Italy - General Train Questions...

We will be in Italy starting May 16th. There are 6 of us travelling from Venice to Florence and then to Rome for a cruise. One of the couples has traveled to Europe several times and suggested that we just buy train tickets at the station when we're ready to leave. Other friends suggested that we buy 1st Class tickets in advance and use them at the times we want to travel. Which of these approaches is better? We don't want to commit to times in advance, as we're trying to remain flexible with what we do in each city. Would there be a problem getting seats without advance tickets??

Well, you can certainly book in advance - or get tickets at a train station prior to departure. If you want to book in advance, you can save up to 60% with the MINI tickets (http://tinyurl.com/MINI-fare). You can book online at the Trenitalia website (http://tinyurl.com/tren-online), but you will give us flexibility as these tickets are quite restrictive.

Or you can wait and buy your tickets at a kiosk (http://tinyurl.com/buy-tickets-2011) in the train station. They are quite easy to use and have an English option. Most limit you to 5 seats at a time, so you'll have to use the "next to" feature to buy six tickets. (or you can stand in line at a counter....)

There is always a debate about 1st class or 2nd class (http://tinyurl.com/1st-or-2nd). For shorter runs, 2nd class is fine. The differences on the trains are not as "different" as flying in the US. If you've not been to a train station in Europe, you might read this article on Arriving at Roma Termini (http://tinyurl.com/roma-termini).

The train tickets from Rome to Civitavecchia will probably be on a Regionale train (only €4.50 each). You can buy these in advance, but only 7 days in advance - and you must print out a PDF. This is an open seating train so validate your ticket! There are also a couple of IC trains to Civitavecchia - which do have reserved seats and can be bought in advance. But there are only 2-3 runs a day on the IC train from Roma to Civitavecchia so that may not be an option. You might read this post on a "round-trip" to Civitavecchia (http://tinyurl.com/civitavecchia). Some of the pictures and directions may haelp on your one-way trip.

to travel first class on the ER, one must have seat reservations. i have had experience of them selling out.

Unless you're a terrific planner, buying far in advance for specific trains, as required for all but Regionales, puts pressure on your travels. I love the slow Regionales and their flexibility. They stop everywhere and you see the country and its people. Tickets are not for specific trains or seats so you stamp them on the platform to validate them. But if you want to get somewhere fast and in comfort, avoid the IC trains and go for the Eurostars, which are more modern, faster and comfortable. Booking at the station a day or two ahead is sensible even if it doesn't get a big discount. The fares depend on the speed class of the train, with Regionales costing a small fraction of the Eurostar. In all my trips I found the open cabin seating on the Regionales and Eurostars to be better than the ICs that had compartments.

Tickets are not for specific trains or seats so you stamp them on the platform to validate them. But if you want to get somewhere fast and in comfort, avoid the IC trains and go for the Eurostars, which are more modern, faster and comfortable. Booking at the station a day or two ahead is sensible even if it doesn't get a big discount. The fares depend on the speed class of the train, with Regionales costing a small fraction of the Eurostar. In all my trips I found the open cabin seating on the Regionales and Eurostars to be better than the ICs that had compartments.


all my IC experience has been in and out of bologna. also, always in first class. i do not recall any closed compartments. although the trains made a couple more stops than the EC, the travel time from bologna to milan or venice or florence was only a few minutes more than the ES, and about half the price. just remember to stamp your ticket.

i have never done bologna to rome, but i did notice the ES took much less time than the IC on that route.

We want to travel Friday June 3rd From Venice (S. Lucia) to Verona to catch a flight to London. Likewise, we are looking for the most economical fare and the proper time to purchase them. There will be 2 of us traveling w/ luggage as we will just be getting off a cruise. Any advice would be appreciated!

We want to travel Friday June 3rd From Venice (S. Lucia) to Verona to catch a flight to London. Likewise, we are looking for the most economical fare and the proper time to purchase them. There will be 2 of us traveling w/ luggage as we will just be getting off a cruise. Any advice would be appreciated!
i would recommend taking a vapretto to avoid hauling luggage up and down bridges. i have not gone that route, but i think you have at least one big bridge to cross. tickets for the local should not be much. i would take bike locks to chain your luggage.

i would recommend taking a vapretto to avoid hauling luggage up and down bridges. i have not gone that route, but i think you have at least one big bridge to cross. tickets for the local should not be much. i would take bike locks to chain your luggage.

We're not worried about grtting to the train station. Our question is when and where and what kind of train ticket to buy. Any help would be appreciated! :)

We want to travel Friday June 3rd From Venice (S. Lucia) to Verona to catch a flight to London. Likewise, we are looking for the most economical fare and the proper time to purchase them. There will be 2 of us traveling w/ luggage as we will just be getting off a cruise. Any advice would be appreciated!

Check on the trenitalia website. There are online advance fares ("mini") for specific Inter-City trains from €9 each in second class for the 70 minute journey.

Check on the trenitalia website. There are online advance fares ("mini") for specific Inter-City trains from €9 each in second class for the 70 minute journey.

Thanks Railways! We were able to book a mini for 12euro each at a very convient time. ^ That's why we love FlyerTalk! There's no way I would of found this fare without your help. You're the best! :D

Second class is fine on Italian trains. No need to spend the extra on 1st class. I used 2nd class for ES & IC (compartments were OK). There are a few more seats than in 1st class and you don't get the free drink/snack. But there is plenty of space and lots of room for luggage.

The MINI fares are great! You can buy them up to 24 hrs before the train departure as long as there is availability. The prices do go up as availability goes down. I was able to get a Milan to Rome ES ticket for 29 euros 3 weeks ahead of time. They are partially refundable and changeable as long as you have the same route and have not started your train trip yet. You do have to pay any difference between old fare and new fare though.

Second class is fine on Italian trains. No need to spend the extra on 1st class. I used 2nd class for ES & IC (compartments were OK). I commented on the matter of compartments on IC trains and there have been some positive experiences. The ones with compartments are the older coaches so they are not as attractive to begin with. But the real problems I've had involve full compartments and lack of proper ventilation in the summer. With all six seats occupied and all the luggage and the poor ventilation, I couldn't wait for it to end - and this was on several trips - sitting on the little hall seats was the alternative. I was also on an ES coach that had non-functioning AC but we were allowed to move to unreserved seats in other coaches.