Trenitalia experts: I need a phone number to speak with someone in person--please help!
 

I desperately need to speak to a "real live person" at Trenitalia. I have tried, for the last 4 days to E-mail to various addresses, all have been unsuccessful. I am not sure if I am dialing the correct number in the correct sequence. Please help. (I have never called internationally before.)

Trenitalia's website says:
"to access help, call 89 20 21, without area code, 24 hours daily". So, I have been trying to reach tha number by dialing:
011 39 89 20 21. (I presumed the "area code" was the "06"??) This number has been "busy" for the last 2 hours and I just want to make sure I am dialing correctly. Thanks, in advance, for your help.

That phone number is for people dialing from within Itlay only.

What has happened that requires a 'real live person'?

ellenem,

Thanks for getting back to me about the number.....I don't think it says that anywhere....is there a number for us to call from outside of Italy?

You asked why I would want to speak to a live person:
To make a very long story less boring and tedious, our group of 4 asked me to purchase advance tickets for the group....so...

I purchased, successfully, our first "leg" from Venice to Florence and rec'd the instant E-mail/PNR code as specified. Moments later, I booked the second "leg" and was "denied". Well, I figured it was a system glitch, right? I have never once, ever, been "denied" and knew it could not be possible, so I tried again. Same response. I waited a while and tried again--same. I waited an hour or so and tried a second, brand new card (both of these cards carry a "0" balance, by the way)... Same thing: "denied" Well by now I am really upset, but it is late at night by now and I decide to try one last time before going to bed--you guessed it: "Denied" and not only that, but I was "uninstated" on the website.

Now, mind you, I had jumped through all the hoops, had contacted our computer person and found out how to change our
"cookies" policy, changed servers from Mozilla Firefox to Microsoft, etc., filled out all the forms, including the Visa Verified password....everything. I wrote Customer Service and explained my extreeeeeme frustration and would someone please get back to me, and went to bed.

Well,they actually awakened me out of a deep sleep at 4:15 AM local time, by phone, to tell me that they did not know why the problem had happened, but they were re-instating me and I should be able to get online and purchase those tickets.

WRONG! I have been trying, since Tuesday to do just that. Have spent countless hours with our bank, their credit card specialists (all the way up the line to the top supervisor) who says there is absolutely NO problem with the banking on this end, it has to be a problem with the fit/match on their end. Something is not fitting properly between their bank system and my bank card services here in the US.

I am paranoid now, of leaving for Italy in a little over 2 weeks with just "plastic" in my billfold, without this problem resolved. My bank has done all the "travel strategies", noting the dates of our travel, have raised the limits on our cards to allow for hotels, purchases, ATM W/Ds, etc.

But, we still show 2 transactions "pending" on my cards. No PNR E-mails were sent and I don't think they will be, given "I was denied" .....so you can see how I would want to speak to someone "live"?! .....

By the way, I hit "reply" to the form they sent me when I was "uninstated" and told them what was happening and would someone please E-mail me with a suggestion for a solution (or call me) and I have not heard one word, and that was Wednesday morning.

In my opinion, this is a very, very poor to run a Customer Service Department.

Thanks again, for your info, ellenem.
Sorry this ended up being so long.

What is the second leg of your journey? Florence to where?

If the next destination is a major city, you really don't need to buy your tickets before leaving home. When you go to the Venice station for the first leg of your journey, you can buy the tickets for the second leg.

Buy your tickets in Italy.

Ah, the thankless task of being the elected planner . . .

While I am very sorry for your frustration, I'm unable to offer a telephone number from outside Italy for Trenitalia. In more than 20 trips to Italy, I've never bothered to book my train tickets before arriving there.

Hopefully, you detailed story will strike a chord with someone here who has detailed information that will help you.

And to ease some of your paranoia, you might purchase a few hundred backup travelers checks or even exchange a few euro.

I agree - I'd quit hassling w/ this and just buy the tix in Italy.

jean, and bob,
yes, that is what I think we will do. Jean, you asked about the second leg...it's from Florence to Rome and because we need a specific train (because our traveling partners are catching a plane to London), I thought it best to purchase ahead of time. Ah well, the best laid plans, eh?! Thanks for your response.

