No Reservations on Regional Trains in Italy?

Thanks for your help! I now see everything on the Trenitalia web site. I am travelling with my boyfriend so I assume we have to get the whole compartment as the only other options for 2 people are man or woman? Thanks again and I guess I'll just keep checking to see when the new schedules are available and ready for mid June!

You could choose either a 2-person and have it to yourselves, or share a "mixed" 4-person compartment. The drop-down menus give you all the options. The difference in price between the 2- and 4- person compartments, if you get the Mini fare anyway, is pretty small-20 euros each. Just be sure and book both at the same time (enter "2" as the number of tickets) and you'll see those options. But again, a reservation for travel in mid-June may not be possible until mid-May or so, when they get the new schedules posted. Just keep checking the Trenitalia site from time to time.

My $.02 - ALWAYS get the 2-person cabin if you can afford it; you never know who will be sharing your cabin that is sleeping/snoring/singing/smelly/hotter-or-colder-than-you...

Trenitalia shows an Espress night train from Naples (20:25) to Milan (6:55). It has sleeping cars and couchette, and reservations are required, but according to Trenitalia they can only be made in Italy. Unless you are going to be in Italy a long time before your travel date, I would be a little nervous about trying to take that train. Night trains are popular and often sell out long in advance. You should maybe have a plan 'B' unless you can't get on that train. You might call (Euraide, number at www.euraide.com) and see if they can make reservations for you. They are in Munich, not Italy, but maybe.....

Kristen, I believe the train you are looking at is the "Espresso" No. 1910, which departs Naples at 20:25 and arrives in Milan the next morning. There are reservable couchettes on this train, in 2- or 4- person compartments (all women is an option), or even first class single compartments. You can see the options on Trenitalia if you look at the train for a date in May. The June trains don't show up as reservable yet. The Mini fares for a bed in either the 4-person (62 euro) or 2-person (94 euro) are quite rreasonable. Train schedules all over Europe change in early to mid-June, so Trenitalia may not show the trains for your actual date until much closer. Keep checking in May. You should be able to buy your reserved coucnette space in advance.

I get the same note "Reservations must be made in Italy" for May 13 or Apr 30. If I try to click the "continue" button it says, "We are sorry but the chosen solution is not purchasable".

Lee, are you looking on Trenitalia? I had no trouble booking a (phantom) couchette in a 2-person (all women) compartment on the May 13 train. Selected mini fare, top bunk, e-mail delivery of the confirmation . 94 euros was the price. The next page was for entry of credit card details which of course I did not do.

I second Eileen's 2-cent advice. 20 euros extra per person is cheap for a good night's sleep!

Lola, Yes, I was using Trenitalia.com. I'm able to go through with the ordering now, too. Earlier today it kept giving me that "not purcheable" message, but now, when I click continue it comes up with the choice of fare types. However, if you click on "Details by selection", it still says "Reservations must be made in Italy", but then you click continue it allows you to make reservations. What can we say, they're Italians.

Si, e viva Italia! At least the website works much better than it did a year ago, when people could not make reservations from the US at all. Maybe I never got that message because I didn't hit the "details by ion" button. Who knows? But at least Kristen should be able to get their couchette reservations in advance,, and they won't have to sit up all night from Naples to Milan.