I am wondering if there is any reason not to buy my train tickets for Italy online before I go rather than at a travel agency in Italy. You can do it from Trentalia's site and it looks like you can even get the mini fare, but for some reason the last time I left everyone said it was more expensive online. True?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17245 posts
If you can buy on Trenitalia, do so. The website has been difficult with US credit cards, but often not with Cadaian ones. And some say the problem with US credit cards has been corrected. If people have said that buying online is more expensive, they are probably referring to purchasing from Rail Europe, not Trenitalia.
Posted by
OP
Vancouver
68 posts
Thanks. My other question is, I know you have to validate the ticket in the box at the station before getting on the train, so you have to have an actual ticket to do so. So do you just make the reservation online and pick up the ticket at the station?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17245 posts
Tickets for reserved seats on the IC and ES trains actually do NOT have to be validated. The ticket is only good for that seat on that train at that time. It is the "open" tickets for regional train travel that have to be validated-this validation cancels it so you can't re-use it later. I have never been able to buy on the Trenitalia website so I'm not sure what form the ticket takes. If it is a "printable" ticket, you're good to go with that. But if it is simply a confirmation code that you get, you will need to pick up the actual ticket at a station. The website should clearly explain which it is you are getting.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
It's the open ticket Regionale tickets that must be validated. Most likely, you can't buy them online. Thus, you will have a real ticket to validate. As for the tickets that you can buy online, you can direct that you pick them up at most train stations in Italy or you can print out a ticket with a code number printed on it. The conductors on the trains have PDAs. They will enter the code into their wireless device to make sure your ticket is OK. You really don't have to validate a ticket with a train number, departure date and time and seat reservation on it at the little yellow machine. But, I do anyway.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32325 posts
polly, I normally just buy my tickets in Italy, a few days before I'll be travelling. It's very easy to do either at the staffed ticket windows or from the automated ticket Kiosks. I often buy tickets for the outgoing journey when I arrive in a particular city, since I'm at the station anyway. You might find it helpful to have a look at This excellent website. There's a section on the website that describes the current "discount fares" available in Italy. Cheers!