Assisi trains

Tickets for a Regionale train are only valid for a specific day. On that day you can take any train you want. You have to validate your tickets by stamping them in a machine, which you'll find in the station hall or on the platform. (After validating, you must use them within 4 hours.)

You have to purchase them for a specific journey on a specific date so no, you can't purchase them in advance for use on either Monday or Tuesday; you have to choose a date of travel when you purchase the ticket.

You don't, however, have to choose a specific time of day. Your ticket is good for 4 hours from the time of validation, which should be done just before boarding the train.

If you're unsure, just buy your ticket on the same day you decided to go as that's not difficult to do.

(Sorry for the redundancy, Tom. I was still typing while you were posting.)

There is a difference between regionale trains tickets purchased in Italy (at the counter, at automatic machines and tobacconists) and those purchased on-line. Hence the differences between the 2 above messages.

A regionale train ticket purchased in Italy is day specific. Before boarding the train you must time-stamp your ticket. From the moment you time-stamp it, that ticket can be used on any regionale running that route within the next four hours.

A regionale ticket purchased on-line is also day specific, but it can be used on the booked regionale and on any other one departing within the next four hours. Of course there is no need to time-stamp a regional ticket purchased on-line.

As regionale trains have no reserved seats they can't sell out, the only reason to purchase online is avoiding queues at the counter.

Thanks everybody for your help. We'll buy the tickets on Sunday depending on weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday. (I don't want to wait til Mon morning to buy - too much stress, would rather have the tickets in hand as we will take an early train from Termini.) And glad to hear we can gauge our return depending on how much we've seen by late afternoon.

You can buy your return tickets at the same time you buy your tickets to Assisi. Just don't validate them until you're ready to leave Assisi.

Thanks Keith - I am a bit OCD so we will definitely be sitting at the station before its time to leave.
And Frank - I was wondering if we had to wait to buy the return tickets in Assisi - glad we can get the returns at the same time we buy our out-going ones at Termini. Thanks.

Took the train from Assisi to Rome just last week. The ticket machines, which are on the platform in Assisi, are incredibly easy to use, and have english language options.. Just remember, if you use the machines and pay with a credit card, you need a pin. I believe there is a ticket window, but it does’t upon until 12 or so. The Assisi station is far from town: we took a taxi from and to the station. Traveling by train in Italy is easy and convenient. If I recall, the trains from Rome to Assisi were only regionale trains. Perfectly fine: we tend to go 1st class, when available, because it is less crowded with more room to keep luggage at your seat. Assisi is amazing!

You can buy a domestic Italian rail ticket to and from any Italian destination, from any ticket sales point in the country. For instance, if you are in Roma Termini Station and want to buy a ticket from Assisi to Florence, you can. As above, you need to specify the date the ticket will be used. If you are indeed buying a ticket that is starting somewhere besides the city you're in, make sure you specify this, either to the ticket seller or the machine (the machines' default is for tickets originating from that station; just change it before choosing the destination).