We will be traveling the Mediterranean on a cruise in December and want to take the train at several of the ports. We are NOT going to have our cell phone service so can't have electronic tickets and won't be buying in advance. Will we be able to get paper tickets at the train station?
Thanks for any help!
Posted by
Chicago
7827 posts
Yes you get paper tickets if you buy out of machine or from a live person at a ticket window at a train station.
The live person selling tickets at window has set hours though. The machine works 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Also you don't need cell phone service or wifi to store and open a ticket on your phone as a PDF as long as you have storage space.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
We won't be buying in advance for several reasons. So saving a pdf is not an option. I need to know if we can get an actual paper ticket at the train station.
Thanks.
Posted by
Sweden
6364 posts
Most apps I've encountered stores the tickets on your phone so no need for cell phone service to have electronic tickets. But of course paper tickets are possible, either "print at home" or collect in a ticket machine at a station.
Posted by
Green Bay
20072 posts
Which ports are you looking at?
Posted by
Sweden
6364 posts
For local train tickets bought at the station, paper tickets are usually the default option.
Posted by
Glostrup, Denmark
1322 posts
Note: Even if you don't have cell phone service you can use any app on a smart phone using wifi on the hotel or in any cafe. Just ask for the local network name and (optional) password.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32736 posts
The Med is quite a large place and surrounded by many countries. With no idea of your port calls it is impossible to give a complete answer. Every country has its own railways and different policies and opening hours....
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7535 posts
Yes, most all station have some way to buy a ticket, which produces a paper ticket, or a paper sheet. Some very small stations may only have ticket machines, so having cash as a backup, in case a credit card is not taken or yours does not work, is wise.
However, cruise docks tend to be out of the way, maybe they make it difficult for those not taking packaged excursions, so the station you need may be a long walk or taxi ride away.
I get not buying in advance. Regional tickets offer no advantage in buying ahead, and for intercity trains and fast trains, you usually need to buy for a specific train and time, hard to do when you are unsure how long disembarkation will take, plus travel time to the station, and buying for a "safe" time may waste very limited time on shore, so worth the cost of waiting to buy.