Eurail Travel Question

No ticket or seat reservation. You just hop on this type of train and find an open spot in either first or second class. If it's a flexipass, be sure to fill in the travel date before the conductor comes around to check tickets. Don't wait for the conductor to show up, or you can be fined for not having a valid ticket. See also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/using-your-rail-pass.

Of course, if it is a flexi pass, why waste an expensive ($40+) pass day on a 12.10 euro ticket?

If you haven't already bought the pass, you might not want to. Train travel within Italy is almost always less expensive buying point-to-point tickets than getting a Eurail pass.

Happy travels.

It's a global pass. Studying abroad for three months and it actually has saved me a considerable amount of money. Thank you for your responses. I just wanted to make sure I am a law abiding visitor on Italy's railways.

To really be a law abiding visitor, write the date of travel before boarding said train.

Waiting until the conductor (Capotreno) inspects the tickets is completely illegal and if the Capotreno who finds you doing that or not having completed the date is doing their job properly they will cross out the empty or just completed box and write the date in the next box for you - unless they suspect you of trying to evade the use of the pass in which case things can get very nasty.

Now, for the advice to get on the train and write the date on "before the conductor comes around" is, in my mind as a professional railway man who is quite knowledgeable about European trains and passes from an operational point of view - - that's pretty dodgy. As soon as you step on the platform you are within the ticketed area and that date must have been completed before you enter the ticketed area.

Read the terms and conditions which came with your pass - carefully.

I wouldn't want to have you feeling encouraged to wait until you see the Capotreno in the next car in case you might hop off at the next station before being checked so you don't "use" a day. Sometimes on Italian trains tickets are checked by a team who are spread around the train. As I said, if they think you are evading they will become no end of nasty and your day can be well and truly spoiled.

Now, Reed, I in no way think that any of that would apply to you. The reason I write what I write is because of the earlier advice given by a railways and passes expert of the institution supporting all this wonderful travel.

Please follow the rules and put the date on the date box prior to entering the ticketed area.

AND, yes, with a suitably dated pass, you just hop on and off both Regionale and Regionale Veloce trains to your heart's content.

Absolutely! In no way am I trying to avoid the law. I personally don't want to risk a hefty penalty in any given event. Because I have a continuous global pass, I don't have to write down the date and train, regardless right? Because it doesn't matter which train or when as long as I am using my pass within the given three month period stated on my pass.

That's right, Reed, but you do need to write your trips on the log they give you. That also can ve checked by the more fastidious crew in any country on any trip.

Enjoy the freedom!!

I am still wanting to know why someone would use a pass day for this leg, when it would be so much cheaper just to buy a point to point?

in his case,

Because I have a continuous global pass

which make perfect sense.

If it is already paid for, and costs no marginal cost, why not? If I had a pass which allowed me travel for no extra cost I certainly would not pay extra to have another ticket.

The key word is "continuous".

I seriously considered the global pass purely for the flexibility. Time is precious and booking those inflexible tickets, no matter how cheap, makes no sense if you enjoy adventure and have the time. I decided against the pass purely because I wanted to save money and booking early fares is worth it to ME. Different strokes for different folks.