I have my July trip to France and Italy all set up as far as hotel reservations,and plane tickets to the 1st 2 destinations, but I can't set up the train travel part to/in Italy and I'm worried that I won't get on my desired trains/times. If I wait until I'm there to purchase, do the trains ever sell out and you don't get on? I only have 2 weeks and I'm on a strict schedule. I'm not on a "fly by the seat of your pants" traveller at this time.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Debbie, so many people on this site have a fear that trains will be full or not running when they want. Everybody wants advance reservations. Unless it's a major holiday, you needn't fear any of these situations. Unlike the U.S., Europe runs on trains. Lots of trains. Also, if you are looking out beyond 60 days on the train sites, all of the trains may not be listed yet. If you can be a bit more informative about where you are going, we can direct you to very informative train schedules. For the most part, you can buy your tickets when you arrive over there.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Depends on which trains you're planning to use. Overnight trains book up very quickly, so they should be reserved as far in advance as possible, which is usually 90 days from France to Italy. Daytime trains making those long runs should also be reserved in advance. But for travel in Italy itself, you shouldn't have any problems making all your bookings as soon as you arrive in Italy. Friday and Sunday trains may also book up early, which means you may not get a train at the exact hour you want, but inside Italy there's usually another one an hour or two later.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
If you are going second class and no overnighters just reserve when you get to France. otherwise best reserve now online. www.trenitalia.com for italy.