Hi,

I am trying to decide between a rail pass and buying tickets after arriving in Italy. I have read many posts here, but there is one question I am unclear on. Can I easily use my credit card in train ticket machines in Italy?

Thanks.

This link has screen by screen instructions for using the ticket machines including paying with credit cards.
http://www.roninrome.com/%20transpor...ickets-updated

But the real question is why bother? It's pretty easy to buy a ticket at a window, though perhaps these aren't manned at surburban or very small town stations. The longest line we had to wait in was in Firenze the day before a train strike when everyone was trying to get to their destinations. Even then, I wasn't in line for more than 10 minutes.

Easier yet is to buy your train ticket at a travel agent. As you walk around, look out for an agency with the Trenitalia logo in the window. Most travel agents speak good English and ther is no surcharge. One time in Rome's Stazione Termini the ticket lines were long. So I just went to the in station travel agency and was out in no time.

>>>But the real question is why bother? It's pretty easy to buy a ticket at a window,<<<

Because there are long lines at the ticket windows of people that are clueless about the dozens of ticket machines.

>>>One time in Rome's Stazione Termini the ticket lines were long. So I just went to the in station travel agency and was out in no time.<<<

Why didn't you use a ticket kiosk? There are easily 40 of them in rows at Termini. There are always machines with no lines.

kybourbon - agreed. Once I figured out how to use one of these kiosk machines, it was a piece of cake. Fast, easy and very convenient. I use this every chance I can get in Italy.

Don't know where you live, but most US credit cards don't have the chip and pin required for European automatic machines used in railway stations, toll roads, gasoline stations, etc. I've never had a problem using my US credit cards in a hotel, restaurant or department store where they can be swiped but, I repeat, they do not work in any automated pay machine in Europe except ATMs. I have read on this forum that there are one or two US credit cards that do have the chip and pin system, but the vast majority do not.

Yes, the machines work fine with credit cards, they also accept banknotes and the railpass reservation is 10 euros on each fast train.

Walk up to a machine, touch the UK flag for English, enter your destination, up come the next train departures (or you can choose tomorrow's date, whatever), choose a train, click on 'Global Pass' (that's a railpass reservation), buy it, out it comes, and off you go.

Self-service is far simpler than waiting in line at the ticket office.

Can the machines be used to purchase special offers like Family Fares?

Curious as to whether my US credit card will work in them

We seem to have some conflicting opinions about whether US credit cards (mine lack the chip and PIN) will work in Italian train ticket machines. Can someone help out here? Thanks.

There are at least two general classes of ticket machines at stations. When people post without qualification that using a ticket machine is easy, they are referring to the new machines.

1. The new ones (the colorful ones) take US credit cards and large bills.
2. The old ones (look tattered) don't take any credit cards or large bills over 20€.

Some people have posted information that pertains to other countries or other types of machines (gas stations,toll roads, etc.).

For Italy:

>>Man_in_seat_61 on Apr 22, 12 at 2:49am
Yes, the machines work fine with credit cards, they also accept banknotes and the railpass reservation is 10 euros on each fast train.