Plus the ticket is so cheap (3.90 euro) that no discounts for early purchase are offered and refunds are more restricted for such online purchases.

You will NOT check your luggage on the train or bus. On the train, you will carry your own luggage and store it yourself, probably on a rack above your seat or in the seat next to you if unoccupied. The bus might have luggage storage beneath, or might be a more local bus where your store your bag yourself near you on the bus.

Most Italy guidebooks have a culture section in the opening chapters that outlines some of the major cultural norms--a good place to begin your research on the subject.

>>>refunds are more restricted for such online purchases.<<<

It's not just that refunds are more restrictive if you purchase regional tickets (R trains) online, but the ticket is also restrictive (a four hour time window). Other types of trains (AV/ES/IC) have discounts if you buy online in advance. Buy the regional ticket when you get there and be sure to validate in the yellow box before boarding (AV/ES/IC tickets do not have to be validated as they will be checked onboard).

If the bus has underground storage, you are usually expected to open it yourself and put your own luggage in. Sometimes the driver will open it, but not always. Validate your bus ticket onboard.

yes, the most important thing- DO NOT forget to validate your ticket, on bus or train - the fine will likely be far more than the price of the ticket.

To "validate" your ticket, you stick it in the slot in the yellow box, and the date and time will be stamped on it, thus showing that you have now paid for this particular bus or train ride. You have a limited number of hours to use the ticket after it has been validated, so only validate just before boarding. Always verify that the date and time actually got stamped on the ticket.