Train reservations

There really is no "need" to purchase train tickets in advance as they rarely sell out and there are many trains per day for the cities you mention. The reason most of us advise buying tickets ahead of time is to take advantage of the huge discounts you can get. You can get fares as low as 9 euros per person. These are non-changeable and non-refundable tickets so you should be sure of your travel plans before buying them. If you want to purchase tickets on the day of travel just go to the station and use one of the ticket kiosks to purchase them. You shouldn't have any issues getting tickets for the trains you want. Donna

Sounds like you know your exact travel days, so why not take advantage of the significant discounts? Also, around Easter, there are a lot of people traveling, so you cannot be 100% certain you will get tickets day-of at the station, and they will b expensive. If you are targeting March 27, SuperEconomy is already sold out on Trenitalia. The other discounts will go fast as people secure their plans. but right now you can get 4 tickets for €68 - €88 (2 A, 2 C), a very good price. ItaloTrenomight be an option, too, but their schedules are not listed beyond March 18 yet. I would check them every day until the ticket sales open. You may score €20 per person tickets. They are VERY nice trains. They lso run Venice/Firenze.

I am seeing mixed info regarding the need for train reservations. Just to clarify, Cindy, if your question is that you don't understand the reservations situation completely... You only don't have to have a seat reservation if your trip is on a Regionale train - the all or many stop local trains. In fact Regionale trains don't offer seat reservations. If you are using a Regionale train then you MUST validate the ticket before you get on the train. If you use an InterCity, or a Eurostar Italia (such as a Freccia Bianca, Freccia Argento, or Freccia Rossa) or the new ItaloTreno you need to reserve a specific seat in advance. If there are still available seats that "advance" can be as few as a few minutes. Other than Regionale trains for which the tickets do not change in price (except for periodic fare "reviews") all other types are cheapest when first released to sale. They never go down, but they certainly do go up until they reach the "base" price. If you walk up and buy your ticket just prior to travel you will pay the highest possible price. So, for Regionale, just turn up and buy your ticket, and validate. For the others, buy early for cheaper price, or turn up and pay full price, and because they have have seat reservations included no validation is required. What you can never do is just get on without a ticket and hope to buy one onboard. In that case instead of a ticket you'd get a fine. Most of the people making the two segments you ask about, Venice to Florence and Rome to Naples, would use the high speed options rather than Regionale trains. How are you getting from Florence to Rome?

See RoninRome.com for the best explanation on riding Italian trains. There are so many trains running your itineraries that you don't have to buy tickets ahead. And seldom if ever do trains sell out in March. But on the fast trains, reservations are required, even if buying 2 hrs. before the train leaves. You could go into the train station the day before your train leaves and make reservations and purchase tickets. You'd then not have to put yourself into a rush just before the train was ready to leave.

Cindy, The excellent description provided by Nigel will hopefully have answered many of your questions. There's not really too much "mixed info" regarding reservations on trains in Italy. If you're travelling on a "premium" train such as the Freccia (fast) trains, reservations are compulsory and these are specific to each train number and departure time. Those without reservations for the train they're riding on may be fined on the spot, and the fines start at €50 PP and increase from there. The same fines apply to those riding on Regionale trains with unvalidated tickets. I know this for a fact, as I've seen it happen numerous times (including the locals being fined). Those travelling with a Railpass will have to pay separately for the reservation fees. Reservations are included for those travelling with a P-P ticket. As the others have mentioned, substantial discounts are possible for those that pre-purchase tickets, but the reality is that the Super Economy and Economy tickets usually sell out very quickly. Also, some here have reported "issues" when using the Trenitalia website. If you'd prefer not to reserve in advance, simply stop in front of an automated Kiosk, choose your train and pay for the ticket. It's VERY easy, but you'll likely pay "Base fare". I normally like to buy tickets for my outgoing journey either when I arrive in a city (since I'm at the station anyway) or at least a few days before I'll be travelling. As someone else mentioned, the excellent Ron In Rome website has LOTS of great information on the topic. Happy travels!

