Particulars about train travel in Italy

If you want to stop and tour a city midway and you have reservations, you definitely need to buy separate tickets. Also, if you have a seat reservation (i.e., there's a specific time on the ticket), you need to get on that specific train at that time – the ticket is useless for another train.

That depends. All trains in Italy EXCEPT the Regionale train require a seat reservation. The Regionale train, more like a bus on rails, has no reservations so you can get on and off. You stand if no seat available or until a seat opens up. For example if you are using a Regionale train go from A to E, you ticket will say A to E. Prior to boarding you will validate (time stamp) you ticket in a little blue/yellow/green box near the tracks. You now have five hours to get from A to E. But any place along that line (B,C,D,) you can get off and get back on the next R train headed in the correct direction. Just get to E before your ticket expires. Since Regionale tickets are pretty cheap and there is little saving in buying a ticket from A to E rather than A to B, and B to E. Probably more convenient to just buy a ticket as needed.

For any other train you will need a specific reservation for each leg of your journey. So if you plan to get off at B then you will need a specific (date, time,train,seat) from A to B, and then B to E. Without looking at schedules, my guess is that most of your travel would be on the faster trains that all require a seat reservation. So the simple answer to your question is, Yes, you probably will need to buy separate tickets for each leg of your journey.

It is unlikely you will travel that whole distance by Regionale trains, the only ones you can hop on and off. And that is restricted to just a small number of hours depending on how you buy the Regionale tickets.

6 hours is barely enough to make the journey by Regionale.

You will almost certainly want to move quickly on your journey (other than wandering around) and for that, all trains beyond Regionale require definite train and seat reservations. Those reservations are worthless on other trains and if you leave the train or moss the connection your ticket is nearly worthless.

Decide what your plans are, buy tickets accordingly and stick to whatever you have decided.

You might change your terminology slightly when looking for the trains you want.

It may be that you are using the term "stop" to mean change, like making a connection between airplanes. That is normally referred to a "Change" or a "Connection". A "Stop" is what the train does at all the station calls it makes. If you try to do that journey by Regionale all the way you may have 20 or 30 stops and 2 or 3 connections or changes.

When is your trip? Do you want to save money or time?

Are you intending multi minute or multi hour visits to the intermediate cities, or multiple days?

Which "other website" are you using for train information? If it isn't either Deutsche Bahn (DB), Trenitalia, or Capitaine Train you are looking in the wrong place and likely looking at unnecessary costs or complications.

Actually each leg of the trip is likely to be on a different ticket anyway. With a little planning you can leave time between legs and reserve trains at appropriate time. As most people have written, a ticket reserved for a given train is worthless after the train has left.

Thank you everyone for your input. Each of you have been most helpful. I needed to be made aware of the different trains - I definitely want to avoid taking the Regionale trains! Also, I needed help with train terminology - change, stop and connection. I think I can make an informed decision now thanks to everyone's help. I greatly appreciate it!

In this same discussion I would appreciate feedback on train tickets in general. W will be there next month. Should we buy train tickets now or can we get them there as needed?

My experience purchasing train tickets yesterday might answer your question. I decided to break up our trip from Monterosso to Venice into two trips after I saw that we would be arriving in Venice after dark. So, as I was purchasing the two different journeys (Monterosso to Milan; Milan to Venice), the fares went up! I was purchasing tickets for 3 adults for non-regional trains. When I began purchasing the tickets, each leg was €27 for all 3 of us, but by the time I was able to key in the info for Milan to Venice, the fare went up to €57! So €10 extra euros a piece! I was purchasing Super Economy. Evidently, in the time it took me to finish transaction #1, they sold out of Super Economy, so my next leg is only Economy. I suppose that since the trains after adopted the airline approach of selling tickets, they only alot X number of tickets for each class of fares. I saw fares for the same trip reach into the hundreds! So, I would recommend that you nail down your itinerary as soon as you can.

give this site a look for some information on trains in Italy. I must admit I have not verified his info but most all I have seen posted by others are positive. I travel to Pisa, Cinque Terre next month so I'll let you know if your trip is later! It is an easy read and offers from video that appears useful for buying tix.

http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#.Ve8ri8uFM5t