I am trying to assess if it is worthwhile for me to buy a train pass. Every time I log in to the trenitalia website, it ask for a day and time. When I click on view timetable, nothing happens. So since I don't seem to be able to guess the correct time, I cannot find this information. Also, I am confused if one has to book reserved seating days in advance. Thank you for the help.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
New timetables throughout Europe will be issued in mid June. If you entered a date too far in advance, the timetable feature won't work. Try a date in May and see what happens. The new timetables are not likely to vary by more than a few minutes here and there, if at all. If you are traveling only in Italy, a railpass is generally NOT cost effective. Point-to-point tickets are usually cheaper. For trains requiring reservations, it's a good idea to make them one day in advance.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, USA
55 posts
I had the same problem. Too far out date wise. (Travel in the fall.) I have read many graffiti wall info and looks like point to point is more cost effective than the pass. For those of you who buy point to point and get your reservations the day before, when do you get your hotel? In advance or a day before?
Posted by
Newburyport, MA
683 posts
Point-to-point is generally cheaper than passes. Trains are usually easy to get, tho you should buy at least a day in advance for popular trains. While Eurostars are usually faster, they are more expensive. If any train will be sold out, it is usually this.
Tix in Italy are easily acquired (except at small-town stations) from ticket machines in the rail depots.
These machines give info on whether reservations are required, timetables, places the train will stop.
Seat reservations are not generally required but not hard to make. Again, the machines are available for that purpose. Also, if you are simply flummoxed despite having such at your fingertips, there are hordes of travel agents who will sell rail tix
Posted by
Birmingham, AL
32 posts
We bought point to point, and traveled second class every time. No reservations, and got the tickets on the day, or sometimes the day before, we left. It was very easy to use the machines, and we could reserve seats on some of them with no problem. If you get tickets from the office, make sure you get the right amount. In Assisi, I thought I was getting a ticket for 6 of us, didn't double check it, and it was for only one (don't ask why I didn't question the total amount I paid). We didn't realize this until they checked our ticket on the train. It could have been a $25 penalty, but they understood it was a mistake and only charged us $5.00 each. I quickly learned to use "say" for 6 instead of holding up fingers!