I'm trying to book train tickets from Pisa to Florence in May, but Trenitalia is showing me almost everything is sold out. The only remaining ticketing option is for late at night, and we'll arrive too late to check in to our B&B.
What other options would you recommend in getting from Pisa to Florence in the afternoon, in May?
Rent a car?
Taxi?
Bus?
Walk-up ticket at the train station?
Most trains on this route are regional and are not reserved and tickets are not sold online more than a week ahead. The version sold on line comes with extra date restrictions. It's better to buy those tickets in any train station in Italy and validate them in the date-stamp machine there before boarding the train.
For another train schedule source (that does not sell tickets), see How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online.
@Laura - perfect, thank you!
Trains rarely if ever sell out in Italy. What trenitalia is showing you is that the tickets are not available rather than sold out. Big difference. Regionale trains never sell out because it is open seating. If you cannot find a seat you stand till one becomes available.
We took a bus since we landed at the airport in Pisa. It was very easy, bought our tickets before boarding and dropped us at the main train station in Florence.
If the train says regional or regional veloce, you often cannot reserve ahead - and there is no point to do so. You will pay the same price walking up and paying at the station day of travel, as you would reserving ahead of time. The little shopping card with the red circle simply means you can't buy tickets for the regional trains online ahead of time.
This is also true of any train type with ticket type 'ordinaria' - no savings over buying in person at the station, so may as well not lock yourself in.
Economy or super economy (usually on the fast 'freccia' or intercity trains) are worth reserving ahead of time.
If the ticket type is 'Cartafreccia Special' don't reserve that one - you have to have a special cartafreccia card.
ben,
As the others have mentioned, most of the trains on that route are Regionale so awkward to buy tickets in advance and no reason to do so, since the price is always the same. Your best bet is just to buy the tickets there, either from a Kiosk or staffed ticket office.
One important note though - DON'T forget to validate your tickets prior to boarding the train on the day of travel, or you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot!
Regional train tickets can be used for any regional (R) or regional veloce (RV) train running on the purchased route within 60 days of purchase – thus the reason they must be validated. You can purchase an open regional ticket at the station or from a travel agent any time after you arrive in Italy and then validate it when you get to the Pisa train station. The ticket is only good for 4 hours (sometimes 6 hours) once validated, so don’t validate at the time of purchase unless it’s shortly before you depart for Florence. Note that a few Freccia and Intercity (IC) trains run from Pisa to Florence, and the regional tickets aren’t valid for those trains.
Laura is correct. Most trains have plenty of seats available in 2nd class/coach. Most online reserved tickets are for first class seats. I don't think you'll have any trouble taking the train. Check a day early at the Pisa station when you're there and see if any 1st class tickets are available for the time you want to travel.
