My wife and I will be taking a cruise out of venice. After the cruise, we will be spending a few days each in Belzano and Lake Como area. Therefore, we will need three train trips. The cost to buy them from the train station was a little over $500. The same trips using a rail pass from Rick Steves was $335. Plus you don't have to stand in line to buy a ticket and just check the schedule when you arrive or prior to your departure.
Posted by
OP
Houston, TX, USA
24 posts
True, but you are limited how far in advance you can get them. I looked into that and that is where I got the $500 amount.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17448 posts
Paul, I'm curious where you got your ticket prices, and what route you are taking.
Assuming you are traveling Venice to Bolzano to Como to Venice, the cost for first-class tickets would be 36 + 45 + 55 euros, per the Trenitalia website. That's 136 euro per person, or roughly $332 for the 2 of you. And, unless you go out of your way to avoid them, each leg of the journey includes at least one ES train, for which reservations are required. With your passes, you'll still have to pay for those (and probably stand in line at the train station to get them).
Posted by
OP
Houston, TX, USA
24 posts
I stand corrected. I was comparing 1st class tickets with a 2nd class rail pass. Had too much data in front of me.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Paul -- making some assumptions that are not correct. With a rail pass on a train that requires seat reservations you will still have to "stand in line" and PAY for a reservation. Second, compare apples to apples. IMO, there is little value to first class over second but that can be more personal preference. The comparison should be more like the difference between business class and first class on our airplanes rather than thinking of the difference from coach to business or first class. Your ticket pricing looks way out of line.
And finally, except under very rare circumstances (and this is just a disclaimer) you never have to worry about seat availability on Italian trains and no disclaimer if using first class.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
The ticket machines at Italian stations accept US credit cards and have an English option. You can buy passholder reservations from those machines as well as regular tickets. No need to stand in line at a ticket window.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17448 posts
Paul----yes, it is confusing but I (and I think also Frank) am trying to clarify things so that others are not similarly confused.
With all due respect, I think you made a mistake and paid too much for passes---PTP tickets would have been cheaper by at least $100 (in 2d class).
You got 2d class passes for your $335. Second class tickets would be only 97 euro for the three trips (instead of teh 136 I calculated for First class tickets), or around $236 total for the two of you (using 1.22 as the conversion factor).
So those Second class tickets would cost less than half what you reported ($500)---and $100 less than the 2d class passes (for which you will still incur reservation charges).