My wife and I are going to Rome in a few weeks, and we want to take the train from Rome to Assisi. Trenitalia's schedule shows Eurostar high speed trains going from Termini, and regional trains leaving from Tiburtina, but when we try to book a train from Tiburtina it won't let us book any of them.
I know that that station is undergoing redevelopment...is it closed and we're pretty much destined to pay the extra 11 euro for the Eurostar train? Any help would be appreciated.
Don, Trenitalia will not accept U.S. credit cards. They don't tell you that - they just let you get the messages. All of the trains to Assisi from Rome originate in Rome Termini. They just happen to stop in Tiburtina on the way out of Rome. It looks like there are 2 Eurostar runs during the day from Termini to Assisi with no train changes. There are a few Regionale train runs that do this as well. All other runs will require a train change at Foligno. The Eurostar is a much nicer train than the Regionale but interestingly, the Regionale fare is 50% less and the travel time is 20 minutes longer. Trentialia won't sell you tickets for the R train anyway. But, don't worry. No seat reservations are permitted on the R train. From Rome Termini, it's an empty train. Just get there a bit early, validate your ticket at the little yellow box, hop on and find you own seat. Even if the train fills up (which it won't), you can stand. You'll be just fine.
Once at Assisi, you won't see the hilltown from the train station. Go next door to the little shop and buy a round trip ticket on the Line C bus. This bus goes to the top of Assisi. You will pass the Basilica on the way up (or, you can get off the bus if you want the Basilica first). The reason I suggest the top is that Assisi has steep streets. If you start at the top, you can casually and easily walk down. Going up all day long is not as nice. Once at the bottom, you can tour the great Basilica.
Note that the nice restaurants in Assisi close from 4-7pm.
Larry -
I have successfully purchased tickets online from Trenitalia's site (May 09) using a US Credit Card. It worked the first try. Your blanket statement just isn't accurate. The savings available on advanced purchase fares from their website make it worth at least trying ALL your cards.
Larry's statement if very accurate. If you had been around a little longer than 17 postings you would have read about a hundred posting about not been able to use an Am credit card unless it has been certified or something like that -- and about two postings including your that seem to work. One should always a little careful in assuming that your experience is the same for everyone.
Frank....if "two" people have had their American credit cards accepted (I think it's a few more than that), then I assume Larry is not "very accurate" when he says "Trenitalia will not accept U.S. credit cards." In fact, Larry himself was successful earlier this year, posting detailed instructions on this posting. Does this not work anymore? Seems to me it might be worth trying. I'm not sure that the number of posts is indicative of whether someone's got a good point to raise, or not.
Larry here. Thanks for you comment Frank. I was able to purchase tickets up until April of this year and then I was no longer able. I tried again as recently as 2 weeks ago and still could not. I am registered with both Trenitalia and Verified by Visa. It should work but it doesn't.
Up until recently, I have heard that some people with Canadian credit cards were getting through. Until the message above, people with U.S. credit cards were not making a successful purchase since last April. Many, many messages on the board expressed the same problem. Nobody was getting through.
I'm pleased to see that some people are starting to get through. I will modify my responses to show that some people are getting through with U.S. credit cards and its worth a try. I will try again shortly. BTW, I am using all of my credit cards. By choice, I have only one personal credit card. Works just fine.
Larry...I think it's time we march on Trenitalia headquarters and demand to know what's going on!! Surely they have computer programmers who can figure out this rather simple issue! Maybe we can send RoninRome as a one-person delegation to represent us.