Thank you all for all this great info. Since the fast train I want is Freccia Rossa from Rome to Naples, I will reserve ahead. I will re-evaluate our options for Venice to Florence. To answer Nigel's question regarding "how we are getting from Florence to Rome: By car, we have a private driver/tour guide to take in some remote areas en route to Rome. I have used train transportation in Italy before, but it was a simple ride from Messina to Taormina and I just went to the window and ordered. If I order online, do I get a voucher to print? They don't mail tickets, do they?

I'm looking at tickets from Florence to Rome as well and am getting frustrated as the 38euro fares keep disappearing. I don't know if it's because I added them to the cart and the inventory goes to zero until it times but a lot of fares are now showing at 58euro. There is an 18euro fare but it it's a 2.5 hour ride that leaves Florence at 5:50am (not sure if it's worth it. Plus, check-in time at Rome is at 2pm...) At that rate, is it even worth buying the tickets in advance? Also, are there foreign transaction fees charged to applicable credit cards when purchasing directly from the Trenitalia site?

@Jeremy, I'm not sure what problems are occurring with your ticket purchase? However, this is not surprising, as others here have reported "issues" when making purchases on the Trenitalia website. Check the Ron In Rome website for a detailed description on purchasing tickets. You could also consider the new Italo trains. One point to note is that these use Roma Tiburtina rather than Termini, however that's a minor detail. I haven't used it yet, but the Italo website is apparently less problematic. Happy travels!

Cindy, Regarding your iPhone, you'll need to be VERY careful with the issue of data roaming, as the charges can be HUGE! There's LOTS of information here on the HelpLine on that topic - do a search. Which cell network are you with, and which model of iPhone are you using? The easiest choice would be to use international roaming with your home network. You'll need to purchase the applicable roaming package (voice and/or data). If you're only planning to make a few short calls or use text messaging, that can be a reasonably cost effective option. You won't be able to use SIM cards from European networks unless your iPhone is unlocked. Cheers!

I ended up just purchasing one for 38 euros (two of us) leaving at 9:04am from Florence SMN. Early but the one at 11am seemed flaky and like someone else was looking at the same time and decided to buy. I noticed on the ticket emailed to me that it has my name only. Will this be a problem for my wife as her name is not on the ticket at all? One other question: Florence to Rome was obviously the most expensive for all the train rides. Should I pay in advance for Pisa->La Spezia/5T as well as 5T/La Spezia->Florence (with a possible stop in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower if we don't get to it on the way to 5T). Or should I just buy all those tickets when I'm there?

Thanks David & Ken! Cindy, you will not need tickets mailed to you . You will get a verification code called a PNR through the email from Trenitalia. All you need to do is give this "PNR code" to the conductor when he comes through. You can print the email out, memorize the code and just tell them, or many folks just hold up their smartphones for the conductor. Read more at this post. I take the safest way and print out my email and carry it... So the PNR code becomes your "ticket." Good Luck!

Thanks Ron.....Sounds easy enough.
Now I have to figure what I'm doing regarding my smartphone. I have a newer iPhone that's ready, but have to learn the roaming and call charge info.

@Jeremy, The train from Pisa to La Spezia will most likely be a Regionale train so you won't be able to pre purchase tickets (there's no need to do so). Simply buy tickets from a Kiosk or ticket office when you arrive in Italy. Of course with Regionale trains, DON'T forget to validate your ticket prior to boarding the train! Cheers!

Thanks Ken! I found an "IC" train that goes directly from Pisa to Monterosso, but it leaves later in the evening. I noticed it also costs less (11euro) than the Regionale trains (16euro) and doesn't require a change. Seems the cost of tickets ranges from $15-$20 (US) per the Trenitalia site currently. I'd assume these prices will pretty much remain the same when we go in March as well? I shouldn't be concerned about any fare increases between 5T/La Spezia to Florence either, right? I'm just worried about any more fare increases and if I need to pre-purchase any other tickets before I go. It sounds like don't need to worry about that between cities and towns that are relatively close to one another, though.

