TrenItalia's 'new' prices & schedules for '09

For those being "denied" a purchase on the Trenitalia web site, one tip that worked for me (after months of calling my bank, getting a Capital One card, calling Trenitalia directly, etc., etc.) is to complete your transaction in Italian. After several dozen attempts in English, I have the fields memorized. I had the same trouble with Leaning Tower of Pisa tickets, tried buying them in Italian, and waa-laa! What the heck, tried the same thing on Trenitalia and sweet success!

How can I find out the prices for regional trains? I can't seem to find the prices for trips that tickets are not available online? (For example Milan to Venice.) I am trying to decide if it is better deal to buy point to point tickets or an interail pass.

Also, does anyone know where to find the public transportation schedule in and around Venice for carnivale? Or is it the same as the rest of the year?

Thanks!

Here are fares for Milano Centrale-Venezia Santa Lucia from the Trenitalia site.

Eurostar City trains (2nd class): €25.20 (standard); €20.20 (Amica - 20% discount).

Eurostar Italia trains (2nd class): €29.50 (standard); €23.60 (Amica).

Regional trains: €13.75.

Train travel in Italy is relatively inexpensive, particularly if you travel on regional trains and/or can get Amica fares on faster trains (sold on a seat available basis up to midnight of the day before departure). A pass for travel solely within Italy is rarely cost effective.

Laura....Go to www.trenitalia.com, click on "english" at the top center, then enter your place of origin and destination, the date you want to travel (within 90 days of the date you try this), and the approximate time you want to leave. A list of the trains available will come up. Click on the little shopping cart beside the train you select, and another page comes up. It will ask you to select your fare (Flexi is the most flexible but the most expensive, Standard is as it suggests, and Amica gives you 20% off and can be purchased until midnight the day before the train leaves, if there are any Amica fares still left.) It will then show you the first and second class fares available for the fare category you have selected. If there is a "No" instead of a shopping cart, either you've gone too far into the future, or it's a regional train, tickets for which cannot be purchased over the internet. Trains Milan-Venice are not regional trains, as Tim as noted.

Well it appears I can take a regional train from Milan to Venice. So instead of me having to ask about the prices for regional trains for each leg of journey, can someone share how they are finding the prices?

The Trenitalia site shows fares up to 60 days in advance for domestic routes and up to 90 days in advance for international routes.

I found three regional trains/day for Milano-Venezia and quoted you the fare in my previous post. Sometimes, but not always, the fare for regional trains will be shown on the Trenitalia site if you enter a date only a few days in advance. The fare will definitely not appear if you enter a date more than one week in advance.

Here's another reason to not buy a pass. You'll need to buy the required seat reservations on fast trains. While the fee is only 3-4 euros on IC trains, it's 15-20 euros on Eurostar trains.

Do you also have price quotes for the following:

Nice to La Spezia (to Monterosso) one way
La Spezia to Florence one way
Florence to Modena round trip
Florence to Venice round trip

We're meeting our family in Florence and touring key places in Italy come early June. Any suggestions for buying tickets for 6 people; we've only been accustomed to buying for 2? Is there any group discounts?

Thanks,
M

A question for our rail experts.....

Will there be a delay before the new Trenitalia schedules are posted on the bahn.de site, or is this done at the same time on both websites?