Hi there! I'm leaving in May for a one month solo backpacking trip through Europe! I'll be flying between countries primarily but I'm spending a good chunk of time in Italy where I'll travel by train. I'll be traveling by train to Rome, Florence, Pisa (day trip from Florence), Bologna, Verona, and Venice. I'm wondering if it'll be cheaper to buy the Eurail Italy train pass and pay extra for reservations or booking individual tickets between each location? Any information and tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
1069 posts
Trains in Italy are inexpensive enough that you really don't need a Eurail pass. You can save some money, on the Freccia high speed trains, by booking in advance. The stricter you are with your schedule, the greater the savings. 2nd class is fine - none of your trips are that long. It looks like the only Regional train you'd be taking is Florence to Pisa. No need to buy a ticket for that in advance. Have fun!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
In Italy it almost always makes more sense to do point-to-point train tickets as needed. Good for you for asking!
Posted by
OP
Olympia, WA
3 posts
Thank you so much for the feedback! It sounds like booking individual tickets will be my best bet. I've been looking/using the Omio app that lists all the train information and allows me to book tickets. Should I continue using that or do you have a website you recommend for making purchasing the individual tickets?
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3300 posts
In Italy use the TrenItalia website or download their app. Just remember you have to use city names in Italian -Roma, Firenze, Venezia.
Posted by
Italy
3812 posts
In Italy use the sites of the two competing companies running italian trains trenitalia.com and italotreno.it/en
With a pass you can freely get only on the slow Regionale trains, whose walk up tickets are cheaper than a day on a pass. You won't be allowed to board none of Italotreno's high speed trains.