Purchase First Class Ticket From Machine - Italy
 

I'll be traveling from Milan to Venice and would like to travel. Are you able to purchase First Class tickets from the automated machines or do you need to go to a ticket window?

As far as I know, you can purchase first class tickets from ticket machines (at least you could several years ago). At FCO, this is even necessary as the "express train" to Termini station requires a first class ticket (and we bought it at a machine).

Yes you can buy at a machine - there is an option to select 1st or 2nd class.

Also from website if you prefer to book in advance.

No you cannot get a ticket from the machine with an American credit card. European cards have an embedded microchip

You will have to use the agent

I purchased 5 tickets from Trenitalia machines this month using an Australia-issued Amex card with no chip at stations in Rome,Venice and Milan.

I just returned from a great trip through northern Italy and had no trouble using my US Bank Visa at ticket machines in the stations at Milan, Florence, and Venice. As stated in another post above there is the option to choose First or Second class. You have a choice of several languages for the instructions and the machines will walk you through the process. If the station is busy there may be a line at the machines, but it is a fairly quick and easy purchase.

if you want to benefit from (much) cheaper advance purchase fares, use the website

Yes- assuming you don't need flexibility in your tickets.

We went to Rome last Sept and wanted to go by train to Venice. I could not buy tickets online because the website would not accept American Credit cards.( I called Trenetalia and this was confirmed) Also, we could not buy tickets from the automated machine with American credit cards. You have two choices, either wait in line and buy tickets from agent or what I did was get cash (eur) from ATM and use ticket machine with cash. Just hit the UK flag button and it will be in English.

One WARNING!! There are thieves standing behind you as you use the automated ticket machine!! They wait for the machine to dispense change and reach down and remove, rather quickly, behind you,the Euro coins from the coin return slot!!

Why didn't you take the change first? :confused:

Just got back from Rome and Amsterdam. Could not use automated machine with US credit card - had to use cash (also could not use card at some restaurants and was told that will be more common in future)

About using American credit cards -- historically they've worked perfectly fine at the machines. But Trenitalia has been introducing newer machines in the last year or so. It's written on these machines that they require debit cards. I avoid these machines or use cash (I get ripped off on debit transactions).

Outside the tourist circle, your credit card won't be particularly welcome in Italy -- Italian merchants don't hesitate to ask you for cash or bancomat (debit card), on which they pay a lower commission.

That is good to know - I'm planning a trip to Italy and think I now need to plan on bringing more cash with me, especially to purchase the train tickets.

FYI there are two ticket machine types in Italy, the older type which has a flat front and IIRC a non-touch screen and new types with touch screens, and plastic fronts. The older ones do not take US credit cards, the ones do. I'm not sure of the prevelence of new ones, but they do exist at FCO, Roma-Termini (not all machines are new) and plenty of other stations. I did not have any problems using my credit card each of the four times I had to buy tickets.