Train Reservations in Italy

If you can buy a cheap advance ticket and don't mind losing the gamble, plan on a late afternoon ticket. If you miss that train you have to buy a full-fare ticket.

We always allow at least 3 hours on a airline arrival and catching a train whether in Italy or any other European country. Have we ever missed connections -- no. Have we ever been bored when arriving on time or early, again, no. We enjoy a long wait at a train station, people watching, taking photos, engaging in conversations practicing our Italian, or French, or Hungarian, or Turkish. Buy the tickets in advance, 120 days I think, on Trenitalia website, using Italian names for the destinations -- Firenza for Florence, etc. Make reservations with that time lag in mind and eliminate all that stress of tight connections. You do know you can take wine aboard Italian trains, just as another stress reliever....?

On long distance fast trains (AV, frecciarossa, frecciargento) the possibility of changing reservations is built into the fare structure.

'Supereconomy' tickets, offered in limited quantities and only as advance purchase, are not transferable and not refundable: if you miss the train you forfeit the ticket.

'Economy' tickets, also available only as advance purchase, are more expensive but allow a single change of reservation, upgrading to Base ticket price, and only before the train leaves. Again, if you miss the train you forfeit the ticket.

'Base' tickets, i.e. full price, allow free unlimited changes of reservation parameters before the train leaves. Once the train leaves you have a 1-hour grace period to ask for a single reservation change (likely the next train) at the departure station ticket office.

If you are uncertain about your departure time you can either buy a supereconomy, if available, that is cheap enough that you won't lose too much money if forfeiting it; or pad your schedule with extra time to allow for a delay; or wait to buy your train ticket at the station.

From Milan to Venice, 2nd-class tickets in the above categories cost €9, €19, or €37.50 per person. You may consider €9 cheap enough to buy now and "throw away" if you miss the train. I consider the full fare cheap enough to buy on the spot.

.....Once the train leaves you have a 1-hour grace period to ask for a single reservation change ......

Not the complete answer. If you purchase on-line, then it must be exchanged on-line. For that reason, plus a couple of others, it is not advisable to purchase full fare (Base) or Regionale trains on-line. Best to purchase at the station prior when you arrive.

Are you sure about that Frank? When you go to book online and click on the i (information) next to a base fare on the Trenitalia website the terms and conditions clearly say you can do this at the departure station upto 1hr after the train departs.

Thanks to everybody for all that information, really helpful. Happy New Year!