I see on Trenitalia that I could take advantage of a 60% discount if I purchase my tickets 30 days prior to travel. I've been trying to book these trains/fares but have been unsuccssful. Is there a cy I can use from the US? Its means HUGE savings for a family of four.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
The short answer is NO. The site has pretty well blocked all US based credit cards. Just scan back a few postings and you will see that this is discussed nearly each day. Once thought that a verified VISA card would work but that doesn't appear to be the case now.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
The Trenitalia site rejects all US credit cards, period.
Has for some time now, it's not something you're doing wrong or can do anything about.
We get asked the Trenitalia question so often that last week I added it to our FAQ, go to our FAQ
by clicking here
and scroll down to the Trenitalia question.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Second thought, do you have any type of contact in Italy that could buy the tickets for you? RoninRome -- there has to be a business opportunity there somewhere.
Posted by
DC
209 posts
Frank, it's a nice thought, but the potential problem that I see with trying to help people buy these tickets is that they require a name on the ticket for this particular discount. I do not know, however, if the name on any ticket has to match the name on the credit card? Or if one buys them at the train station, do they check a document for your name when buying them?
Posted by
Victor, NY, USA
62 posts
I experienced the same aggravation when planning our trip last May. It's really too bad Trenitalia puts Americans through this nonsense without at least offering some explanation on their website -- and I've been told that this has been a problem for years! I called the Italian Tourist Board in NYC -- they were aware of the problem and expressed frustration that there was little they could do. The good news is that I still was able to get an Amica fare (30% discount) when I purchased tickets just days in advance when I arrived in Italy.