Train info

Trenitalia Italy.
http://www.trenitalia.com/

what is the best WEBsight to use to purchase speed train ticket

The sites of the 2 competing companies that actually run high speed trains:

1. www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
2. www.italotreno.it/en

The complete schedules after June 11 haven't been posted, yet. Any reputable re-seller (i.e. Italiarail) that sells tickets for trains that aren't displayed on the above sites is betting on the new summer schedules using its customers' money.

Competition means lower prices and discounted tickets for advance purchases. Discounted tickets can be a real bargain, but they can't be either changed or refunded. Check the relevant restrictions before purchasing.

You can also buy tickets for both major rail networks in Italy at www.trainline.eu, at the same price as the rail networks (one stop shopping).

I just purchased my train tickets for May/June to save some money on early rates. Very easy, chose reserved seats for Freciarossa and Intercity train, printed tickets and saved under google docs for use in Italy if needed. Just make sure you know the stations and times you'll need. You can also choose to have a text message sent to your phone. Check out http://seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm, it can help answer a lot of questions about Italian trains. Good luck. :-)

I don't know about Italotreno, but trenitalia requires that you use the Italian form of the city and station names. If you're not sure what those are, post again and someone here can help.

I have a question to add. I'll be arriving in Rome then immediately taking the train to Naples then onto Sorrento. If I purchase my ticket from Rome to Naples and miss that train due flight delay, etc can I just board the next train?
Is it easy to take the ferry from Naples to Sorrento? Or should jet lagged travelers stick to the regional train to Sorrento?
Denise

Are these just two train companies running on the same tracks and therefore have the same routes - or might one city pair exist on one and not the other?

Is it worth it to pay the extra dollars to get the premium seats?

How far in advance do you need to purchase your tickets?

Thx

Are these just two train companies running on the same tracks and therefore have the same routes - or might one city pair exist on one and not the other?

Trenitalia is the national rail company, and goes everywhere. Italotreno is competition on some high speed routes only, it does not have any routes where it is the only operator. They both run on the same tracks. "city pair" is a airline concept. Trains rarely go from A to B without intermediate stops, they go A, B, C, D, ... in order to maximise passengers. Unlike flying, the time penalty for a train making an extra stop is only 1-5 minutes.

Is it worth it to pay the extra dollars to get the premium seats?

Second Class is 2+2 seating, First class is 2+1 with a bit of extra leg room. First class is not usually necessary, second class has more legroom than any flight I have ever been on, but it is your choice.

How far in advance do you need to purchase your tickets?

As soon as you are prepared to commit, the cheap seats sell out early. Usually maximum 90 days. See here: http://seat61.com/Europe-when-do-train-bookings-open.htm
And read the rest of that website for lots of useful info.

To answer Denise's question: tickets on fast trains (Frecciarossa, etc.) include a seat reservation and are specific to a particular train/departure time. If you have bought the usual promo-fare ticket and miss the train, your original ticket is worthless, and you will have to buy another ticket, probably at a substantially higher last-minute fare. A quick glance at the Trenitalia website indicates that the advance-purchase cost of a Frecciarossa ticket might be about 25 euros and the cost of a last minute fare, about 45 euros. If forced to buy at the last minute you may find it worthwhile to take a somewhat slower train and save quite a bit of money.

Usually maximum 90 days

Great post chris F, but on trenitalia it's maximum 120 days; of course there is the problem of the 2 timetable changes in June and December that shorten the time window.

OT: Aren't the germans the only ones that still sell train tickets 90 days in advance? I thought that Renfe and Sncf had switched to the 120 days system.