I've found the time and train I'd like to take. But when I try to purchase the tickets (2, for me and my husband) it asks for seat choices and which coach I'd like. Well, even if I try to guess (and I've looked at the 2005 seating chart that everyone suggests, but it doesn't include our train number) it only lets me put in 3 numbers, and all the seats are double digits. How in the world do you make this work?
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
First of all, you can't buy tickets on the Trenitalia website these days, because it won't accept American credit cards....so you'll either have to choose a service like RailEurope or ItaliaRail...or just wait until you get there. Unless you're needing to book sleeping compartments, tickets shouldn't be difficult to get....just head for the train station when you arrive in Italy and buy them. Secondly, the request for seat and coach numbers is ONLY used if you are buying subsequent tickets....so you can sit next to someone who's already purchased a ticket. If you buy 2 at the same time, they'll put them adjacent.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
I agree. Go to the RR station and buy your tickets. In that way you can talk with an agent, ask questions and get a computer print of your itinerary. It will include train numbers, car numbers, seat numbers, stations where you change trains if needed and all times.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Here's something that might not occur to you. When deciding which seats to get, figure out which side of the train will have the sun shining in. (Look at a map to see what the main direction is that you'll be traveling in, and figure out where the sun will be shining, depending on the time of the train.) You might want to avoid the sunny side unless you like sitting in direct sun. They do have curtains (of course) but then you can't enjoy the view.
Posted by
OP
Austin, Texas, US
2 posts
All VERY good suggestions, I will take them all and not worry about it until we arrive. Thank you for taking the time to help.
Posted by
Pittsfield, MA, United States
103 posts
Just another suggestions - before leaving print out the train schedules from Trenitalia for the destinations, dates and times that you would like to travel - have a couple of options. When you arrive at the train station, greet the ticket agent with a "boun giorno," hand the print out to the ticket agent and point to the exact train you'd like to take. That relieves you and the agent from any communication snafus. We did this and it worked perfectly. By the way - Italy has mastered train travel. It is part of the fun of traveling across the regions!
Posted by
Fresno
189 posts
I also tried buying tickets before we left. The Trenitalia site is difficult at best. We bought our tickets at a local agent recommended by our hotel. There was no extra fee (though the better prices are on the Website) and we didn't pay that much more than what we found online. Come armed with knowledge of prices and offerings - one agent we went to off the street told us the tickets were about four times the price we wound up paying. I agree about printing out your choices of trains and type of seat you want to hand it to the agent. Good luck!