Which train website to use when crossing borders?
Jan 23rd, 2010, 09:04 AM
#1
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Which train website to use when crossing borders?
I am sure this is a very easy question to answer, but how do you know which website to buy train tickets from if you are crossing borders?
-France - voyagers
-Italy - Trenitalia
-Switzerland - Sbb
So, for example if I am going from Cannes to Venice do I purchase the tickets from voyagers (France) or Trenitalia (Italy.) ? Is one website always cheaper than the other? Or, what about when I go from Como to Lucerne?
-France - voyagers
-Italy - Trenitalia
-Switzerland - Sbb
So, for example if I am going from Cannes to Venice do I purchase the tickets from voyagers (France) or Trenitalia (Italy.) ? Is one website always cheaper than the other? Or, what about when I go from Como to Lucerne?
Jan 23rd, 2010, 09:39 AM
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Check the sites of both origin and destination country and if both offer the same itinerary (as is usually but not always the case), buy the cheaper/more convenient one. In most cases there won't be much difference so it doesn't matter.
Jan 23rd, 2010, 10:43 AM
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If you are travelling from France, you should buy your ticket from the SNCF, the French Railways. In most cases, you will need to collect the ticket from a station before boarding the train. Tickets bought from the Italian railways can only be picked up at an Italian station.
When buying tickets online, you should check carefully whether you can print off your own ticket, or whether you need to collect the ticket from a station. Different railways have different rules and different types of tickets.
When buying tickets online, you should check carefully whether you can print off your own ticket, or whether you need to collect the ticket from a station. Different railways have different rules and different types of tickets.
Jan 23rd, 2010, 10:47 AM
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I always try to buy the ticket from the place the train actually starts, as that is almost always the country whose train it is. When you are near a border, that may be different, however, but I"ve never had that situation where I was boarding very near a border so that the entire train could really be owned by another country.
If you can actually buy the same ticket from two places, no harm in comparing prices, sure, I would. I don't think there's any rule about when it would be cheaper. Some websites won't even quote you fare for foreign trains or even allow you to buy them. For example, I think I wanted a train that went from Germany to Poland and I don't think I could buy it online from the German rail system, so I had to buy it in person once I got there.
If you can actually buy the same ticket from two places, no harm in comparing prices, sure, I would. I don't think there's any rule about when it would be cheaper. Some websites won't even quote you fare for foreign trains or even allow you to buy them. For example, I think I wanted a train that went from Germany to Poland and I don't think I could buy it online from the German rail system, so I had to buy it in person once I got there.
Jan 25th, 2010, 11:41 PM
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This depends on:
1) which trains a given website will book.
2) what the ticket collection arrangements are.
3) credit card acceptance.
voyages-sncf.com (see advice on using it at www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm) will book trains within France and between France and neighbouring countries, in either direction. Ticket collection is only at French stations, but thy will also send to addresses in other European countries (eg your hotel in Italy) if you swith to one of their sub-sites eg tgv-europe.it for Italy or www.tgv-europe.es for Spain (a shame they assume that if you want tickets sent to Italy you must speak Italian!).
www.trenitalia.com will book trains in Italy and between Italy and neighbouring countries in either direction, but collection is only at Italian stations and they only send to Italian addresses. It struggles with non-Italian credit cards, accepting by my guestimates only 60% of UK ones and 20% of US ones.
www.sbb.ch will also sell tickets for trains in eiter direction between Switzerland and neighbouribng countries, ticket collection at any Swiss station, tickets sent to any country worldwide for a fee, no credit card problems as far as I know.
Note that some creativity is often required. Voyages-sncf.com may book Nice-Genoa easily enough with one change, but may refuse to cope with Nice-Rome. So Book Nice-Genoa on voyages-sncf.com then book onward trains at trenitalia.com.
I use the journey planner at www.bahn.de as my all-purpose all-Europe online timetable, it's fast and comprehensive, then I use sites such as voyages-sncf.com or trenitalia to check fares and buy tickets for the relevant stages of a journey planned in outline at bahn.de.
1) which trains a given website will book.
2) what the ticket collection arrangements are.
3) credit card acceptance.
voyages-sncf.com (see advice on using it at www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm) will book trains within France and between France and neighbouring countries, in either direction. Ticket collection is only at French stations, but thy will also send to addresses in other European countries (eg your hotel in Italy) if you swith to one of their sub-sites eg tgv-europe.it for Italy or www.tgv-europe.es for Spain (a shame they assume that if you want tickets sent to Italy you must speak Italian!).
www.trenitalia.com will book trains in Italy and between Italy and neighbouring countries in either direction, but collection is only at Italian stations and they only send to Italian addresses. It struggles with non-Italian credit cards, accepting by my guestimates only 60% of UK ones and 20% of US ones.
www.sbb.ch will also sell tickets for trains in eiter direction between Switzerland and neighbouribng countries, ticket collection at any Swiss station, tickets sent to any country worldwide for a fee, no credit card problems as far as I know.
Note that some creativity is often required. Voyages-sncf.com may book Nice-Genoa easily enough with one change, but may refuse to cope with Nice-Rome. So Book Nice-Genoa on voyages-sncf.com then book onward trains at trenitalia.com.
I use the journey planner at www.bahn.de as my all-purpose all-Europe online timetable, it's fast and comprehensive, then I use sites such as voyages-sncf.com or trenitalia to check fares and buy tickets for the relevant stages of a journey planned in outline at bahn.de.
Jan 26th, 2010, 11:25 AM
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Anyone have success booking Italy to Austria or Germany trains on trenitalia.com - it seems folks say this is not possible
And more and more Italy seems to be removing its international trains - like ending some at Brennero, the Austrian border point where everyone boards an Austrian train.
The current situation in the Nice-Milan trains not currently running could possible be something like that - Trenitalia only running these trains from their own first borders?
And more and more Italy seems to be removing its international trains - like ending some at Brennero, the Austrian border point where everyone boards an Austrian train.
The current situation in the Nice-Milan trains not currently running could possible be something like that - Trenitalia only running these trains from their own first borders?
