I have arranged for a day trip to Verona from Milan on a Sunday. I have found the trains I wanted:
Milan Centrale 11:45 arriving Verona 12:58 (duration 1 hour 13 min)
Verona leaving 16:02 arriving Milan 17:15 (duration 1 hour 13 min)
My question is: Should I wait to book them when I get there or should I book them now?
Thank you!
Lori
Hi Lori. Your times indicate you only intend to be in Verona for two hours - is that correct? In any case, in answer to your question - use trenitalia.com website. You can wait and buy at last minute in Italy and you will pay the 'base' fare. Or if willing to lock in an exact date and time, you can book online for whatever discount fare is showing. Enjoy your trip!
Thanks Bob,
I fixed the typo. I'll be there for 3 hours. I checked the trentalia website and it was less user friendly than rail europe. The prices seemed to be about the same .
So, my take-away from your post is to book now. No big savings or help to wait. Correct?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my post. Much appreciated.
Lori
Hi Lori. It's up to you. There is huge capacity on these trains and they virtually never sell out. The main reason to book ahead is to save money by getting an advance discount fare. Sometimes that savings can be substantial. But it looks like on this route the full fare is 25 E, so any savings from buying ahead are minimal. The disadvantage of buying ahead is that if your plans change and you don't take that exact train, the tix are worthless. If it were me, I would just wait and buy when in Italy - can do it at your convenience at any station in Italy. But if you are more comfortable buying ahead for some reason, that's fine too. Enjoy your trip!
Thanks Bob!
If you want to stay flexible and save some money, consider taking a Regionale. You can always buy tickets at the last moment, and the price is always the same. 12.75 EUR each way 2nd class, or 18.90 EUR 1st class. They are a little slower, mainly because they make more stops on the way. 1 hour and 50 minutes vs 1 hour and 13 minutes for the Freccia trains.
They don't have reservations, but since they originate and terminate at Milano Centrale and Verona Porta Nuova, you just show up 10 or 15 minutes before departure and you'll be sure to get a seat as the train will be sitting on the platform.
Lori,
Whether to book in advance depends on whether there's adequate lead time to get Super Economy or Economy tickets on the express trains. Tickets for those are non-changeable and non-refundable after purchase, but if you're committed to travelling on those specific trains you can save a few bucks. If you'd rather maintain more spontaneity, just buy tickets from a Kiosk on the day prior to or on the day of travel. Tickets on the express trains come with compulsory seat reservations, so the tickets will only be valid for one train, date and departure time.
You can buy advance tickets on the Trenitalia website or at www.trainline.eu. I believe you can use Italo Treno on that route as well, and you can also buy tickets for Italo on the Trainline website.
When you arrive in Verona, I'd suggest using a Taxi from the station to Piazza Bra, so that you can maximize your touring time there.
Thank you all!
I do want to take the faster train. I am willing to pay more for it. Can I buy these tickets at the last minute? I see that the Economy price is only $5 cheaper than Comfort and the Comfort and Premier are the same price. Has anyone had any experience with the Comfort and Premier? $5 seems cheap to upgrade. Your thoughts?
Lori
The trains you are looking at taking have 4 classes of service, Standard, Premium, Business, and Executive. The walk-up price is 25 EUR each way for Standard and 30 EUR for Premium. The only difference between Standard and Premium is Standard has fabric seats and Premium has leather seats and you get a snack. Seats are the same size. If you are by yourself, you should have no problem getting a seat at the last minute.
Thank you Sam.
I will do just that. I will wait. I appreciate your knowledge and help. I don't think I need a leather seat or a train snack ;).
Lori
Yes, you can absolutely buy the tickets at the last minute, but you'll pay the highest price (Base Fare). Using a Kiosk is the easiest method as the ticket office at Milano Centrale often has a LONG queue. I find second class seats very comfortable.
thanks Ken,
then it's settled. I'll buy the tickets now. No need to worry or stand in line.
