Early Bird Tickets on Italia Rail

Italiarail doesn't run trains....it's a reseller, selling on the "expectation" that the trains will be on a similar schedule.....

ONLY go with Trenitalia and Italo, and when they release the tickets the prices are the cheapest......as the fares sell out, they go higher....

Changing trains by an hour isn't a big deal though, I usually schedule my "city changing train trips" after lunch and before dinner. If I REALLY wanted to do this deal, I would just pad it a little more.

BUT, no need to try to beat the system (because that would be the ONLY reason that would appeal), as the prices probably won't be that much different.....

You SHOULDN'T buy the train tickets for your arrival day in advance (but buy for your OTHER train trips for sure), due to the possibilities of early or late flights......take the ease of not having to worry about making your train and just buy the "next" one :)

Just to reiterate, for emphasis, ItaliaRail is NOT a train company. They do not run the trains (any more than Google Flights runs an airline) They are a 3rd party reseller. The 2 train companies in Italy are Trenitalia and Italo.

There is no secure advantage to buying a Freccia ticket in advance if you are travelling on an arrival day. There is no assurance that your flight won't be delayed or that you may face delays at Passport Control, baggage collection, or with the Malpensa Express. If you buy one of the cheap categories of ticket, and miss the train, then you have no choice but to buy a new ticket at the current same day price. If you buy the highest category ticket, you will have saved no money at all. So you might as well wait and buy a ticket on the next train when you get to Milano Centrale.

If you will have other high speed train trips during your visit, by all means buy them in advance. But wait until they become available on the train's website, and buy directly from them.

Thanks, all. I knew that about ItaliaRail. I just typed it wrong - lots of names to keep straight. :)

Everything I read and hear says to buy the high-speed train ticket in advance because it sells out. You are both saying that is not true?

They do not sell out. The Super Economy and Economy tickets might sell out over time, but Base fare tickets are almost always available. There are lots of trains running between Milano Centrale and Venezia S.Lucia. It would be a freak event that they all sold out.