Re-booking rules/practices in Italy for missed Trenitalia train connection

Why not book a direct train Bolzano - Venice?

Anyway, 10 minutes is longer than you may think. You’ll be fine.

If the connection is on a through ticket that Trenitalia is booking for you - Bolzano > Venice - and you miss the second train because the first one was late they are required to make up the rest of your journey. If they are giving you that connection time then they consider it reasonable and, frankly, it does seem like a reasonable transfer time. Most people prefer shorter connection time to shorten their overall journey as much as possible.

Verona has the standard elevated tracks so you need to walk down the stairs - assuming the train isn't on the adjoining track which it might be - and the up the stairs to the next train. If you arrive on time the next train may not even be there yet since the fast trains spend only a few minutes on the platform for many intermediate stops. As I recall the fast trains use mostly tracks 3-8 (but it's been a while) so you won't have to go far.

If you have real concerns about the timing you can look into other trains with different connection times, but if that is the train time that works for you I would book that one. Booking separate legs will probably cost you more than you want to pay for the extra time you may gain.

Have a great trip, aside from Bologna and maybe Rome or Naples don't worry too much about train stations and chnages,
=Tod

@WengenK There are no non-stop routes available. I checked Italo, too.

You don't say your planned travel date, but looking at a random date next month, there are 2 direct trains from Bolzano to Venice S. Lucia. They are operated by OEBB, and they cost more. Otherwise, there are a couple of single-connection Freccia trains in the afternoon with 20 minute connection times if that makes you feel more comfortable.

There are no Trenitalia routes without changes but assuming you book one ticket then either company is responsible for getting you onto your final destination with the change time they gave you. If you are 6 minutes late and don't make the Verona >Venice train they will be responsible for booking you onto the next train. Fortunately there are many trains an hour from Verona to Venice so your delay will be short.

If you are really concerned you can book a different train - most changes look like 15-30 minutes. Although the 12:19 pm weekdays shows a transfer time of 8 minutes which makes your 10 minutes seem longer.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

The Trenitalia app should show us in advance which platform we'll need to move...

Actually it does - you can view the Departures and Arrival boards for your station by opening the main menu [three horizontal bars at top of the Home screen], open While Traveling, and then Departures/Arrivals Board - enter the name of the station.

You may be able to accomplish the same task from the Train Status icon at the bottom of the screen.

These instructions based on the Android tablet app - other platforms may behave differently.

I’m notoriously early for transportation, and that behavior also makes me want to be the first person off of the train if I have a connection. So I would highly recommend taking your carry on and going to the exit for your train car five minutes early, ready to step off as soon as it stops & the green light illuminates next to the door (or similar). This will prevent you from possibly getting stuck behind the line of people including someone with a large suitcase who can slow down the whole process.

I am grateful for the responses but none have answered my main question: If the first train is ON TIME but we miss our second train despite trying our best to get on the second train, will Trenitalia put us on the next available train without additional expense or will we need to purchase a new ticket? I know they will if the first train is late.

I AM feeling more confident of being able to make the transfer within 10 minutes if the train is on time but I still want to know if we have any protection if we can't get from train 1 to train 2, despite train 1 arriving on time. Perhaps we'll accidentally go to the wrong platform. Or we won't be able to get past a queue on the stairs.

I have also read that we cannot use an inter-country train like OBB to get from one Italian city to another Italian city. I suppose that's to protect the Italian transportation industry. Am I wrong?

Travel date: Wednesday, October 7.

I can't help with your hypothetical scenario except to say that if your first train is late you just need to go to the ticket office to book a new (free) ticket to Venice.

However, to your point of being an American- that is totally irrelevent. To your point of being elderly and perhaps slower than the average traveller, there are tips and assistance. First, bring at the door of the train before arrival is very good advice. Next, each platform has an elevator, which would help avoid stairs and perhaps expedite both your descent to and ascent from the underground passageway. And finally, Trenitalia has a service called Sala blu for passengers with disabilities or mobility issues. You can find info and contact info for this service on the Trenitalia website.

Perhaps a video with a walk through the station, including the underground passage, stairs, and elevators may reduce your worries. It is extremely unlikely that you would accidentally go to the wrong platform, if you can read numbers. Or that you would encounter masses of travellers blocking your way.. https://youtu.be/P9E6CrvOtfg?si=s-CeRphWHtDAQC-0

The Man in Seat 61 website also has a brief page on the Verona layout. https://www.seat61.com/stations/verona-porta-nuova.htm

Okay, if your first train is on time, they will not give you a free ticket for a secondary train if you aren’t on board for your ticketed train.

