I have learned alot about trains planning for my upcoming trip. I even have a Trenitilia account. But as people have noted on this site, regional trains can't be booked online. How do I determine their schedule ? It would be nice to know if I am planning on leaving a town in the afternoon for another, that there will indeed be a train heading my direction. To complicate matters, we leave for Italy on June 9th and I think the new schedules come out the 10th. Any suggestions are always appreciated.
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
You can check the regional schedules a week in advance. If you need to ride a regional train before the schedule change just check the trenitalia site the night before to see what time the trains are running. this should only impact you for the first couple of days. Donna
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2257 posts
Bob - It may be too late for you this time, but I love my Thomas Cook European rail timetable. It shows all trains, all times (and the times really change very little from year to year; I'm currently using the 2007 edition). Each year, I chop out the pages for the areas we're going to visit and carry them with me. They may not be completley accurate, but they at least give me an idea of the frequency and duration of the trains. For most towns, the trains are very frequent (at least hourly if not half-hourly or quarter-hourly), and you shouldn't have a problem finding a Regionale to get you where you want to go.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Bob, not to worry about the Regionale trains. Just look at the schedule for a week or so out from now on the day of the week you will be traveling. Yes the schedule will be d about June 12, but I wouldn't worry. With 8,000 train runs a day, Trenitalia doesn't really mess with most runs. You can generally expect that what you see over the next week or so will be there when you expect to travel. Also, Regionale trains can't sell out. They are like buses. You buy your ticket, get on and find a seat. If no seats, you can stand. As the Regionale train stops at each stop and passengers get off, you'll eventually get a seat. Depending on where you are traveling, the trains don't run full either.