Train tickets in Italy

Read this thread
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/cartafreccia-discount-train-tickets-on-trenitalia-for-seniors

You can get a Carta Freccia discount card as a non-resident. There is a specific way to go about it in the link in the posting above. For awhile it was taking months, but the process has sped up recently. Apply right away if interested. You can’t do it online. You must print out form and then email it in.

Many, many of us have them

We don’t know this, but if flying in and out of MXP, one needs to consider the time of the departing flight. If downtown on flight day, it is advised to be at the closest station [there are 3] for a train to the airport 4 hours before the flight. So if there is an early morning departure one would want to spend the previous night at a Malpensa hotel, not needing to arrive until dinner time; in that instance staying in Milan first.

Anyway, upon arrival the best option is using the Trenitalia app [from Malpensa Aeroporto] after retrieving bags. The trip to any Cinque Terre village is going to take between 5 to 5.5 hours win up to 4 trains.

Train travel in Italy
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-italy.htm

Are you flying into MXP Airport, Linate or Bergamo?

If you are arriving at MXP, simply get a through ticket to Vernazza at the airport station. Either at the counter or via Trenitalia's app, thanks to the airport's complimentary wi-fi. You'd better Install Trenitalia's app and save a favorite mean of payment while at home, to get used to the app and to avoid writing your credit card # while connected to a public network.

Try to pick a direct IC train from Milano Centrale to Monterosso, the train transfer to Vernazza will be easier in Monterosso than in Genoa.

The airport train from MXP to Milano Centrale and the local from Monterosso to Vernazza have no reserved seats and can't sell out. If you are travelling between April 24 and May 2 the IC Milan-Monterosso train could sell out. If it happens, you have two options: You can either take a Regionale train from Milan to Genoa or wait for the next IC train to Monterosso.

You must time-stamp before boarding each Regionale ticket not purchased online, it takes 3 seconds if you are slow.

Check the treno Italia website for reservations

https://www.trenitalia.com

Thanks everyone. We have ordered our CartaFreccia passes. Thanks Dario for the helpful tips. I will look into the through ticket you mentioned as we are arriving at MXP. I also appreciate the recommendation of entering a preferred payment method ahead of time, I might not have thought of that. This is all very helpful. I also appreciate the recommended links. I will check them out. My wife and I have downloaded the Trenitalia app to our phones and have set up ID’s so we should be good there.

On another note we are considering a train trip from Venice to Koblenz, Germany at the end of our stay in Italy as we will be making our way to Cologne for Rick’s GAS tour. When I searched Trenitalia it showed several trains each day, but they were marked as unpurchasable. Does anyone know what that means?

I haven't purchased a ticket on the trenitalia app or in my account online yet, but wanted to try to enter payment method as per recommendations here, it looks like you can't enter a payment method without making a purchase. It says if you want to store a preferred payment method just check the box during the next purchase. Has anyone saved a payment method without making a purchase? I thought about buying myself a gift card for 25 euro but I'm not sure how that would work.

When I searched Trenitalia it showed several trains each day, but they were marked as unpurchasable.

Trenitalia can only sell tickets to destinations in another country where the train terminates. Heading to Koblenz, the train terminates in Frankfurt, so you would have to buy a ticket from Frankfurt to Koblenz from Deutschebahn. However you can buy a ticket from Deutschebahn at their website. They are quoting me 300 EUR for 2 on May 9 for the 7:18 am departure from Venice with train changes in Milan and Mannheim, arriving at 8:11 pm. That is a nonrefundable ticket.

Does anyone know what that means?

Since there are no direct trains from Venice to Koblenz, I guess that Trenitalia can't sell you tickets for a train running between two foreign cities that's also run by a foreign company.

Open the "changes" menu on trenitalia.com and see where you are supposed to transfer. Trenitalia can sell you tickets for the routes beginning in Italy, but they can't sell you a ticket for a local DB train running from Zurich to Baden and from Baden to Koblenz.

Find a route you like, then try either the DB site or the FFS site.

EDIT: Sam was faster!

Thanks everyone. I think I have the Venice to Koblenz route figured out. I divided it into 2 routes with an overnight in Munich.

Next, we will be arriving at the beginning of our trip at Malpensa Airport and we will need to take a train to Vernazza on the first day. We arrive at 9:30 AM. There is a train from Milano Centrale that leaves for Vernazza at 12:10 PM that we would like to take. There are trains from Malpensa that leave at 10:26, 10:43, and 10:56 that would get us to Centarle on time to take the 12:10 train which has one change in Levanto. The 12:10 is an InterCity so we would like to book in advance. Is it reasonable to expect to get from our plane, through Immigration and make one of the three train times I mentioned above. Otherwise, I think we need to wait and see if we can get to Milano Centrale in time and take our chances with having seats available. One other thing, the class selection offers first and second class, and each has multiple levels. What is the difference between First Class Basic and First Class Economy, and Second Class Basic and Second Class Economy other than price? It looks like both are changeable. I also see a SuperEconomy in both classes, but they are sold out.

Why should the IC be sold out? So you are arriving close to April 25 and/or May 1?

Base is the only fare that can be changed up to 1 hour after the departure of the booked train. Moreover, it's the only fare available when you get a train ticket on the day of travel. Trenitalia does not sell discounted, same-day tickets.

Thus the Base is also called the top, walk-up fare and nobody gets a Base ticket in advance.

https://www.trenitalia.com/en/offers/the_base_ticket.html

Thanks, we are arriving on April 20, so a few days before the time you warned about. It is a Thursday. The difference between Base and Economy is about 12 euro total for both tickets. Not a huge deal, but do you think we should be able to make it to Milano Centrale in time for the 12:10 train if we are arriving at Malpensa at 9:30 AM. Assuming of course that the flight arrives on time.

You can in my opinion safely book the 12:10. If you buy a bas ticket you'll have till 13:10 to change it to a later one. And if your delay were even larger than that you'd be due compensation from the airline...

Check the website https://www.seat61.com. The man in Seat 61 has the best detailed train guide information on the internet. I've used him several times for train travel in Europe; he has the best tips as well.