Italy train service

Trenitalia.com is the official website for Trenitalia trains (both high speed and regional.). The other train company, operating it's own high speed trains is Italo, at italotreno.com. Italiarail is a ticket reseller.

Trenitalia is the official train and the only one that serves those routes
Those look to all be regional trains- no need to purchase in advance as price never changes and they can’t sell out
https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html

ItaloTreno is a private company that only runs fast trains on select routes

The other is a third party reseller

Trenitalia also has an easy to use app

Actually, Italiarail is a US based travel agency. that sells Trenitalia tickets. Stick with Trenitalia. They run the trains.

C Jean is thinking of Italo, a competing high speed train company, that cannot help you for your itinerary, since they only run highspeed trains on the Salerno-Naples-Rome-Florence=Bologna- Milan-Turin mainline, and the Milan-Venice and Venice-Bologna lines. Your trains are mostly regional trains only operated by Trenitalia.

seat61.com has a great explanation of the 2 train systems in italy - with photos and everything. The earlier you book, the better the price. Also the links on how to book are there. You can also email the owner of the site, Mark, and he will answer questions, he is so helpful.

There is no benefit to booking regional tickets early
The price you see now will never change

Fast trains do have discounted offerings, most with specific rules and restrictions

The fastest train from Rome Termini to Orvieto is an Intercity train that does have reserved seats. Orvieto to Assisi is all regional trains that have no seat reservations and are always the same price. Fastest train to Bologna does have a highspped component between Florence and Bologna. Bologna to Ravenna and back is a regional train, again always the same price and no reservations.

Booking a regional train in advance does not automatically give you a seat. You just board and look for a seat, and if none are available, you stand until somebody gets off and you grab it. They are like commuter trains.

Thanks to all of you. You’ve been most helpful. Appreciated?

JimD

Jim,

Use the Trenitalia app to choose the type of train and departure time for each of your trips. It will specify what type of train is being used for each departure. If it's an Intercity or Freccia, those have compulsory seat reservations which are provided with the ticket. The ticket will specify the carrozza (coach number) and posti (seat numbers) where you must sit. Tickets with reservations are specific to train, date and departure time and can only be used on the train specified on the ticket. If you board any other train, even by mistake, you could face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!

If you're using Regionale trains, there are no reservations possible, and no price breaks for buying advance tickets. Buying tickets from an automated Kiosk in the station is very easy, as they have English language menus and take different forms of payment (that's what I often do). However one important thing to remember is that paper tickets MUST be validated (time and date stamped) in the small machines near the tracks.. Failure to do so can again result in hefty fines collected on the spot. Regionale tickets bought online don't have to be validated that way. This should explain the process - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvfgKGm5ZjQ .

Tickets for the Metro and Buses in Rome and other places usually also have to be validated. I often just get a multi-day pass which only has to be validated on the first use, but I haven't checked that lately so you'll have to confirm.

It's likely that you may have one or two changes on some of the routes you mentioned. Use the electronic sign boards in the stations to locate the Binario (track numbers) of each train you'll be taking. You'll probably have to use the underground passageways to move from one track to another.

The station at Assisi is at the bottom of the hill, so you'll have to get the bus to get up to the town. Check the current Rick Steves Italy guidebook for details on that. When you arrive in Orvieto, you'll have to take the small Funicular up to the town.