On another thread, I saw a couple of people mention that you can't use US credit cards to purchase train tickts . Does this apply only to using the trenitalia site for on line purchases or does it apply to buying tickets at the train stations?
I seem to recall using my Visa card to pay for tickets at the stations a few years ago.
That is not absolute true. Some of the newer ticket machine only take the European chip card. When we were in Rome's termini last Fall there was a bank of ticket machines s along the south side of the ticket area that would only take the new cards. No one was using them. There were plenty of the older machines, worked very well, and were being heavily used. BUT my guess is that over time the old machines will be fazed out.
Tom,
As the others have noted, you probably won't be able to make any purchases on the Trenitalia website using a U.S.-based credit card. There have been MANY examples of that here on the HelpLine.
However, as Frank noted your card should work fine when buying tickets at the stations (unless they upgrade all the ticket machines to the newer "chip & PIN" models in the near future).
I was in a Rome and other locations in Italy a few months ago and purchased tickets on several occasions, at Termini, other stations in Italy and airports. Although my credit card is a "chip & PIN" version, the machines didn't request a PIN which means the transaction was processed using the older magnetic strip technology.
As mentioned in the previous post, it's very likely the older machines will be phased-out, perhaps even sometime this year. For those without "chip & PIN" credit cards, the options will be to use cash (some ticket machines will accept cash, some won't - keep some small bills at hand) or stand in a queue at the staffed ticket windows.
Cheers!
Those comments refer to purchasing from the Trenitalia website only.
US credit cards work just fine for purchasing the tickets in Italy, whether from the machines or at the counter. Assuming, of course, that you have notified your bank that you will be traveling to Italy so they don't block the card.
I stand corrected!
We were just in Italy a few weeks ago and had no trouble using the ticket machines---but we didn't go to Rome.
I did find a machine in Switzerland (at the Zürich airport) that wanted a PIN, so we just used a debit card and entered the PIN. That worked fine.
I did find a machine in Switzerland (at the Zürich airport) that wanted a PIN, so we just used a debit card and entered the PIN. That worked fine.
This is an increasing trend in Europe. Machines and merchants will accept our magnetic strip cards but want a pin number to finalize the transaction instead of a signature. If you have forgotten you Credit Card's PIN call your bank to request a new one.
The chip thing is an increasing trend in the rest of Europe, but not Italy from what I've read.
I just bought all my train tickets on Travelocity ~ easy, used my credit card.
Actually, for Italy they don't inflate the prices too badly, at least on the tickets I've compared. For example, Milan to Florence on the ES: 70/52 euros for 1st/2d class from Trenitalia; $96/71 from RailEurope. That's around $3.40 extra for the 2d class ticket and $5 extra for the 1st class ticket. (At an exchange rate of $1.30).
There were several times when we were in Italy I would gladly have paid $4 or $5 to avoid standing in a long line for tickets, wondering if we were going to get our tickets in time for our selected train.
My biggest issue with RailEurope is that $18 handling fee. But they give you an offer for a free $20 SIM card to kind of make up for that. That worked out fine for us.
You never have to stand in line if you don't want to. You can get your tickets at any travel agency that displays the trenitalia logo or at a ticket machine in the station. both will take credit cards.
Donna
We faced long lines at the ticket machines as well, especially at Pisa. It is very frustrating to be behind someone who can't figure it out, and takes forever.
My best ticket-buying experiences were in smaller towns, where I would go to the train station the day before travel, at a quiet time, and buy them from the agent or machine, wherever there was no line.
But the two times that, for various reasons, we arrived at the station planning to buy tickets right then, we just barely made our train, even tho' we allowed 30 minutes to accomplish the purchase and find the train.
