GAC

What better way to celebrate the new call for "World Freedom" than for Trenitalia to announce a brand new promotional fare, valid on Intercity (IC) and Intercity Plus (ICplus) day trains, as well as on Intercity Night (ICN) and Espresso (EXP) trains, throughout Italy?

These are the new fares for IC trains which I had been anticipating since the introduction two weeks ago of the "Eurostar a 29 Euro" promotion.

Here are the details of this exceptional travel opportunity:

1. Fare valid beginning Sunday, 23 January 2005

2. Fare valid ANY DAY OR NIGHT OF THE WEEK

3. Fare valid on single train itineraries

4. 15 or 30 or 45 Euros, reserved first or second class SEAT, on any IC or ICplus train (when seats at 15 Euros are exhausted, fare jumps to 30 Euros, then to 45 Euros). Seats are capacity controlled and can vary according to departure day and route.

5. 15 or 30 Euros, reserved first or second class SEAT, on any ICN or EXP night train.

6. 30 or 45 Euros, for a reserved couchette/bunk in a compartment accommodating 6 bunks.

7. 45 or 60 Euros, for a reserved Wagon Lits bed (double or triple occupancy only) or a couchette/bunk in a compartment accommodating 4 bunks ("Vettura Comfort&quot

8. Fares NOT VALID on International trains such as Eurocity (EC), Euronight (EN), Artesia or Cisalpino.

9. Fare must be expressly requested by the prospective traveller.

10. Tickets may be obtained at any manned rail station, automated ticket machine, authorized travel agency, or through the Trenitalia website.

PalQ

Nice to advertise perhaps impossible to get. I tried to book the ballyhooed 29 euro fares on Trenitalia site and every train i put in said not available. I wonder how many seats at these prices are actually offered, or was my attempt an abberation? Has anyone actually booked the 29 or 39 euro fares?

GAC

continued....

11. Ticket must be purchased NO LATER than midnight of the day beforehand (and no sooner than 60 days beforehand).

12. RESERVATION CHANGES/day trains: up to ONE HOUR prior to departure time of originally scheduled train, allowed for a modification fee of 5 Euros, for travel on a LATER departing IC or ICplus train.

13. RESERVATION CHANGES/night trains: no later than 12 noon of the day of departure of the originally scheduled night train, allowed for a modification fee of 5 Euros, for travel on a LATER departing ICN or EXP train.

14. TICKET EXCHANGES: allowed for an exchange fee of 5 Euros, PLUS the difference between the full fare of the new train and the promotional fare already paid for the cancelled train.

15. Tickets are otherwise NON REFUNDABLE

16. This is a summary of the rules. Fodorites should read the full rules on the Trenitalia website (may currently be in Italian only)

These new "Freedom Fares" are a terrific deal: valid DAILY, you can save huge amount of money. For example, Rome to Venice in reserved first class on an IC train is 52.63 Euros. From Rome to Palermo is reserved first class on an ICplus train is 76.65 Euros. The 15 Euro promotional fare represents a discount of 71% and 80%, respectively. The discount increases the longer the trip (e.g. Milano to Reggio di Calabria). The 15 Euros fare represents a small savings even on shorter routes (such as Milan to Venice).

www.trenitalia.com

GAC

Here are further examples of the tremendous savings (expressed in percentages) which these new promotional fares can offer (assuming you are able to lock in the LOWEST fare of 15 Euros for a reserved, first class seat):


Milano/Reggio di Calabria: 83%
Roma/Palermo: 80%
Milano/Napoli: 79%
Venezia/Napoli: 77%
Roma/Venezia: 71%
Firenze/Napoli: 69%
Genova/Roma: 68%
Milano/Firenze: 55%
Roma/Firenze: 54%
Milano/Venezia: 48%
Firenze/Venezia: 47%
Roma/Napoli: 40%

In the list above, a 15 Euro promotional ticket between Milano and Reggio di Calabria represents a savings of 83% compared to the regular, one-way fare for a reserved first class seat on the IC or ICplus day train.

These savings are available DAILY (beginning next Sunday), with advance purchase.

Buon viaggio!

GAC

I forgot to mention the official name of this new promotional fare:

"LIBERTA' DI VIAGGIARE" or

"FREEDOM TO TRAVEL"

damama

I hve just read the information on Trentitalia. Does the January 23 date mean you can't start purchasing until that date or for travel from that date on? When I tried for reservations in March, I got no discounts. Maybe I am just too late or everyone wants to go from Rome to Florence on SUnday night.

GAC

Try booking this new fare beginning on Sunday or Monday. It's not currently available today.

suntravler

GAC: Does this offer list an expiration date? I will be traveling in May...Venezia to Milano.

Thanks.

PalQ

Damama: same thing i did, Rome-firenze for several dates in March for the 29 and 39 euro fare - came up with no discounts. Nice to promote a fare but how many seats are available at that fare? Any? Has anyone successfully booked these super fares GAC so thoughtfully posts? And i tried on the Italian version of the site, i know the English rarely if ever works no matter what the fare.

suntravler

GAC: I found the answer to my question. The rules say this offer will be good "until further notice."

kcsqueeze

I purchased the 29 euro fare from Rome to Florence and Florence to Venice on-line through the Italian site 59 days prior to March 7th and March 12th. Bookable within 59 days of departure date according to an e-mail I received from trenitalia when I was having trouble. (Thanks for all the help GAC).

If you choose your travel date and train time and then go click on special offers and promotions you will see it(except on the English site where it's there but you can't read it,probably a programming error). I paid in full and received a confirmation from trenitalia.

I found specific instructions for booking in italian at http://staff.mwsc.edu/~mcgarrel/travel/trenitalia.htm

Hope this helps.

GAC

The brand new "Liberta' di Viaggiare" ("Freedom to Travel&quot promotional fares have SUPERSEDED the "Notti di Trenitalia" promotion.

"Sabato di Trenitalia.com" remains for now, although "Liberta' di Viaggiare" is valid DAILY, and essentially replaces the former as well.

abbynicole27

So because of these new Freedom fares taking the place of the Notti di Trenitalia, there wouldn't be any more promotions available for the night train from Venice to Ventimiglia - is that correct, GAC?
(I know when I was checking out prices a couple of months ago I could find 15 Euro night trains, but now I can't seem to get them anymore)

GAC

abbeynicole: Unfortunately, I think you're right. The only DIRECT night train I can find on this route is a Euro Night (EN) at 22:52, which is excluded from the "Freedom to Travel" promotion. This EN train can be had for as little as 35.48 Euros for an unreserved second class seat.

If you want to travel for 30 Euros by DAY, you would need to utilize the "Sabato di Trenitalia.com" promotion, which allows you to take back-to-back IC trains for a grand total of 30 Euros in reserved First Class. You don't qualify for "back-to-back" trains with the "Freedom to Travel" promotion.