Buying a train ticket for Trenitalia on line

Try this website: http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#How%20to%20use%20Trenitalia.com

Generally, cheap tickets = more restrictions & direct fast trains = seat reservation on a specific train.

Go to the Trenitalia website and check the schedule and fares that come up. Read the conditions for each fare carefully. If your date is not yet loaded into the system, pick a date next month, for the same day of the week that you intend to travel - this will give you an idea and answer your questions.

For major intercity routes, like between Milan and Venice Mestre, direct fast trains are available (for a journey of approx 2 hrs 20 min).

If your plans for the day make a commitment to a specific train iffy, then either buy the cheapest super-economy seat that could become a throwaway, or buy the most flexible fare. Either way, some types of fares can be easily sold out for later trains, so you'd have to see what would be left for availability on the spot.

If your train is for a specific time and date with a seat assignment then that is the only train you can take. You cannot simply jump on another train. These tickets do not need to be validated. You print out the confirmation that is emailed to you and take it with you to give to the conductor when they come around checking tickets.

You may or may not be able to change trains depending on the ticket you purchase. The cheapest tickets allow for no changes or refunds. The mid priced tickets allow for a change up to an hour before departure and the full priced tickets allow for a change up to an hour after departure. You would need to make the changes at the station. I can't tell you if you would be able to change your ticket because I don't know which fare you bought.

As for the route, I don't know which one you booked but most look like they are direct trains. You can visit the trenitalia site to check. If you need to change trains they will usually have both trains listed when you make the reservation. If you only see a single train then you do not need to transfer.

Donna

It depends which kind of ticket you have.

Regional trains. Ordinary tickets are issued without a time window and must be stamped when you board your train. From the moment you stamp the ticket (there are stamping machines at the station) you have a fixed time (in most cases six hours) to complete your travel - so you can board the following train if you are delayed.
If the ticket for a regional train was bought online, is valid for that train and those leaving within four hours. No need to validate it as it already issued for a time window.

For high speed trains, tickets include a reservation and are valid only for the train they are issued for. You cannot change train on your own. For changing reservations, different rules apply. Cheaper tickets cannot be changed and cannot be refunded, some ticket allow changing reservation once before the train leaves, some within a time window from the time the train leaves. The more expensive the ticket, the more flexible. No need to validate fast train tickets are they are already issued for a fixed date and train.

In order to change the reservation you need both the PNR and the CP code printed on the ticket. I believe you can change a reservation on the phone or on the Trenitalia mobile website - if your ticket qualifies for a reservation change.

The Trenitalia website has a box after the arrival and destination points on the schedule if there is a change (or more) along your route. Click on that box and it will show the information for your entire journey.

I had problems booking Trenitalia tickets online. When I was in Sicily, I found that the times listed online were different than the actual train times (and I speak Italian so this was in no way a language barrier or misunderstanding). Of course, Milan and Venice are totally different than Sicily, where life, quite frankly, doesn't make a lot of sense.

You might consider simply buying the tickets when you arrive at the station. Italian trains/busses almost always (in my experience) run pretty late (and once in a while leave early!! scratches head....) so if you are coming to the station by another public transportation means, it makes sense just to play it by ear and go with the flow.

Bottom line... Italy is sort of a mess, but you will always get to where you need to go. In Boca al Lupo!

Thank you all for your prompt reply.

A few additional points.....

With tickets purchased online, these are the rules:

• For Regionale trains, you'll only be able to purchase tickets seven days in advance of the trip. Advance purchase Regionale tickets come with restrictions, so it's best just to purchase those locally either at a Kiosk or staffed ticket window. However (and this is important), you MUST validate the ticket prior to boarding the train on the day of travel or risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot.
• For the "fast" trains which have compulsory seat reservations, it will depend on what type of ticket you purchased. If you get the cheapest Super Economy ticket, these are non-refundable and non-changeable. If you miss the train that's specified, the ticket is worthless and you'll have to buy another at full price (Base fare). If you get an Economy ticket some changes are allowed but that means queuing up at a ticket window and paying a surcharge. If you buy a Base ticket, changes are allowed but you'll again have to queue up. If you're planning to just use Base tickets, why bother buying online since these will be the same price as buying at the station on the day of travel or a few days before travel.

You don't need to validate tickets for the "fast" trains, since they're specific to only ONE train, date and departure time. You validate Regionale tickets by inserting them into the yellow or green & gray machines which will time & date stamp them.

"can I board a different train as long as the ticket price is the same"

That depends. If the ticket is for a Freccia or InterCity train which has compulsory seat reservations, DO NOT board any train other than the one listed on the ticket, or you'll be subject to hefty fines starting at about €50 PP which will be collected on the spot. In addition to the fine, you'll have to pay the reservation fee. If the ticket is for a Regionale train purchased locally, the ticket doesn't become valid until after it's stamped, so you can board any Regionale train. If you forget to validate a Regionale ticket, again fines on the spot! It's important to know what type of trains you'll be using in each case.