Hi,
I have purchased ticket from Bolzano Italy to Innsbruck Austria. On the ticket it just mentions the name of buyer, no details of passport or anything. Is this normal?
Regards
Mithil
Posted by
Green Bay
19960 posts
Yes, they will check that the name on the ticket matches the ID (passport name) of the ticket holder.
Posted by
OP
33 posts
The name on the ticket is of my wife. My name is not mentioned anywhere that's normal?. The ticket says for 2 people.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Totally normal. If you buy a paper ticket at the station it doesn't even have a name on it (I assume you have a self-print PDF ticket).
Train tickets, like cinema tickets, can be used by anybody. The only reason PDF tickets have a name on them is to stop you printing it out twice and giving a copy to somebody else. The on train staff may ask for ID (your passport) to check you aren't doing this, but most of the time they don't bother.
Why would you need passport details on a ticket? Did you even need to give your passport number when you bought the ticket?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
To answer your second question, yes, only one name on the ticket. They only need to check that one person is correct, if your wife's name is on the ticket, she can pick anybody to travel with her, doesn't have to be you.
Why would they be concerned who is travelling? Ticket for 2 people, two people on train - valid.
Posted by
OP
33 posts
No for OBB i did not need, however while buying tickets from TranItalia, it said passport number is needed for inter country travel. So got confused. Thank You .:-)
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
You have to have a passport with you when you cross a border (or an ID card from an EU country), but there is no law that says it has to be on tickets. That was just a Trenitalia requirement.
I can go to the ticket machine at my local station, and buy a ticket (for cash) to another country. Totally no record of who bought the ticket or who crossed the border.
Posted by
Green Bay
19960 posts
Difference between the laws of Italy and the laws of Austria. In Italy, they need your passport number for just about any on-line purchase, including, but not limited to, train tickets, hotel stays, football tickets, concert tickets, sightseeing tours. Austria has no such laws. However, if you are in Italy and buy a train ticket out of a ticket vending machine, you don't have to have a passport number.