Trenitalia Train Tickets on the Web - A Tip and a Question
Mar 8th, 2008, 12:39 PM
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Trenitalia Train Tickets on the Web - A Tip and a Question
I’ve read countless posts on here about how maddening buying a train ticket on the Trenitalia web site can be and I’ve even figured out a way around some of it but now I have a question about it.
And before I get all the posts back about how I don’t need to buy them in advance in Italy, I do know that you can easily buy them at the stations in Italy and that I don't need to do this in advance.
Forgive me but I’m anal and I’m now challenged by figuring this one out so humor me with your responses. I’ll likely still buy what I’m after when I’m actually in Italy but I’m now just curious to see if any Fodorites have mastered the Trenitalia web site yet?
Tip – if you’re trying to buy tickets on a regional Trenitalia train, you can buy them on the web site if you are within 7 days of travel. I did this in December and it worked fine. The conductor was a little confused by it since I guess most people don’t do this like we Americans do but we got through it easily. You have to call your CC company first to clear the fact that you’ll be buying tickets on an Italian web site but once you do that, it’s very easy – buy them, print them out, take them with you and off you go. There is no need to stamp at the departure station before you get on board (although I did, just to be safe).
Question – I’ve now tried to buy tickets on an ES Italia AV train for a trip from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale next month. The little shopping cart shows me that it is available for purchase but it won’t let me do that. (I am a registered member of the site so no issue there.) If I put in a travel date within 7 days, I can do it, even on the Amica fare (discounted fare). But, when I put in our dates which are about 30 days out and which are well within the 60 days the site usually allows, I get into the circle of “Solution Not Buyable.”
Does anyone have any solutions on this one?
And before I get all the posts back about how I don’t need to buy them in advance in Italy, I do know that you can easily buy them at the stations in Italy and that I don't need to do this in advance.
Forgive me but I’m anal and I’m now challenged by figuring this one out so humor me with your responses. I’ll likely still buy what I’m after when I’m actually in Italy but I’m now just curious to see if any Fodorites have mastered the Trenitalia web site yet?
Tip – if you’re trying to buy tickets on a regional Trenitalia train, you can buy them on the web site if you are within 7 days of travel. I did this in December and it worked fine. The conductor was a little confused by it since I guess most people don’t do this like we Americans do but we got through it easily. You have to call your CC company first to clear the fact that you’ll be buying tickets on an Italian web site but once you do that, it’s very easy – buy them, print them out, take them with you and off you go. There is no need to stamp at the departure station before you get on board (although I did, just to be safe).
Question – I’ve now tried to buy tickets on an ES Italia AV train for a trip from Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale next month. The little shopping cart shows me that it is available for purchase but it won’t let me do that. (I am a registered member of the site so no issue there.) If I put in a travel date within 7 days, I can do it, even on the Amica fare (discounted fare). But, when I put in our dates which are about 30 days out and which are well within the 60 days the site usually allows, I get into the circle of “Solution Not Buyable.”
Does anyone have any solutions on this one?
Mar 8th, 2008, 01:07 PM
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Good luck dealing with that web site for ES tickets. I tried for over a week and even though it would give me a car # and seat #'s, once it tried to charge me CC I was refused. I did call my CC companies ahead of time. I tried 4 e-mail address and 4 CC# No luck. A week after I submitted my problem to Trenitalia I received this email from them:
Dear Customer,
Your access credentials (user id) are no more active due to credit card matters, found by Credit Card Payment Circuit.
In order to enable again your user-id and to allow you to utilize Trenitalia On Line ticketing service we ask you to send us a fax to 06/44104036 or an email to this address, indicating:
· your user id
· your telephone number including the country code ( for example 0039 for Italy)
· the photocopy of an identification document or the scansion if you send it via mail
· the photocopy of the tax code number (if you have the Italian citizenship) or the scansion if you send it via mail
Within 48 hours you will receive the outcome of your request via email directly to your e-mail address.
With reference to the data that you will send us for the activation of the service, we remind you that your rights in matter of privacy are protected by Trenitalia in the respect of the enforced norm (196/2003 D. lgs).
Best regards
Trenitalia Customer Service online
In the end a wonderful poster of this board gave us the Travel Agency she's used in the past, in Rome, so I could buy the tickets through them. That was successful!
Dear Customer,
Your access credentials (user id) are no more active due to credit card matters, found by Credit Card Payment Circuit.
In order to enable again your user-id and to allow you to utilize Trenitalia On Line ticketing service we ask you to send us a fax to 06/44104036 or an email to this address, indicating:
· your user id
· your telephone number including the country code ( for example 0039 for Italy)
· the photocopy of an identification document or the scansion if you send it via mail
· the photocopy of the tax code number (if you have the Italian citizenship) or the scansion if you send it via mail
Within 48 hours you will receive the outcome of your request via email directly to your e-mail address.
