We plan on doing 4 rail trips during our travels in Italy and into Switzerland next June: Rome to Siena, Siena to Vernazza, Vernazza to Venice, Venice into Switzerland (Lucerne) where we will continue with a Swiss Pass. Our itinerary is set, all our lodgings confirmed, and days of travel known. 1. Is it possible (and wise) to purchase all our rail tickets at the TI in the Rome Termini when we arrive? 2. If we buy ahead, are we locked into a specific route and time? (We may want to spend a few hours in Verona on our way to Venice and in Orvieto on our way to Siena) 3.Is it easy to transition from Italy Point-Point tickets as we go into Switzerland with a Swiss rail pass (which we will have purchased prior to leaving home)?
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Seattle, WA
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1. You can buy all your tickets at once if you like. The benefit is you may get the 15 percent discunt for tickets purchased 7 days or more in advance. 2. If you buy in advance you are locked into a route and time for the trains that require reservations (IC and ES trains). (You may be able to change for a fee but I'm not sure about that). You are not locked in for the regional trains, which are probably what you would use to get to Verona and Orvieto. so you could buy tickets for your major routes and leave the legs with regional trains open until the day of travel. 3. The route from Venice to Luzern goes Venice to Milan, Milan to Arth-Goldau, and A-G to Luzern. On the train from Milan to Arth-Goldau you will cross the Swiss border at Chiasso. Your Swiss pass will kick in then if you want it to, but somehow you will have to coordinate that with the reserved seat you have purchased in Italy. From Arth-Goldau to Luzern you won't have a reserved seat; just hop on the train and find your seats. Depending on what type of Swiss Pass you are using, there may be a better alternative. The Swiss rail site www.rail.ch has been offering discounted tickets between Milan and Zurich for 30 CHF in 2d class, including seat reservation. This is not a whole lot more than the price of a 2d class seat from Milan to Chiasso (11 euro in the IC train). That way you wouldn't have to use up a day on your Swiss pass. (You would just get off the train at Arth-Golday instead of riding to Zürich). Then buy a ticket for the short hop to Luzern.