Regionale train ticket question

I think that travel must be completed within the 4 hour window, but I will defer to someone who can read the conditions of carriage in the original Italian. Here is the google translate version.

Validity - The time validity starts from the moment the ticket is validated.
The journey must be completed within 4 hours of the validation, except for exceptions specified in the specifications regional rates.
Tickets purchased online are valid for 4 hours from the departure of the chosen train and not need validation.

Since Regionali are always the same price and have no reservations, there is really no reason to buy online unless using a ticket kiosk is intimidating for you. Lines at ticket windows can be an issue for some. Validate those tickets bought in Italy before boarding.

The 4 hours refers to finish time not to start time. You need to be finished and off within the 4 hours.

A bit of further clarification on the validation rule. This from the Trenitalia website.....

"Tickets must be validated before the train leaves the validators. The ticket is valid for 4 hours from the moment of validation.
Different periods of use may be provided for by individual tariffs and other provisions tariff."

Hopefully the translation is reasonably accurate. This would seem to indicate that if the journey is started within the four hour period, the ticket may still be valid beyond that. For example, if one were to buy a ticket for departure at 10:00 but didn't actually validate the ticket and depart until 12:00, the ticket would still be valid until 16:00. I've never tested that theory, but that's the way I read it.

One caveat though - if one decides to take a later train, it's important to ensure that the train you eventually use is a Regionale and not an Intercity.

So to tie together the two:- if the ticket is purchased online it is valid for 4 hours from the nominal departure time on the e-ticket regardless of what time that train or any following finally arrives at the station, and if a physical ticket it is valid for 4 hours from whenever the traveler validates it.

So if a traveler has an e-ticket for a 9:00 train it is valid from 09:00 and expires at 13:00 (1:00 pm). If the 9:00 train doesn't arrive until 9:50 or doesn't arrive at all and the traveler joins the 10:00 train the ticket still expires at 13:00.

If that same traveler has a real physical ticket they bought just before the expected arrival of the 9:00 but doesn't validate it until the train is on its way into the station at 9:50 then the ticket will be valid until 13:50.

Nigel

That is the same understanding I have. When you purchase a Regionale ticket on-line you have to specify a start time (not a specific train) and the ticket is good for four hours. That is why I and many others recommend that you do not ever purchase Regionale tickets on-line -- to restrictive. A Regionale train ticket is never train specific. All other train tickets in Italy are train specific.

There's a simple way to avoid the whole 4-hour issue. Buy regional train tickets for your desired day of travel once you're in Italy, either at a ticket window or from a kiosk. The price will be exactly the same as if you buy online. The tickets will be valid for any regional (R) or regional voloce (RV) train that day. Simply validate them before boarding whatever R or RV train you decide to take. Note that Intercity trains require a reservation, so you would need different and slightly more expensive tickets for those.