I'm helping my boss figure out a few things for his upcoming Italian honeymoon (hey, beats working!). He and his wife plan to take the train from Venice to Florence to Monterosso to Siena to Rome. They plan to buy point-to-point tix. In looking at the DeutscheBahn website, I see that some of the routes/times indicate that reservations are compulsory. How far in advance will he and his wife have to make a reservation? I believe their plan is to roll up at the train station and buy tix for the next train leaving for their desired destination. Can this be done, or should they plan it out a little more? I want him to have a good, efficient time -- well, I want his wife to have a good time! ;-)
Posted by
The Hague, NL (AMS)
2207 posts
Teresa, depending on the time of year and the route, you can easily purchase tickets a few minutes before most trains depart. Regionale Trains DO NOT require a reservation as they are open-seating so they never sell out. Most trains into Monterosso or Siena are regionale trains, connecting from larger cities. If they are not familiar with the train systems in Italy, you might suggest they read this article, Riding Trains in Italy. It may help them in their travels. If flexibility is an issue, then wait and buy as necessary. You might also look at the SENA bus from Siena to Rome as it's just as fast as the trains and requires NO changes. Our last few trips on this route have been on the bus. You can buy the fast train tickets, like the Venice to Florence route up to 120 days in advance - and purchase the Trenitalia MINI promotion discounted tickets. But then you're locked into that specific train. You might go to the Trenitalia site and just print out the different options. That would give him some clear choices and help him at a Trenitalia counter or kiosk when purchasing tickets. Good luck in your support efforts!
Posted by
Toledo
653 posts
Teresa, Ron is absolutely right about buses - in some areas they are better than trains. If the honeymooners want to travel first class on trains, they will need to have a reservation - which they can get when they buy the ticket (it really amounts to an assigned seat). One thing I've done is go to the Customer Care office at a major train station and buy all the tickets I'll need for the travel plans that are fixed (this keeps people behind you in line at the ticket window from being upset if you try to buy a number of tickets there). Or a local travel agent can do this.
Posted by
OP
Seattle
908 posts
Thanks, Ron and Zoe. So what I'm getting from this is that they really shouldn't have to worry about reservations (they're unlikely to travel in First Class on the trains). Also, I'll look into the SENA bus for them. Thanks!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Contrary to what Zoe wrote, trains that require reservations (like high-speed EuroStar Italia trains and IC trains) require them for both 2nd class and 1st class. They come with the ticket and are included in the fare.
Posted by
Long Beach, CA, USA
359 posts
it is possible for certain train times to sell out, especially in high season and for popular connections, such as Venice to Florence. If they want a specific time departure they can buy tickets a couple of days in advance
Posted by
Singapore
354 posts
As mentioned above, reservation is compulsory on the high-speed trains (which are very comfortable), and you don't need to make a separate reservation for seats on these trains. When you buy a ticket you will pay and make the reservation at the same time. If they are taking the slower regionale trains, the tickets must be validated (punched) in the little yellow boxes at the station platforms before they board the train. Tickets for high-speed trains with reserved seating don't require validation as the tickets are for specific seats for a specific train at a specific time. For the journey from Siena to Rome, I'd also recommend the SENA bus. In Rome, the bus stops at Tiburtina station, where they can take the metro to their hotel/destination.