We are traveling to Italy in December and I have used Rick Steves Italy 2008 to book all our lodging arrangements myself. We are meeting our daughter in Venice for 12/11 - 12/14, Rome 12/14-17, Florence 17-18 and Milan 18-20.We are confused whether to book our train ahead of time and make reservations, or, as my daughter suggests, just buy tickets when we get to the train stations. Or, should I consult with Rick Steve's via phone for information??? Any Ideas?? The information on line is overwhelming....thanks....
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
Follow your daughter's advice. It will probably be cheaper and more convenient. There is almost never any need for advance reservation on Italian trains other than night trains.
Posted by
Port Townsend, WA
64 posts
Your daughter is right. I walked to 3 of the 4 train stations you listed and told the counter person "I'd like a ticket to _____ (fill in the blank) with a reservation". I don't think the reservation part (advance notice) is the same as it is here. I still don't exactly know what it means--I just do it. The self-service machines are really easy too. Buying tickets right before you board the train also alleviates you from having to be at the train station at a certain time. I thought this was much more relaxing. There are numerous trains per day (every 20-40 mins) between the locations you listed. You'll be pleasantly surprised that your daughter was right and that you didn't have to make sure this was done in advance---Relax and scratch this off of your to do list.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Don't worry about this at all. Just buy your tickets when you are ready to travel. There are automated machines that can give you instructions in English or you can just go to the windows.
Posted by
St. Paul
18 posts
When we were in Italy last month, we purchased tickets and reservations from a travel agent. There's usually no fee. Sometimes we'd even get a discount for a 2-day advance purchase. In each town we were visiting, we'd swing by an agency while we were out and about. There are some suggestions in Rick's book, or just ask your hotel for a nearby agent.
Posted by
Renton, WA, USA
39 posts
We were in Venice and Milan in October, and we sort of split the difference between buying ahead and using the self-serve machine at the last minute.. We happened to be near S. Lucia train station (Venice) late one evening, so just went in and used the self-service machine to get our tix to Milan for the next day. Very easy. Saved any waiting in line, even for the self-serve machine (there were lines in the daytime to use the machines).
On the other hand, we did book a couple days in advance to get from Cinque Terre to Venice, but that's a different story than the big cities you're going to.