If it helps ease your mind, I’m almost 70 and have never missed a second train when the first one arrived on time. And I have stayed in 50 Italian cities using trains so lots of data points. I’m moving quickly but not frantically. As mentioned on my previous reply, I’m at the train door when it opens. That is important.

Verona Porta Nuova isn’t a huge station. ”I’ve read that at that station, you must walk down a flight of stairs into an underground pedestrian tunnel and back up to your new platform.”. That’s very common.

”I don't know how Americans are perceived in Italy, especially currently.”. I go to Italy yearly. They are very gracious if treated graciously. Watch a few YouTube Italian tourist words videos and use the words. You will have a wonderful time!

To answer your question as best I can - I would personally book a train with a 10 minute transfer in Verona without worrying about it.
I would be happy that it wasn't a 25+ minute transfer extending my trip beyond what was necessary.

Yes, you should have your stuff gathered and maybe even be waiting in the door lobby area when the train comes into the station so you can be at the front of the exit crowd. The Trenitalia app will help you track your transfer train - both it's on time status and the track it will arrive on. Check the board when you get off the train and just head to that track.

To answer your second question: I have never had any negative impact to being an American in Europe beyond that of being a tourist in general. Europeans are experts in separating politics and personal life and treating them as completely separate things. They are acutely politically aware - I think the average Italian knows more about US politics than the average American - but they also separate that from personal feelings towards any individual.
To quote a driver from Paris: "Politics are like someone honking at you in traffic. You're sure that you are right and they are sure they are right and then you both drive away."

Hope that helps, I'm am 100% an over-planner but some things you just need to trust that if Trenitalia is giving you a short transfer that's probably okay and just roll with it.

That's my best advice for Italy in general - "just roll with it".
=Tod

I have also read that we cannot use an inter-country train like OBB to
get from one Italian city to another Italian city.

huh? Where did you read this?

Of course you can purchase tickets and travel on any train you like.

You are way overthinking this transfer.
If you miss your connection due to your fault, of course you'll have to purchase a new ticket. They are not going to let you ride next train for free. Your age and nationality are irrelevant.
If you need assistance sign up for the Sala Blu service

Since there is a direct train on OEBB as noted above why not just buy that journey so you have no worries about the transfer?

Thank you again for all your assistance. I'm now clear about the process and comfortable that we can handle the transfer. I had watched one video but the one referenced showed the corridors more clearly. The signage is excellent and the two videos I watched suggest there won't be the throngs of people I imagined there might be.

Thanks for correcting me about the OBB trains. Obviously, the information I read somewhere on the net (I didn't save the reference) was wrong. However, all but one OBB train also makes a transfer in Verona and that one would get us to Venice later than we'd like.

On the day of travel, as we approach the depot, we'll check the Trenitalia app for our platform number, be at the door prior to arrival, check the board when we deboard, and walk straight to our new platform.

We haven't been to many places outside our country but we always try to be as gracious as possible to the residents of the country we are visiting.

I don't know if these are the videos you're talk about but there's a Youtube video for everything. Here is a video of Verona Porta Nuovo. At about 5:10 on it shows the various platforms: https://youtu.be/P9E6CrvOtfg?si=6S3iksD-uYs5VCX3&t=310

And this one at 6:10 shows walking from Track 1 down the stairs and up the stairs for Track 4: https://youtu.be/TvZV5JJJpVw?si=Xn-oNhDYJT1wnRZR&t=378

I know it can be overwhelming trying to plan for every eventuality overseas, but remember that Italians use the trains everyday to get around cities and around the country. Just because it can seem exotic to us the system moves an incredible number of people everyday and we're just dropping in for a bit. For the most part the system is straightforward and designed to move a bunch of people as quickly as possible. Once you've done it a couple of times it quickly moves from exciting and new to something more mundane and expected.

It sounds like you absolutely have the right attitude and you should be fine. Greet people when you enter a store and wait your turn for things and you'll be fine. They know you are not Italian so they are not expecting you to know all the rules of Italian social life but showing simple respect is really all anyone wants.

Have a great trip,
=Tod