Buying train tickets on-line

If you are buying for a FAST train, then YES, it's better to buy ahead, and you will save money. If you are looking to buy for a local train, don't bother buying now, paying a fee for the ticket, just buy as ready.

A limited number of highly discounted but nonrefundable tickets on the fast (Freccia) trains become available four months before the actual date of travel. When they're gone, they're gone. You may have missed out on the best bargains since you're talking about traveling next month, but it can't hurt to look. trenitalia.com

There are three levels of tickets for Trenitalia. Super Economy which can be really cheap but are no refundable, no exchange - period but savings is signification - depending on train, time could be 25% of full fare. Actually number available are limited and sell out quickly. Economy - Not as cheap but can be exchanged and the paid amount credited to another ticket. Again limited and sell out. (Think Southwest airline concept) Full fare - anytime and no point of purchasing in advance. Full fare is still pretty reasonable in Italy. The above applies to all trains in Italy EXCEPT the Regional trains. Regional train tickets are one price - pretty cheap - and never sell out. They should never be bought on the internet. Just buy them the hour before you need them. Be sure to validate - time stamp - before using.

Check out the new train system ITALO. www.italotreno.it Was in Italy for 3 weeks in July and we were able to use ITALO for all of our major journeys. I booked online before leaving home on their user-friendly website They use the same train stations as Trenitalia except for Rome where they use Tiburtina which is a few subway stops from Roma Centrale. We got great prices, nice new trains and free wi-fi. Saved alot of Euros booking in advance compared to what we previously paid by purchasing when we got to Italy. I would definitely travel with ITALO in the future.

People have regularly reported difficulties in buying tickets online via Trenitalia, though I have never had any problem with it. Just read everything carefully and take your time before clicking "continue" (or equivalent) as you go through the process and you should be fine. I also recommend the Italo service. It is quite nice. However, the Trenitalia high-speed trains are also nice, and I have noticed lately that Trenitalia has gotten very competitive with Italo on the pricing. Sometimes the Trenitalia option is cheaper. And in the case of Rome, more convenient, since it leaves from Termini, instead of Italo's departures from Tiburtina or Ostiense (which, for me at least, are not as conveniently-located). For many itineraries that I have recently searched, it was actually cheaper to purchase a one way on Trenitalia for one direction and a one way for Italo in the other direction, rather than a round-trip on one or the other. I am a price-shopper, in any case, while for some people it will just be easier and simpler to buy the roundtrip on one or the other and pay the slightly higher amount.

Recommend that you check prices immediately for significant savings. On both Rome - Florence and Rome - Naples routes we got 19 euro fares each way on the fastest trains. Regular fares showed as high as 85 euro. There also seem to be some prices at intermediate levels like 29 euro. But you will have to decide the exact date and time you want to go.