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-   -   Venice - Florence train seat (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-florence-train-seat-922324/)

siri Feb 2nd, 2012 12:43 AM

Venice - Florence train seat
 
Hi,
I just booked point to point train tickets from Venice to Florence- 1 st class 4 seats with exact date and time of departure.Though we got adjoining seats but they 're not 4 seats in one compartment.
Can anyone pls suggest if it's possible to change seat numbers?
Pls also advise if we hv to validate tickets in the yellow box before boarding the train.
Thanks.

jamikins Feb 2nd, 2012 01:11 AM

If you printed off the tickets and they are for a specific train and seat you do not have to validate it. The reason for validation is for tickets that are valid on any train so that you basically cancel the ticket so you cant reuse it. As these ones are not for specific trains you could use the same ticket over and over again if you dont validate it so this is a way to stop people from cheating. Yours dont have that issue as they are for one specific train.

As for the seats, I dont understand what you mean - how can they be adjoining, but not in the same compartment? Or do you mean they are 2 on one side of the aisle and 2 on the other as opposed to facing one another? I am not sure if you can change them without going to the station. When you get to Florence I would just take them to the station and ask. Or you could try sending an email or calling but not sure how easy that would be.

qwovadis Feb 2nd, 2012 03:02 AM

Possible to change with folks when you get there otherwise not.If you have a car # and a seat # you do not have to convalidate. seat61.com/italy good folks to help

siri Feb 2nd, 2012 03:03 AM

Dear Jamikins, many thanks for yr reply.
Yes, our seats are 2 seats on window side and another 2 are on the other side of the aisle.But I don't know whether they are facing each other or not.
x xo
x xo
our seats are xxxx- 074 (AIS), 073 (AIS), 072 (WIN), 071 (WIN)
I will ask to change when arriving at the station as per your suggestion.
Thanks.

siri Feb 2nd, 2012 03:06 AM

Dear Qwovadis,

Many thanks for your help.
I actually booked through seat61.com and find the seat positions from this good web.Thanks.

zeppole Feb 2nd, 2012 03:10 AM

People on the train will usually be willing to switch with you. If you arrive and all the seats you want are empty, just take them and explain to whomever arrives later with a ticket for those seats.

There is no point in going to the ticket window ahead of time.

siri Feb 2nd, 2012 05:47 AM

Dear Zeppole, thank you very much.


All of your comments are really appreciated.

kybourbon Feb 2nd, 2012 06:43 AM

If you plan to book any more tickets, use the Italian train company instead as you can select your exact seat from a diagram (just like booking airplane tickets). If you use the LeFrecce link on Trenitalia, you will get the diagrams.
http://www.fsitaliane.it/cms/v/index...003f16f90aRCRD

All the faster trains (AV,ES, ESCity, IC) in Italy require seats. If seat numbers are on your ticket, you don't need to validate. Your ticket will be checked on board. You only validate tickets that have no seats.

siri Feb 2nd, 2012 09:58 PM

Dear Kybourbon,many thanks for yr useful link.
We are planning to use private car service from Florence to Rome to Positano since there're a lot of places worth visit by car.
But train would also be an alternative for some route.
Thanks a lot.

kybourbon Feb 3rd, 2012 05:59 AM

>>>Though we got adjoining seats but they 're not 4 seats in one compartment.<<<

There won't be compartments on many trains. You find compartments on the older, slow IC trains and on a select few fast trains, but they are a higher class ticket than regular 1st class. Class choices on that type of train would be standard (2nd), premium (1st), business and executive.

What is your train number? I would assume you could change your seats on the kiosks in the station. On the screen you will have a choice of buy ticket, collect or change ticket, etc.

zeppole Feb 3rd, 2012 06:30 AM

This is really a lot of worry and confusing talk about a very minor problem for the travelers. Siri will most likely be able to have everyone sit together by asking fellow passengers to switch seats. If not everyone will be sitting close enough to converse and not get separated when leaving the train. They are only separated by an aisle.

It appears to me that siri is not a native English speaker, nor does siri speak Italian. Whether siri speaks another language offered by the machines in the train station, I don't know.

But to suggest going early to the busy Venice train station to stand on line waiting to use the ticket machines, which can get quite complicated if you are changing 4 seats and unsure of the language seems to me to be inviting unnecessary hassle. The train is likely to be booked anyway, with no seat changes possible.

Siri,

It is not a long train ride. You will all be together with each other, with all your luggage. Don't worry about it. Enjoy your time in Venice.

zeppole Feb 3rd, 2012 06:36 AM

PS SIri:

If these are your seats in first class on a train from Venice to Florence, you are facing each other, separated by an aisle:

x xo
x xo

The two "o" seats are by the window. All the "x" seats are facing each other, across a table, separated by an aisle. All the "x" seats are so close, you can all hold hands. You can all talk to each other.

Don't bother changing the seats before you get on the train. If you get on the train and still want to change, ask the people in the "o" seats if they would like to change. Since you are offering them window seats, they most likely will be happy to switch.

siri Feb 4th, 2012 04:25 AM

My train is no 1.

After all of yr comments above,now we 're no longer worry about seats.It's true that they're all near by and just 2 hours ride .I also agree that we 'll be fine.
You're right Zeppole, we' re not English native speaker nor Italian, but my husband and my kids are very fluent in English.
Now we just look forward to visiting Italy.

Thanks again for all of your kindness.

zeppole Feb 4th, 2012 04:44 AM

Have a great trip. I'm sure you and your family's English is better than mine. I'm from California.

best

kybourbon Feb 4th, 2012 04:55 AM

You will likely find many ticket kiosks empty so it's not a wait if you want to use them. They area touch screen and very easy to use.

>>>My train is no 1.<<<

I doubt that is your train number. It should be a 4 digit number. I imagine #1 is the car your seats are in.

Here's a diagram for 1st class seating on Venice/Florence.

http://www.lefrecce.it/B2CWeb/seatSe...920&modal=true

zeppole Feb 4th, 2012 06:06 AM

Well, ky, if the posters aren't able to readily distinguish the train number from the car number, don't you "imagine" they might find filling in the responses on a touch screen machine not the breeze you describe?

What is the point of your continued efforts to make this a complicated, time-consuming problem for them?

These people don't need new seats. They don't need a diagram of the train. They only need to go to the train station and get on the train and sit down.

PalenQ Feb 4th, 2012 06:16 AM

In first class IME there often are ample empty seats that you could relocated if need by - one of the significant differences between classes IME - easier to have others switch since there are often more empty seats IME than in 2nd class.

annhig Feb 4th, 2012 06:22 AM

When we've been travelling with our kids, we've been relieved to discover occasionally that the seats weren't adjacent.

not so the people they ended up sitting next to!

siri - Zeppole has given you excellent advice. hope you all have a wonderful time.

siri Feb 4th, 2012 07:43 PM

Sorry for my English, my train no is 9427.
I did look into the web Kybourbon 's suggest from first post and found that our seats 're facing together so we all relief and no longer want to change the seats.

I'm really sorry that my post -a minor problem troubles all of you and thank you very much for all of your valued comments and time.

zeppole Feb 4th, 2012 07:50 PM

Dont be sorry! You didn't cause any problems. Glad to hear you are serene with all the information you now have.


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