@Jeremy, I normally choose trains based on the departure time rather than the price. I prefer to depart sometime after breakfast and arrive in a new town in the mid-late afternoon. That's a good time to check-in to Hotels as the rooms have been serviced, do a bit of exploring and then have a relaxing supper. I don't know which fares will increase, or the amounts. The "bottom line" is that you'll have to pay whatever the fares are, so it would be a good idea to build a bit of a "cushion" into your budget. Cheers!

I finally got the tickets for the 2 legs of my trip. The trenitalia website leaves a lot to be desired! I also had experience with the super economy tix choices disappearing and then reappearing. I think it was due to the fact that I had a few failed attempts with the payment going through. I think the items were still being held in my original cart. The first time I used a VISA debit card. The second time after numerous failed attempts with the same card, I ended up using PayPal. It's the only way I could get the order to got through. I was a little concerned that I never rec'd a confirmation. I guess I wasn't patient enough they showed up in my mailbox a few hrs later. All is good. Thanks again for all your great advice!

It seems like some of the IC trains (at least from Pisa to Monterosso) require no changes, have the shortest travel times/durations, and are currently the least expensive. Is it generally a good idea to reserve these in advance anyway?

@Jeremy, If you don't mind committing to a particular train and departure time, you could certainly pre-purchase your ticket from Pisa to Monterosso. The IC does have the shortest travel time, so that's always nice. Be sure to note Cindy's comments regarding the Trenitalia website leaving "a lot to be desired". Cheers!

Thanks Ken, Yeah, I just purchased a ticket from Florence to Rome yesterday and was having problems doing so at a particular time. I opted for an earlier train and the purchase seemed to have gone through fine. Pretty annoying to say the least. I'm just debating whether to pre-purchase some of the tickets or be more open/flexible and wait until we're there.

I highly recommend you call your credit card company before making on-line purchases through Trenitalia. I must have spent at least 10 minutes speaking to the fraud department of MC re: what I was purchasing, how much etc. I very easily purchased four different train tickets on the site. I was able to get a combination of Super Economy and Economy tickets. I was sent an email with the train information and PDFs of each trip. If you have set plans you can save quite a few euros.

Can I join this conversation with a similar question about train reservations? If you buy ahead of time, on the frescia train (Rome to Naples) and end up missing the train (if the airplane is late), can you use that same ticket on a later train?

Melinda, the strategy I would use is to buy super economy tickets in advance if you're able to get them at the 9 euro a piece rate. That way, if you make the train in time, you've saved a bucket of money. If you miss the train, you're only out a few euros. Remember, the super economy fares become available four months before the travel date, so start checking a day or so in advance. I see that today (January 7) you can purchase tickets for May 6, but not May 7 yet.

You can't use the same ticket if you miss your train. The special fares offered for Economy and Super Economy have several restrictions. I would recommend for peace of mind purchasing tickets once you are at the Termini train station.
here's the information regarding the different tickets. It is very easy to purchase tickets at the self-service ticket machines at the train station. http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=80752c5ad8cb6210VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

There are several conversations rolling on this subject with some so so information. Just to make sure everyone understands the Italian rail. 1. All trains EXCEPT regional trains require a seat reservation that comes with the purchased ticket. Therefore, the ticket is train specific, day and time,etc., so if you miss a train you CANNOT jump on the next train because you do not have a valid ticket. IF you miss the train you have one hour to get the ticket reissued. However, the ticket class - super economy, economy, base fate, etc. will determine if the ticket can be reissued and fees involved. Some will be fully exchanged and others not. 2. Regional tickets can be purchase on-line seven days in advance but WHY? There are no discounts and no reserved seats. If you cannot find a seat you stand until one is available. Regional tickets are open ticket that can be used anytime in a 60 day window Therefore, you must time stamp (validate) the ticket in the yellow box PRIOR to getting on the train. If you don't and the conductor catches you, you will not like what happens next. With a regional ticket going from point A to E you can get off at in between stations and re-board later provided it is the same day and headed in the same direction on a regional train.