My husband and I will travel from Venice to Bolzano in late August. When I query for trains between those two cities on the trenitalia website I'm provided with multiple travel solutions. Most of these solutions, however, only offer a 9 minute connection. With this website you can only trains from within the same "solution." The solutions are not flexible. That is; I cannot a train for the first leg from one solution and the second connection from a different and much later solution. In most cases the second train is a Regionale train. Does this mean that even though I'm ing a first class ticket on a Regionale Veloc train that departs at 15:48 that I'm actually buying a ticket that can be used on a later Regionale train going from Verona to Bolzano? Thank you.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
I see the 9 minute connections. Generally, you can make these connections. However, you will freak a bit when you see your departing train a couple of platforms away and you have to run down stairs, go through a tunnel under the platforms, and then run up stairs to you next train. I haven't changed trains in Verona and perhaps both trains may be on the same track or platform. Second, Trenitalia now permits you to buy a Regionale ticket in advance online when combined with a ticket for a high-speed. Your high-speed will be pre-validated with seat reservations on it. It will have a 6-digit PNR number. For the Regionale ticket, it will also be pre-validated and will have a different set of numbers. In the travel conditions on the ticket, it will say "Tickets are already validated and allows journeys to begin within 4hours from the date/time indicated on this receipt" Says so on my recent ticket from Foligno to Rome. So it looks like you can wait for the next Regionale train. However, I haven't had to use that feature and I'd like to hear from others. Now, if you were to try and buy the Regionale ticket by itself online, you would not be able to do so for late August. You can only buy it associated with a high-speed ticket like I described in another response. Secondly, the Regionale ticket bought by itself in Italy was always good for 60 days on any Regionale train making the run listed on the ticket. Buying it online with the high-speed and having it pre-validated and limiting it to a 4-hour window is a new change. I'd like to hear comments on this change as well.
Posted by
FL
99 posts
My 2 cents ... I pre-purchased some tickets in advance (i.e., Florence to Venice direct) and used travel agents for others. I used a travel agent (near the Bridge of Sighs) for the trip to Bolzano because of the switch in Verona. The agent spoke terrific English and gave me the timetable for the next train available in the event we missed our connection (which we didn't, but it gave me piece of mind). We did not reserve seat as it was a regional train. He said as long as the ticket wasn't validated, we could just take the next train. He spoke excellent English and was patient, an absolute delight, even as they were closing for siesta. We had a 9-minute window to catch the "next train" to Bolzano and expected we wouldn't make it (we have a knack for getting lost in Italian train stations), but we made the train with time to spare. Verona is an easily navigatable station ... just watch out for scammers & pickpockets. It's where we encountered the most (even more than Rome and Florence).
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32318 posts
Katherine, "However, you will freak a bit when you see your departing train a couple of platforms away and you have to run down stairs, go through a tunnel under the platforms, and then run up stairs to you next train." I have changed trains in Verona, and Larry is absolutely correct. Should your next train happen to be departing from one of the far platforms, that's an accurate description. It took me a few minutes to locate where they were. Now that I know the way, a nine minute change wouldn't be a problem. I'd have to check to see if there are any maps of the Verona station. If you research the layout, you shouldn't have any trouble making a nine minute connection. Happy travels!