With reference to the data that you will send us for the activation of the service, we remind you that your rights in matter of privacy are protected by Trenitalia in the respect of the enforced norm (196/2003 D. lgs).
Best regards
Trenitalia Customer Service online
In the end a wonderful poster of this board gave us the Travel Agency she's used in the past, in Rome, so I could buy the tickets through them. That was successful!
Mar 8th, 2008, 04:23 PM
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I am also anal, and wish to purchase our tickets, at least for the ES trains we're taking. Although I haven't gotten that frustrating email that you received, I've been through the website with zero success. What travel agent did you use? Thanks in advance.
Mar 10th, 2008, 02:57 PM
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More on this...
I tried the Trenitalia site again today out of curiosity.
I actually got all the way through, was able to reserve two train trips and then when I tried to pay… card rejected. (How many of you have experienced this!)
The funny thing is this is the same card I used both online at Trenitalia and also at a train station in Italy less than 3 months ago! Figuring it was the system doing its usual acting up, I tried it again a couple of times. Now, after 3 tries, I’m locked out of the system and had to request to have my account reinstated which the site says takes up to 48 hours.
Heck, I can walk from Roma to Napoli faster than it takes to make this work and I know a call to Marco at Pantheon Travel in Rome would be far easier but I’m determined to figure this out!
Did I mention that I was anal?
I tried the Trenitalia site again today out of curiosity.
I actually got all the way through, was able to reserve two train trips and then when I tried to pay… card rejected. (How many of you have experienced this!)
The funny thing is this is the same card I used both online at Trenitalia and also at a train station in Italy less than 3 months ago! Figuring it was the system doing its usual acting up, I tried it again a couple of times. Now, after 3 tries, I’m locked out of the system and had to request to have my account reinstated which the site says takes up to 48 hours.
Heck, I can walk from Roma to Napoli faster than it takes to make this work and I know a call to Marco at Pantheon Travel in Rome would be far easier but I’m determined to figure this out!
Did I mention that I was anal?
Mar 12th, 2008, 11:00 AM
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I also am having trouble with that site. However, I don't need my train ticket from Rome to Florence until June 8, so I've got some time to keep looking at it.
Thanks for the information you do have. I think it's so nice when people share something they've figured out without being asked. It helps those of us who hate to keep asking questions. I guess that's what this whole site it all about!
Thanks for the information you do have. I think it's so nice when people share something they've figured out without being asked. It helps those of us who hate to keep asking questions. I guess that's what this whole site it all about!
Mar 12th, 2008, 11:26 AM
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Brockbank,
I've been doing a lot of digging on this and here's what I know so far...
- IF you can get the Trenitalia site to work, that is your best deal. Try for the Amica fare which is the discounted fare (about 20% off the flexi fare)...
- There is another post going on here on Fodor's that suggests italiarail.com. I entered my info there (2 tickets) and found their price to be $119 US (excluding fees) for what I'm after vs. $89 US (today's conversion rate) for an Amica fare on Trenitalia, if only I could buy them there!
- Images2 suggested Marco at Pantheon Travel in Rome. From what I've read in other posts, he only charges 5 Euros ($7.75 US as of today) and I assume that is per ticket. Even at that, it's still cheaper than US based sites. I haven’t called him yet but have read positive posts about him.
I'm still determined to figure out the Trenitalia site and will post when (if ever) I do.
I've been doing a lot of digging on this and here's what I know so far...
- IF you can get the Trenitalia site to work, that is your best deal. Try for the Amica fare which is the discounted fare (about 20% off the flexi fare)...
- There is another post going on here on Fodor's that suggests italiarail.com. I entered my info there (2 tickets) and found their price to be $119 US (excluding fees) for what I'm after vs. $89 US (today's conversion rate) for an Amica fare on Trenitalia, if only I could buy them there!
- Images2 suggested Marco at Pantheon Travel in Rome. From what I've read in other posts, he only charges 5 Euros ($7.75 US as of today) and I assume that is per ticket. Even at that, it's still cheaper than US based sites. I haven’t called him yet but have read positive posts about him.
I'm still determined to figure out the Trenitalia site and will post when (if ever) I do.
Mar 14th, 2008, 06:02 AM
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Thanks, Michael, for sharing this information!
I need to book a train from Rome to Florence on June 4 and would like to get the discounted Amica fare if possible. From reading all the posts, I understand that I must wait till it's 60 days out. Last summer we paid full price the morning of at the train station, but we're trying to wisely cut costs and will hopefully get the discounted rate online, or contact the Pantheon travel agency as suggested.
Karen
I need to book a train from Rome to Florence on June 4 and would like to get the discounted Amica fare if possible. From reading all the posts, I understand that I must wait till it's 60 days out. Last summer we paid full price the morning of at the train station, but we're trying to wisely cut costs and will hopefully get the discounted rate online, or contact the Pantheon travel agency as suggested.
Karen
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