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Trenitalia Fare Comparisons

Posted by (Los Angeles) on

With the coming in force of the new Trenitalia schedules effective December 13, 2009, the gap between the most expensive trains (the "AV") and the cheapest (and slowest) trains (the "regionale") has widened even more. Indeed, while fares for the AV trains have all increased slightly over 10%, fares for the slower trains (including the Intercity ("IC" trains) have remained the same as before.

The AV trains now provide even faster service: e.g. Florence to Naples in an INCREDIBLE 3 hours; Rome to Venice in 3 hrs., 48 mins.; Venice to Florence in 2 hrs.; Florence to Bologna in an INCREDIBLE 37 minutes!!!

But this speed comes at a considerable cost.

Travellers open to "trading" speed for a much lower fare should consider travelling on an IC train (with automatically reserved seats) or (where available), even on a "regionale" train (where seats can never be reserved).

Also, all trains EXCEPT the "regionale" have 7 and 15-day advance purchase fares which yield discounts of 15% and 30%, respectively. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to buy tickets on the Trenitalia website without a credit card issued by an Italian Bank (at least at present), making these promotional fares much less available to foreign tourists than was the "AMICA" fare for ES-City, IC, ICN and EXP trains which has now been DISCARDED. These promotional fares CANNOT be combined with other discounts.

Fares for the "regionale" trains, being already extremely cheap, are non-discountable.

Posted by
425 posts

Here are examples of the huge differences in fares which take effect 12/13/2009 (all fares quoted are unrestricted "base" fares):

Rome/Naples: AV-44 Euros; ES-32 Euros; IC-19.50 Euros; Reg-10.50 Euros

Naples/Venice: AV-117 Euros; IC-50 Euros

Naples/Florence: AV-71 Euros; IC-39 Euros

Rome/Florence: AV-44 Euros; IC-26.50 Euros; Reg-16.10 Euros

Rome/Venice: AV-73 Euros; IC-40.50 Euros

Florence/Venice: AV-42 Euros; IC-21.50 Euros

Venice/Milan: ES/City-30.50 Euros; Reg-14.50 Euros

Florence/Bologna: AV-24 Euros; IC-9.50 Euros

Bologna/Milan: AV-41 Euros; ES/City-25.70 Euros; IC-20 Euros

Bologna/Venice: AV-28 Euros; IC-14.50 Euros; Reg-8.90 Euros

Posted by
425 posts

NOTES

  1. The AV trains (as well as the ES trains) are usually considered much "nicer" than the "regionale" and even some of the IC trains.

  2. The IC trains make more stops than the AV trains, and travel on the slower rail lines. The "regionale" trains make the most stops.

  3. MOST IC TRAINS NO LONGER STOP AT FLORENCE SANTA MARIA NOVELLA ("SMN") STATION. Passengers boarding or alighting in Florence on an IC train need to connect at Florence Rifredi Station to/from a "regionale" train for the short hop into/from SMN. This should be taken into consideration when judging the "trade offs" between the AV and the IC trains. Most AV and ES trains continue to stop at SMN, as do most "regionale" trains.

  4. The AV trains don't stop at stations which are not on the high-speed line (e.g. Orvieto).

  5. Seat reservations come AUTOMATIC with ticket purchase on ALL domestic trains EXCEPT the "regionale" trains, which are unreservable.

  6. Ticket sales for all trains EXCEPT the "regionale" trains begin FOUR MONTHS in advance (not sooner). Many Italians buy these tickets two to four days prior to travel, or even just before departure (depending on the route) outside of busy travel periods.

Posted by
425 posts

  1. There is usually no good reason to purchase tickets for "regionale" trains in advance. Most Italians buy them at station automated kiosks prior to departure (or the day beforehand). Nor is there a good reason to try to purchase them over the internet.

  2. The requirement to "punch" ("validate") tickets for "regionale" trains in the little yellow machine by the rail track, CONTINUES. There is no requirement to "punch" tickets for trains with automatic seat reservations (but there is no penalty to do so anyway).

  3. Don't board a higher category train with a ticket for a lower category train. You'll be subject to a fine (plus difference in fare).

  4. You can never "break" a trip on any train EXCEPT the "regionale" trains, which continue to allow "stopovers" according to tariff rules.

Study the schedules carefully to see ALL your travel options, and how much you might be able to save by "trading down" to a slower train.

www.ferroviedellostato.it

Posted by
425 posts

Here's how to find cheaper solutions on the Trenitalia website:

When you bring up the listing of trains between two cities, click on the red icon "all solutions" at the bottom left of the screen. This will list solutions which include a connection somewhere en-route between your point of origin and your destination. At times, these solutions can be much cheaper than taking a direct train.

Perhaps the best example is between Florence and Bologna. Most direct trains are the AV Frecciarossa. They take an incredible 37 minutes (mainly using tunnels), but cost a CONFISCATORY 24 Euros (in second class). That's 65 cents per minute! Trenitalia is really putting its hand in your pocket!

There are a few IC trains on this route, which cost 9.50 Euros, but they take you to Firenze Rifredi Station, which is inconvenient to the main Santa Maria Novella Station, and require a connection to a local "regionale" train for the last leg to or from SMN.

Now, if you click on the icon "all solutions", you will see that you can take TWO "regionale" trains (connecting at Prato Centrale), which cost a mere 5.40 Euros. Travel time is one hour, 43 minutes (variable), but the fare is nearly ONE FIFTH that of the AV train, which takes 37 minutes!!! Moreover, you can leave from SMN Station, and avoid connecting to an IC train at Rifredi.

Now, would the longer travel time and the (relative) inconvenience of having to connect at Prato Centrale justify a savings of 18.60 Euros (or 77.5%)? You be the judge. It's your money!!!

You've now learned one way to "beat the system" by advanced use of the Trenitalia website.

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