I sure would like to know "why" though!...

You can buy your Florence-Rome tickets for the train you want when you get to Venice. You can buy them at any travel agency.

Wy it doesn't work? Because - and I know you will find this hard to believe - the system is set up for the millions of Italians who use the trains daily and not for American tourists.

I would not spend the night in Florence if I had a flight the next day. Strikes can and do happen although you could check and see if any are scheduled for you travel dates. There can also be delayed trains so I wouldn't leave so little time that missing the train would make them miss their flight.

There are many trains between Florence and Rome so I'm sure you would have of times. Go to a travel office in Venice and they can check if your booking has gone through and if it hasn't, then let them book your tickets.

HI Love,

Have you tried opening an email account at yahoo or hotmail and reregistering?

I, also, recommend staying in Rome, not Florence, the night before my flight out.

Finally, you can easily buy your tickets in Venice.

((I))

As Ira suggested, you may want to try opening a new e-mail account.

I experienced the same problems as you in 2006 and for some inexplicable reason, Trenitalia would not allow me to purchase using Hotmail, nor Yahoo.

I opened a Lycos account, and voila! We were good to go.

Try once more e-mail account before you give up.

I agree with Kybourbon. I wouldn't try to do Florence to Rome Termini to Rome Airport in one time-critical step. I'd feel more comfortable spending the night prior to a flight in a hotel closer to the airport, either in Rome or another town within taxi distance of the airport.

Hi everyone, thank you all, so much for your kind replies!
ellenem, no, it was nothing like "the thankless job of the planner"...we have all done our homework and split up the jobs. It just so happens that, since we only have 24 hrs. to experience a teensy bit of Venice, and since we would be traveling there on a Sunday, we wanted to book in advance to assure us the arrival time we wanted. (We will already be in Italy 9 days by then.)

ira and Kane, thank you for the suggestion about opening up another account to try one last time.

Kybourbon, ira and Jean, thank you for your concern about staying in Florence our last night.....actually, barring an actual strike, there should be no problem, as we are allowing all day to get back to Rome and they do not leave until evening--(they are going to London to visit family there). My DH and I are actually going to the Rome Hilton to spend our last night and fly out the following morning. I will pass along your concerns to our friends. Thanks again.

You will already be in Italy for nine days before your first train trip? Nine days should be more than adequate advanced booking to obtain the trains you want.

Ira - yet another Trenitalia.com fiasco - why not book ahead online - just because of these snafus - is it worth it to save a few euros?

tickets are easily available upon arrival so why go thru all this? Especially since the OP doesn't seem to have discounted fares?

Well, I am in the same boat with Trenitalia.com - trying to book ahead because of the highly reduced advance promotional fares, but not being able to get through to the actual purchase. I posted another thread on this topic, so without going into more detail on my own situation, I am just responding here to other posters' suggestions to "just buy the tickets in Italy" -- Unfortunately the advance fares are just that - "ADVANCE" - and the regular fares can be as much as four to five times higher.

>>Unfortunately the advance fares are just that - "ADVANCE" - and the regular fares can be as much as four to five times higher.<<

That is simply *not* so.

The only reduction to which tourists are entitled is the Amica fare - 20% off the regular fare.

Otherwise, the fare that you would pay if you bought the ticket the day you travel is the exact same fare that you see on Trenitalia.

I think you're confusing Trenitalia with the London-Paris EuroStar. There the fares are considerably higher the longer you wait.

Sorry, getting ready to go to doctor appt. so didn't take the time to carefully read all of the posts. But, have these been mentioned?

1. Can't get tickets until 60 days before. 2nd leg within 60 days?

2. There are agencies in the US that you can call & ask you questions; ask for help; will (for a reasonable fee) get the tickets for you. I don't have time to get that link right now - anyone else have it? I know it's been mentioned on Fodors before. I think I got it from here in spring or summer 2006.

3. My AOL email will not work. I had to get a yahoo email address & that worked great. Just go to yahoo.com & sign up for one - no charge; no hassles.

Good luck, Julie