We have everything booked and ready to go, things like the colosseum, Vatican, museums in Florence, train pass in Cinque Terre, etc. some train rides too.
They all have QR and barcodes. I feel like everything will be good from our phones, but I’m getting paranoid that I should print everything as well.
Has anyone had issues with using your phones for all of those things?
will you always have a full charge
No. A phone screenshot of the ticket with the QR code is just fine and much easier to manage.
Unless a venue specifically indicates a requirement for a paper document I use mobile/electronic devices for ticketing exclusively - transportation, admission, purchases, etc. if there is a QR code or barcode.
Some tickets say they want a printed copy. The Borghese Gallery one I just purchased wanted it printed. My train tickets are on the Trenitalia app. Side comment - train tickets now need to be “signed in” that day which you can do on the app. You can just do it from your hotel room before you head to the station, if you want.
”I’m getting paranoid that I should print everything as well.”
When I purchase activity ticket reservations, I take a screenshot of the ticket with the code clearly visible and keep those in my iCloud folders by city. That is usually enough. But, for ones that are very special activities, I bring the paper ticket, just in case my phone was lost during the trip. I trim the paper to the size of just the important info.
If I book something from home, I take a printout with me. It's not usually that much paper because I tend to book things, including most hotels, after arriving in Europe. I carry a small, 4" x 6" spiral notebook with me; it's always in my purse. When I book something in Europe, I jot the confirmation code down in that notebook for easy reference. That was helpful when the Campania ArteCard app didn't open a couple of times when I needed to use it for a museum entry. With the code in my notebook, I had no difficulties.
I operate like ramonelee- if it asks for a printout (and some places do), I print. If it says either way is fine, I use my phone. I have a folder in Files on my phone where I save tickets, QR codes, PDF’s, etc. As a backup, I have the same thing on my IPad, should my phone get lost or broken. And of course, it is all in my email, which I can access from any device I might (in an emergency) need to log in from.
Side comment - train tickets now need to be “signed in” that day which you can do on the app.
Only for regional trains
As of 5th August 2023, Trenitalia tickets for regional trains that are purchased online need to be validated. This validation must be done before your train departs and you'll incur a fine if your ticket isn't validated. Note that tickets for Trenitalia's high-speed trains do not need to be validated before boarding
https://www.italiarail.com/booking-basics/what-does-it-mean-validate-rail-ticket-or-rail-pass
As for printing out copies, I do. It takes only seconds to do for each purchase and it's a backup plan in case something goes wrong. I've literally had a phone die without warning; fine one minute, dead the next. If it happened when I was overseas instead of at home it would have been a big hassle if I had no alternatives.
