Four of us are planning to take the 8am train from Nice to Milan on May 11th. Do we need to buy tickets on line before we leave the US? If so, is it safe to purchase on line? Will they email our tickets?
Carol M.
Posted by
Charleston, SC, USA
923 posts
I suggest getting the tickets now if you know the specific train you want to take. This will probably save you some money. It's perfectly safe to buy on-line. Be sure to enter your e-mail address for the tickets and do a print screen of the PNR before you exit your browser or write it down. This is the number you need in case the e-mail gets lost in the cyber world. Also, be sure to check the "choose the seat" box when selecting your train so you can make sure you get the seats you want. You can get 4 seats now for 60 euros total.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4085 posts
You don't indicate which train company you are dealing with. Despite departing from Nice, it probably isn't the French railway SNCF since it doesn't sell that 8 a.m. departure. Italian? An option, often mentioned favorably in travel forums, is www.trainline.eu which offers to e-mail your tickets. These electronic tickets should have some sort of bar code which train personnel can check. If they list a specific train and date, they do not need further validation. There are reports of American credit cards sometimes not going through for international transactions but you should be able to notify your bank issuer to accept the charge.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
The direct Nice-Milan train is operated by the "private" railway consortium www.thello.com. Tickets are also by other agents.