Please help with train advice!

First -- I haven't checked schedule or routing. But -- in generally -- if a Regionale train - R - always buy the tickets as needed the day of or before. R trains never sell out and no discounts. All other trains in Italy required a seat reservation and are offered at three price levels -- Super economy, Econ, and Base. The SE and E tickets are limited deep discount tickets with restrictions. The number of these ticket available for purchase are limited by train, date, and time. The ONLY reason to buy these tickets in advance is to take advantage of discount tickets --- if available.

Download the Trenitalia app and then buy tickets whenever it pleases you. Generally speaking they will not sell out

Hello Joy,

As noted high speed trains come with seat reservations and specific times and are most expensive "day of" as an option. There is the potential that they can sell out but that depends on demand, time of year etc. The local regionale trains can't sell out and there is no reason to buy tickets ahead of time.

Checking the Trenitalia site: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

• Verona (Verona Porta Nuova) to Bolzano (Bolzano Bozen) - There are some fast trains but more local trains. It only saves you 45 minutes so it's up to you
• Bolzano to Bologna (Bologna Centrale) - There are a few direct fast trains that take 2h 32min while direct while the direct slow train takes 4h 4min. Many of these routes have changes so you would need to look at them and decide what time and how much hassle works for you. -Parma to Varenna - It is possible to get a fast train from Parma to Milan and save you about an hour but Milan to Varenna is always the same (see below) -Varenna (Varenna-Esino) to Milan - Local train run by Trenord. It technically has a first class sometimes but it is just a few seats - don't bother with that.

You have several routes with sections that are served by fast trains but not all of it. You essentially need to choose between time saved with a pre-booked scheduled train you have to catch and a less scheduled but slower train option. You're not on any really long hauls so the time savings - while nice - don't strike me as critical.

The ticket item in the schedule will show you what kind of train it is and how many changes. Click on the ticket in the purchasing app and it will show you all the details - type of train, times, length of time in the station for a change. If you buy a changeable fast ticket and you miss it you can use the ticket to re-book (paying any difference in cost) but if you buy a super saver ticket and miss it because you (not the train) were late you lose it.

Download the Trenitalia app and you can check schedules, track trains and buy tickets from your phone.

I know it's a lot but it's not as confusing as it seems. Come back if you have more questions.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

I can tell you categorically that for the first two you will be fine unreserved if that's how you choose to do it. There are a lot of trains and buses between those locations, That's frequent as every 30 minutes for trains. I would buy tickets maybe the day before on the Italian train app or on? Suedtirol Mobile app (which is excellent)

And then if you're choosing one of the fewer high speed trains were seat reservations are available, take a look at how busy it's going to be and decided that point if it's worth it.

It's always worth mentioning this website which knows almost all there is to know about trains:

www.seat61.com

Fyi-
Each time I've been on the regional train from Varenna to Milan it has been very crowded, standing room only. The train arrives at the station already packed, so getting to the Varenna station early doesn't help. Our most recent experience was this past May, on a Monday, mid- morning. However, this train is only one hour.
So just prepare yourself mentally.

Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks everyone - we called the Rick Steves people and they recommended trainline.com.

Would you recommend that or the trenitalia?
thanks

Their recommendation of Trainline puzzles me. I admit I am not that familiar with finding tickets in Italy, but I have a lot of experience with ticketing for German Rail, and Trainline is NOT the site to use for tickets in Germany. Use the English version of the Bahn website for Germany. I've done some "phantom" ticket buying on Trainline for German trains, and they are always more expensive than the same tickets from the Bahn. The Bahn website's English side is no more difficult to use, and it's less expensive.

Trainline is a travel agency/reseller
I don’t know why they recommend it

Use Trenitalia -the actual train company
They also have an easy to use app

https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html

Verona to Bolzano, you have four choices:
- regionale on Trenitalia, no reservations, usually two hours or two hours 15 minutes
- frecciarossa, compulsory reservation, 1 hour 30 minutes and more confortable
- EC trains, 1 hour 30 minutes, but they are not run by trenitalia, they are Austrian/German trains, often crowded at peak times, reservation not compulsory but advised; ticket can be bought from Trenitalia or OeBB (Austrian railways)
- two Italo trains per day, 1 hour 30 minutes, compulsory reservation on proprietary system

.....are most expensive "day of" as an option...... That is a little misleading statement. Generally if you buy a ticket a couple of days before or even day of, it will be the Base fare because the discount tickets will all be sold earlier. But the Base fare will be the same price whether bought the day of or a month earlier. Italian train ticket prices are fixed for that train and time and don't charge hourly as US airline tickets do. The Base fare is the most expensive of the three fare levels but does provide the most flexibility. And in Italy, train fares are very reasonable if not actually cheap.

Good point above that seat reservations are cheap in Italy, 2 or 3 bucks on most trains on the routes you will ride. May as well given low price.

With 2 or 3 "bucks" you do not pay for a seat reservation, but for the right to pick your seats from a chart. It's a waste of money since the system always seats as close as possible the passengers who get tickets in a single transaction . Otherwise checking tickets would turn into a small nightmare for conductors.

There is only reserved seating on all Italy's IC and high speed trains and the seat reservation is always included in the cost of the ticket. Speaking about seat reservations as something separate from the tickets makes sense only for Trenitalia pass holders.
There are no reserved seats on Regionale trains and you can't pay more to get one.

Dario thanks, That's helpful information, appreciate it

I like Trainline app . Have used it for trains in France and got a great price on high speed between Milan and Florence in September . I was confused about some of the wording on the confirmation email I received, so I emailed Customer Service with my question. They responded in about 10 hours, fully understood why I was concerned, confirmed I had in fact, booked it a first class ticket and explained how it would work when I presented my emailed ticket at boarding, that is the second time I have sought their customer service and found it prompt and responsive. Not an expert on trains, but find Trainline to be quite helpful. I booked early enough. I got an excellent round trip on first class. I am OK paying a little extra for a reliable service/support.