My plan is to travel from Venezia S. Lucia - Bologna Centrale - Rimini. I've purchased the Frecciargento ticket already from Venezia to Bologna. I plan to purchase the Bologna to Rimini ticket when I am in Venezia. I have two questions:
1. Looks like regionale and regionale veloce train tickets are the same price. (I entered dummy dates for this week using the Trenitalia website and the prices appeared the same) So, would it be okay for me to hop on whichever train (regionale or regionale veloce) arrives first? 2. My plan is to validate the Bologna - Rimini ticket at the Venezia Station since I will only have a few minutes between connections in Bologna. My understanding is that regionale tickets once validated are good for 6 hours so there shouldn't be a problem with me validating it that morning. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
Regional tickets are valid on any regional or regional veloce train for the trip purchased (good for 60 days from purchase). Regional tickets for short trips (e.g. Bologna-Rimini) are valid for 6 hours from time of validation. The shortest change time between Venice-Rimini trains in Bologna is 16 minutes. Being a through station with only 11 tracks, it won't take much time to get between platforms. There are yellow validation boxes along the platforms and in the underpasses between platforms, so there's not really a need to validate the Bologna-Rimini ticket in Venice. If you were terribly rushed or the validation boxes were out of service, you can always seek out a conductor immediately after boarding and have them manually validate it for you (cannot wait until they pass through checking tickets).
Posted by
OP
na
75 posts
Thank you very much Frank. Your info is very helpful.
The train I'm planning on taking is the one with 16 min in between. Several years ago I forgot to validate my ticket for the Leonardo Express and was fined E50 so now I worry every time I take the train. It happens when I am running for the train.... I thought that maybe if I validate my ticket at the start of the journey I wouldn't forget to do it. Thanks again.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33840 posts
No yellow boxes left when I was in Bologna earlier this year. They are all the green/gray ones now, and in addition to the ones on the platforms (always in the most obscure places near the stairs) there are a couple down in the tunnel too.
Posted by
Bromley, Kent,, UK
1829 posts
I second the advice to seek out the conductor immediately if you have forgotten/been unable to validate your ticket. I have been in this situation (last year) and found the conductor in the last carriage ie back of the train. I apologised and she obtained a validation code from her smartphone to write on my ticket.