Trains in Italy
I need two train connections next month: Florence to Venice and Naples to Rome. I have searched ItaliaRail and Rail Europe and am finding better connection times and slightly better fares on Rail Europe. Is there any reason that I should not use Rail Europe?
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Why not use trenitalia.com? Both the agencies you mention above are resellers. They don't run trains, and they can't really have better connections than the rail system itself.
Neither of the trips you mention require connections. The trains are direct. |
Neither are train operators. They are both re-sellers. The difference is in what each chose to display. If you want to see the complete listing, use www.trenitalia.com (requires Italian spelling for city names, Roma Termini/Tiburtina-Napoli Centrale-Fireze S.M.N-Venezzia S. Lucia) for the state railroad and www.italotreno.it for a private rail company running the exactly same route but with less frequency.
Look at their prices and compare to what you found so far. |
TY...I did not find either of your options on my search. Love it when we can help each other.
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pollyvw: you are very welcome.
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What are you using to do a search? When I type "Italy Train" into google.com search box, I get www.trenitalia.com as the first entry and www.italotreno.it as the 11th entry, both on the first page displayed.
www.italiarail.com (reseller with fee) is shown as the 2nd entry and www.trainline.eu (reseller, no fee) as the 3rd entry. |
When is your trip? The official schedules and fares are published 120 days in advance. Raileurope usually shows schedules for longer periods, but they're subject to change if the date is beyond 120 days.
As Greg suggests, use Trenitalia or Italotreno. They both operate high-speed trains on these routes; Italo is often cheaper. |
As always, the most complete railroad advice is available from www.seat61.com
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I agree with bvlenci. Look at both Trenitalia or Italotreno. Their English language sites are:
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en http://www.italotreno.it/en If your itinerary is clear you can get some great fares in advance including first class. If you are seniors (over 60) you can get a discount (but advance booking may even be less than the senior discount) - however, Italo does not require prior registration for the senior discount (just some ID) whereas the Trenitalia situation is more complex. My favourite carriage is the Trenitalia Frecciarossa Silenzio where you cannot use your phone and conversation should be kept very quiet. Also there is a wifi connection on the Frecciarossa trains which allows you to view your actual location (a bit like the map function on aeroplanes) but it also shows the speed you are travelling at. The latest Frecciarossa ETR 1000 can reach a top speed of 400 kph (almost 250 mph). The non-stop train from Milan to Rome (roughly 350 miles) takes only 2 hours 55 minutes! |
What fares did you find on RailEurope exactly for which trains and check handling charges from RE - if order is under $399 you may have an order fee I think.
If prices are better there is no reason not to use RE - in fact you can use your c c without foreign exchange fee and if have to cancel refunds would be easier if not going to Italy (but check refund policies for the type of ticket you order). But do check the various sites folks have given above. For lots on Italian trains yes www.seat61.com is awesome especially on booking your own tickets online- for general info like 1st v 2nd cl also check www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. |
RE taps into Italotreno site and matches fares pretty much when I checked recently- so could well be cheaper than Trenitalia sometimes but check www.italotreno.com to see if fares are as cheap or even cheaper.
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Do any of you understand what the Trenitalia site calls 2X1 fare. I am searching for transportation for 2. Does the 2X1 really mean that two travel for that one price...both over 60 and traveling on Saturday?
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http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Of...-Special-Offer
What trip are you doing? If long then may 2 discounted tickets could be cheaper than 2x1 at assumingly full fare? |
>>> Is there any reason that I should not use Rail Europe?<<<
Whenever you buy from a reseller, you are putting a middle man in between you and the actual company you are buying the product from. These middle men often have their own rules (for making changes/cancelling) in addition to the actual train company rules. They typically tack fees on to the purchase and/or jack up the price with the exchange rates or both. |
>>> Is there any reason that I should not use Rail Europe?<<<>
Again check the bottom line - if all told cheaper yes there is no good reason not to use them - but check added fees which often make them higher. Only use if significantly cheaper IMO for reasons kybourbon says. |
2x1 is just that: two people travel for the price of one. It's basically a 50% discount, but, as Palenq says, some discounted tickets have an even bigger discount. However, the Trenitalia web site always highlights the best fare you're eligible for.
There are discounts for seniors, but they have to be in Trenitalia's loyalty program, which is only open to Italian residents. I haven't used Italo at all yet, because it doesn't serve any of the lines that pass near where I live. I know their base prices tend to be lower, and their discounts may be better, too, |
2x1 it says no available on Regional trains (which are dirt-cheap anyway) but if you want to go for the cheapest possible price take regional trains - if you are not in a hurry as they are slower but only about an hour on Naples-Rome and they are literally dirt-cheap and you can take any regional train that day with a valid ticket I believe -no seat reservations even possible - ultimate flexibility -just head to station and buy ticket and hop on next one.
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2x1 fares are a great deal.
The slower regional trains are subject to delays, are often uncomfortable and lack usable toilets. Giving up an hour or two of your sightseeing tone to save a few bucks is a false economy. As is spending hours of your time trying to figure out the Trenitalia webstie if using Raileurope is simpler, Yes, you pay for that service. Decide if it's worth it to you. |
>>> I know their base prices tend to be lower, and their discounts may be better, too,<<<
They used to only be cheaper by 1€, but now you can find about a 10€ difference at times. They currently have a 50% off on Saturday so you wouldn't have to do 2 for 1 like on Trenitalia. Even though most of Italo's trains are newer, I don't care for their 2nd class product compared to Trenitalia's. |
if using Raileurope is simpler, Yes, you pay for that service. Decide if it's worth it to you.>
Again RE seems to match italotreno.com prices when I checked last year - are you sure it has changed or are you just saying that about RE as many do without checking? |
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