Hubby and I leave tomorrow for Rome. We will be there three days before taking a train to Florence. We already have our train tickets. I am reading on other forums that an Italian Green Pass is needed to take the trains - that our CDC card is not accepted.
Can someone verify if this is true and if so, how do we get a green pass.
Thanks for your help.
You can't get a green Pass, you can only show the CDC card and hope conductors know the law.
What are the other forums?
Where is needed the green pass even the CDC card is accepted. This is the national standard law. Has been reported problems with CDC card in some restaurants, mainly the first days (and not touristic places) when people doing the control didn't know how to control it.
On trains (but even buses/coaches) Green Pass or alternative certificates are mandatory on every train moving between different regions (interregionale, Frecciarossa, FrecciaBianca, Frecciargento, Italo, TEE...). Not required on local trains (Regionale).
In Italy now, zero problems w CDC card, neither trains, museums, churches, etc. Have only eaten outside, by choice. Even restaurants with “a/c” are much hotter than outside. As someone who really stressed out before leaving, don’t. It’s been wonderful. Folks are helpful, crowds are few, lines move quickly. The only exception so far, I wouldn’t recommend getting Covid test at a station. That line is long.
moving between different regions
I am sorry, but I doubt the Green Pass / the CDC card are needed on the Regionale trains running between different regions. For now They are required only on trains with mandatory seat reservations, those trains where standing is forbidden.
I took a train from Venice to Bologna yesterday and they did both a temperature check and Green Card check at the entrance before boarding any cars. They were doing this for every passenger.
I have seen people use CDC card instead of Green Pass and it seems to work fine. They are supposed to accept CDC card as alternative, by law.
Read about the problems on Italy Travel Planning - Covid Discussion group on Facebook.
I emailed the hotel where we are staying in Rome to ask about this. They said there is a pharmacy nearby that will convert your documents to a Green Pass at no charge. Hotel said if we emailed them a photo of our passports and CDC vaccine cards, they would take care of it for us. We shall see😊
The people having issues with trains accepting CDC card were, for the most part, trying to buy tickets at the station. The ones who purchased tickets online were saying they didn’t have problems boarding the train with CDC card. Most of the problems were with long distance trains.
We travelled from Venice to Bolzano 3 days ago, and purchased our train tickets online prior to arriving. CDC card accepted without any questions.
I emailed the hotel where we are staying in Rome to ask about this.
They said there is a pharmacy nearby that will convert your documents
to a Green Pass at no charge. Hotel said if we emailed them a photo of
our passports and CDC vaccine cards, they would take care of it for
us.
That's the first I've heard of that.
It is my understanding that there is no mechanism for US citizens to get a Green pass in Italy.
Please let us know how this works out.
trying to buy tickets at the station
This is the first time I have heard of employees at the counter demanding to see a green pass before selling train tickets. It's odd because neither the official web-sites nor the ticket machines do the same check.
I had no idea a pharmacy could change an US CDC card into a Green Pass for non Italian citizens. If so, it seems that the Secretary of Health has written an ordinance about the acceptance of CDC cards for no reason.
Which train line is everyone using when you say "trains"? The Trenitalia website specifically says "Green Pass or equal", however Italo does not. I messaged them on Facebook asking explicitly about the CDC card. They just said Green Pass and pointed me to the https://www.dgc.gov.it/ website. I then screenshotted the specific FAQ from that website where it says United States equivalent to be accepted as a Green Pass and sent it to them. Their only response was to give them a phone call.
We just arrived in Rome today. Taking a train to Lucca in a few days and after reading all of the comments about CDC cards and trains, I asked the front desk lady at the hotel. She took our ticket info and called Italio for us. They said CDC card is acceptable. We shall see
Which train line is everyone using when you say "trains"? The Trenitalia website specifically says "Green Pass or equal", however Italo does not. I messaged them on Facebook asking explicitly about the CDC card. They just said Green Pass and pointed me to the https://www.dgc.gov.it/ website. I then screenshotted the specific FAQ from that website where it says United States equivalent to be accepted as a Green Pass and sent it to them. Their only response was to give them a phone call.
.
We just arrived in Rome today. Taking a train to Lucca in a few days and after reading all of the comments about CDC cards and trains, I asked the front desk lady at the hotel. She took our ticket info and called Italio for us. They said CDC card is acceptable. We shall see
Do you realize that you are asking some employee at Italotreno's call center if the unknown conductor working on a certain train on a certain day has read the company memo about the CDC card and if he/she will obey the law?
All they can say, obviously, is: "Sure, our company obeys the law". What else could they say? Maybe: "To tell the truth, I have no idea who will be on duty of checking green passes on that train and if he/she usually reads the instructions"?
The law is the law.
asking explicitly about the CDC card.
That's a confusing mistake. Obviously, The Italian law doesn't mention neither the CDC card nor the Canadian equivalent; it says: "Green Passes or documents issued in USA and Canada with the same specifications".
We just arrived in Rome today. Taking a train to Lucca in a few days
and after reading all of the comments about CDC cards and trains, I
asked the front desk lady at the hotel. She took our ticket info and
called Italio for us. They said CDC card is acceptable.
Is this the same hotel that told you to email your passport and CDC card and they would get in converted at a pharmacy?
Apparently that didn't work out?
I messaged them on Facebook asking explicitly about the CDC card.
I wouldn't consider a random person on Facebook an official source, even if it is the Italotreno FB page
