Pre book train tickets, or travel on the fly

Second class is fine. The only reason to book far in advance is to save money, but those cheap tickets become available four months in advance, so they're probably mostly gone by now.

(But I just saw this thread, so consider Italo: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/cheap-er-train-tickets )

Happy travels.

The only reason but a good one for booking on the internet in advance is the discounts that MAY be available. The discount vary by time and train. Obviously less popular train times have more discount tickets available. But in Italy the base fare is till very reasonable so going on the fly works. Second, Regionale trains are never discounted so you can always buy a ticket on a Regionale train at the last minute. We always 2nd class to be more than acceptable. About like business class on the airlines.

We only travel first class. It depends on how comfortable you want to be. It is more spacious and comfortable in first class on trains. In many cases there are extra things offered to those in first class rather than "cattle class." If that isn't a concern, then you might like second class.

Does this mean you do not have lodging reservations? May is prime time in Italy, and reservations are highly recommended! especially for Cinque Terre and Venice.

Terri, we KNOW that you only travel via first class, five star hotels, never worry about luggage weight because someone else is always carrying it for you but to call second class, "cattle class" is overly arrogant even for you. This is web site that emphasis smart travel on the economy side will min amount of pretension. We have spent a lot of time in second class all over Europe for the past 18+ years and have yet to see a cow. Probably because they are in first class.

Michf12, I suggest you not let the earlier comment about "cattle class" determine your choice. That's never been my experience in Italy; anything is possible, but it's not the norm. Also, I've never seen the referenced "extra things" offered in 1st class on the routes you're traveling (or any route I've traveled 1st class in Italy). First class MAYBE will get you a slightly newer car, you'll have a little more seat space, and it MAY be somewhat less crowded. That can make it a little easier to handle luggage... but there is no guaruntee for these "benefits." I once traveled in Italy/France with a 1st class rail pass (not a good use of money in either country); otherwise, I travel 1st class only if the prices are very similar to 2nd class, and it's likely to be a busy day for train travel.

I also think it's somewhat problematical for someone to strongly encourage any OP to spend extra money that may not fit their travel budget. Each of us has a unique financial situation, and it's best when people have objective information on which to base their decisions--rather than fears of a horrendous experience.

I've traveled first and second class and have seen little difference. Very comfortable rides.

Posted by Frank
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
04/07/15 10:49 AM

Priceless!

Where is the "Like" icon?

I have only travelled first class once, when I left my late Sunday evening travel back home from Florence til the last minute, and all the second class seats were sold out......it was a bit roomier, but not overwhelmingly awesome to merit the first class pricetag....but I WOULD consider it if the first class super economy or economy tickets were less than a base fare second class, maybe on a longer trip........we are gonna take 1 first class trip in May, I bought the tickets 4 months in advance, so it was a deal, and its the shortest of our trips, Florence to Rome.....just because my parents wanted to "experience" first class.....

when I just rechecked my dates in May, most of the super economy tickets were still available to my surprise......I would jump on them, maybe just the longer trips if you want a little more flexibility, but you can definitely save money!

Michf12, there are no cattle in second class. I travel second class all the time, first class if the ticket price is the same. First class trains may have specific accommodations (quiet compartments, more media/internet access), but for the most part the services are not worth the extra money for most economy-minded leisure travelers.

If you are unsure of how many nights you want to spend in each city, best not to lock yourself into advance purchase tickets. You can make hotel arrangements last-minute, too, easiest by using a booking service like booking.com (I sometimes book a hotel in the next city the night before I leave).

Here's a good general guide for the difference between 1st and 2nd class:
http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/1st-class-versus-2nd-class

As for our usual choice, all I can say is "Mooo." (The people in 2nd class are more fun, in my experience.)

The reason to book far in advance would be to save money, although for the biggest savings (super economy) you are really locked in to a particular date, time and train. If you change your plans or miss your train, you lose your money, and need to buy new full fare tickets. However, let me put in a word for buying your tickets a little in advance, such as when you arrive in town, or the day before you travel, or even first thing in the morning on the day you travel. I always prefer to arrive at the station to travel with my ticket in hand, as I have faced situations just before departure time with long slow lines at ticket counters, or ticket machines that do not work, or have run out of change or whatever. I have missed trains for this reason (in Naples), and once ended up running through a station and its tunnels and stairways to get to my platform (in calm Ravenna), forgetting to validate my ticket, and then getting nailed with a hefty fine by the ticket taker. He could see that I bought my ticket just a handful of minutes before departure, heard my sob story, and could not have cared less. So, try to buy your tickets a little bit in advance.

My husband and I go to Italy quite often. We never pre-book any train tickets so that we won't be restricted. Regardless of the class of service, unlike Airlines, you are only riding on the train with other fellow passengers...except the size of the seat.

Thank you everyone! And thanks to Lola for reminding me to get on the ball with lodging reservations. :)
We are now all booked up for places to stay, and I am likely to just get ticketed now for the leg from Rome to Cinque Terre so we can be sure to leave early.
For the day trip to Pompeii- do you have to know what train you will be returning on to buy a RT ticket, or do you just hop on whatever train fits your schedule?

For your last question, trains from Pompeii to Napoli run every half hour or so, as do trains from Napoli to Roma Termini. For peace of mind I prefer not to take the last train from Pompeii.

One thing to keep in mind is that many of the trains you may be using on the shorter routes will be Regionale trains. There's no price advantage for booking these in advance and in most cases they only offer second class service. I'd suggest buying those tickets "on the fly" at the local stations the day prior to travel, but you MUST validate them prior to boarding the train on the day of travel. If you forget to validate, you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot.

On some routes (ie: Rome to Naples), you'll be using "fast" trains and those have compulsory reservations which are specific to train, date and departure time. The tickets for those can ONLY be used on the one train listed on the ticket. If you board any other train, you'll be deemed to be travelling without valid reservations and will face hefty fines. You can save money by pre-purchasing those tickets online, however you MUST be willing to commit to a specific departure. Note that the cheapest Super Economy tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable.

When buying tickets you'll need to know the Italian names for stations. For trips to the Cinque Terre, you'll have to use the name of whichever of the five towns you're going to.