I 've booked tickets for an upcoming Trenitalia train journey. Unfortunately, it seems as thought the 29 Euro fare wasn't available, at least not for First Class, so we got 39 Euro per person from Venice to Rome. Maybe I should have tried Second Class or another train, but I didn't. Is that still a decent fare? Also, I'm assuming since I chose the ticketless option that we just proceed to the track and get on and find our seats and show the reservation code. Is it as simple as that? No "validation" or need to check at the counter before boarding? Thanks!

Sorry I can't answer your question but can I piggyback onto it? We are traveling Venice to Rome next month and were planning on picking up our tickets at the train station on the day of departure. We have done this for Rome and Florence in June with no problem. Is there a good reason to purchase these ahead of time? Thanks.

We travelled in Italy last May with train reservations with Trenitalia and it couldn't be easier. You just print out your receipt from the site and bring it with you. When there, you just board the train and show the conductor your print out. No stopping at counters or validating it in any way. We travelled Second class when we couldn't get First class tickets for ES for $29. - not a great deal of difference between first and second. You could try and ask for a refund and rebook the $29. Second class tickets. I had to get a refund last year for a trip I booked on the wrong date and I just emailed the site.

Hi VR,

Regular 2cl fare is 45E, 1cl is 67E.

As noted, you need only show your printout with the confirmation code to the conductor on the train. Have your passport ready in case you are asked for ID.

Hi rbn

The reson for purchasing tickets in advance is to be able to get the 15E, 29E or 39E special rates.

Since Rome/Florence is only 29E in 2cl, there is not often a need to buy in advance.

Thanks, Lily --I think we'll keep the First Class tickets since that was what we were hoping for. I may have been a day too late or maybe they just don't sell those 29E for 2nd class. One more question: I did the reservation in Italian, and one thing I don't recall being asked: smoking vs nonsmoking? Are all the Eurostar cars nonsmoking by chance? Part of Italy's new nonsmoking policy perhaps?

Victoria - If I may, can I ask a question about your on-line booking process with Trenitalia? I'm having a bit of difficulty, which I brought up in another thread ... when you booked, was there an option at some point to specifically name the travellers who would be using the tickets? I tried this past weekend to book a Rome - Venice trip for my son and his girlfriend, and they sent me a confirming e-mail, issuing the reservations to me and my wife ... I could find nowhere on any of the menus used for the booking process where names were requested, it seems they just automatically assumed it was me and Mrs. M ... how did you handle this?

As far as the 39 Euro fare, I was quoted 44 Euro per person for 2nd class on the same route as you, so that seems like a great price.

Thanks,
Larry

Larry
They don't check names, just whether you have paid.

Victoria
10E is worth the upgrade to FC.

jabez - Thanks for your reply, but I'm not so sure ... though this is my first time purchasing tickets through the Trenitalia site, I have trevelled by train through Italy and elsewhere in Europe a number of time. I could be mistaken, but I recall that the tickets always show the name of the passenger, and the conductor checks the tickets against the passport as he/she comes through each car. This is what I am concerned about.

Regarding the smoking question. All trains in Italy are nonsmoking now.

Larry, have you emailed Trenitalia regarding your question and concerns? I don't know as I have never purchased train tickets in advance. As far as tickets purchased at the station (and validated before getting on the train) I have never had a conductor ask to see my passport. Hopefully some other Fodorite can advise you.

Larry,
No -no names since I asked for "ticketless." It just says 4 adult passengers, the train, the carriage and the seat #s. The PNR (reservation code) is for all four of us. The booking was really a breeze -- BE SURE you try changing the price menu from intera to EURO 29 (or EURO 39). Otherwise, I think you get charged full price. My mistake may have been not to have booked immediately after midnight on the first day 2 months out. That may have cost me 40 Euro.

Piggybacking---I can buy my ticket from Pisa Airport to Florence when I arrive instead of purchasing it earlier, right? Is the cost the same?

LoveItaly - Yes, I've sent 2 e-mails to Trenitalia, no response yet.

victoria - Thanks for the tip on the price menu ... sorry to hijack your thread. ;-)

Larry

I just saw this post...and even though I can't order tickets yet for my August trip, I did have a question about this promotion. victoria_reynolds, how did you navigate the website? I tried looking at it now, and can not seem to figure it out. (I am a bit computer illiterate.) Any information on how you did that would be great. Sorry that I had to piggyback as well.

Hi il,

Yes. Yes.

Hi N,

Starting at www.trenitalia.com and clicking "English", entering your departure and arrival stations, setting the date and time and clicking "send": where do you run into trouble?

Nutella,

No problem, but I think Ira can help you better than I. He's the guru! I know there had been some problems in the English version, but they may have been fixed. (I was brave and practiced my Italian this time to order.)

I also did the ticketless to take advantage of the savings. My name is the only name on the confirmation. Over six or seven years of train travel, we have never had tickets with our names on them. Just the number of people and the price. We have never had to show our passports on an Italian train.

ilovetotravel29 - You can buy your ticket at the Pisa airport and the cost will be the same. Another option, if you are arriving on a budget airline, is the Terravision bus. It's a shuttle bus from Pisa airport to the train station in Florence. www.terravision.it

We are also planning to take the Eurostar from Rome to Florence (in July). We're traveling with our kids, 18 yrs, 15 yrs and 12 yrs. Reading the Trenitalia information, I can't tell if the kids qualify for the youth fares. Would anyone know what ages might qualify, please?

Thanks so much!
eeyann

Special fares for youths (generally <12 years old, though there are some special situations):

http://www.trenitalia.it/en/area_cli...iaggio3.html#2

Also, those of you looking for Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn online: careful! Lately Google has been turning up Rail Europe as DB and calling it the "US Deutsche Bahn site." If that's not where you want to be, look at the other search results for the bona fide rail sites.

Ira, I run into trouble when I see the cost. Luckily, I realized that the promotion might be over for that particular time period.

I thought there was a seperate link for purchasing these promotional tickets. I guess when it gets closer to my trip I will try again.

Thanks again everyone for the help. It is much appreciated.