In his book on Italy, RS says to take the "R" train and avoid the fast train which doubles the price of an "R" train. I'm on the Trenitalia web site and there is no mention of an "R" train or fast train. How do I know for which train I'm being quoted a price? Am I doing the wrong thing by trying to buy a ticket now for a trip to smaller cities like Bolzano in late June and should just get the tickets in the train station when I want to travel? is there a price difference between buying now or then? Should one only concern themselves with reservations for trips between the larger cities like Milan-Verona, Verona - Venice and Venice-Florence?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19240 posts
Although it doesn't specifically say 'R' on the Trenitalia websites, most websites use 'R' to stand for a regional (Regionale, in Italian) train. I see lots of Regionale trains on the Trenitalia website if I put in a date within a week of today. Their fare is 11,65€ (2nd class). I also see an InterCity (fairly fast) for 16,50, a EuroCity (a long distance train headed for Munich) for 20,60€, and a FRECCIARGENTO (Italy's fastest train) for 19,-€. If you put in a date further in advance, you might not see as many regional trains, and you won't see fares for regional trains.Considering the relative short trip and low fares, which train you take in this case probably doesn't matter much.
The fast train tickets come with a reservation - no choice. There are no reservations for regional trains.
Posted by
Green Bay
20980 posts
By "R" train, RS is referring to the Regionale trains, which are unreserved, all 2nd class trains. They make more stops, thus slower, but since it is a relatively short run, the "fast" Freccia trains are not that much faster.
Don't forget to validate your ticket before boarding the Regionale trains. Freccia trains come with a seat reservation.
Milan-Verona, and Venice-Florence should be done with the Freccia trains. In fact, there is almost no way to get from Venice to Florence on Regionale trains. Verona-Venice can be done using either, slow and cheap on Regionale, or fast (and not too expensive if you buy nonrefundable tickets well in advance).
On the Trenitalia website, you must click on "Tutti I Treni" on the home page to see the Regionale trains. That means "All the Trains" in Italian.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
You can click on the British fla icon in the upper right corner and the page will come up in English. All trains will then display, including Regionale. You must enter the station name in Italian and a pull-down menu will appear showing all stations in that city - be sure you know which station you want.
Also, use the calendar to put in travel date - the day comes first, then the month, then the year. Note that th calendwr week starts on Monday, not Sunday.