TRENITALIA TRAVEL

Um? It depends upon which side of the car the engine is on.

Actually, there are usually engines at each end. Also, when you get on, approx. half the seats face one direction and half face the opposite direction. Half of the passengers will see where they are going and half will see where they have been. The reason for this as the trains don't make U-turns. For the largest stations, they pull straight in to the platform. When departing, the engine in the rear becomes the front of the train. If you buy tickets online for the high-speed trains, they system will make the seat reservations for you. For the most part, you won't know which way you are facing. If you will be on the Regionale trains, you can get on and choose your own seat. No seat reservations permitted.

You cannot if I understand the question. The cars are designed to run both ways. Is this important?

Ah! Either it will be marked by the doors on the cars, or it won't. You'll either know, or you won't. Our experience is usually it's not marked in Italy.

Shouting a question (all caps) does not lend itself to clarity or encouraging responses. Get on the car and figure it out yourself.

ok, so my question was unclear to a couple of people.. regrets. ON TRENITALIA, HOW CAN I TELL FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR WHERE THE LOWEST SEAT NUMBERS IN THE CAR ARE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WHICH END OF THE CAR THE HIGHEST SEAT NUMBERS ARE SO I CAN GET IN THE BEST CORRECT DOOR?

Nobody has made it that easy in Italy. On most trains, just get on the car through either door and find your seat. The seat numbers are shown. I've never noticed them outside the car. The car number itself is clearly shown on the outside but not the seat number ranges. For trains ready to depart and you are trying to get onboard, you will jump through any door on any car on the train and then work your way through the cars to find your seat. It doesn't happen that often but it does happen.

On trains requiring reservations (when seat numbers are relevant), the coaches are numbered. Coach number one is nearest the "front" of the train, but because many stations (like Rome and Florence) aren't thru-stations (i.e. the train will leave going the opposite direction as it arrived) the "front" can be at either end of the train. My recollection is that the lower number seats are usually at the "front" of the coach, so they would be nearest the first door if coach number one is closest to the beginning of the platform and nearest the second door if coach number one is furthest from the beginning of the platform. Another approach is for one person to board without luggage to confirm which way the seat numbers run and then point the person with the luggage to the correct door.

Not completely accurate but close enough. Since the cars are designed to run either way there is no true front or rear to a car. However the numbers cannot be changed so high numbers could be at the front today or the low numbers tomorrow. Recently have seen (not in Italy) some newer trains with LED numbers which might indicate the ability to change the seat numbers. If you get on the correct car, then you seat number will be there, somewhere. There is really no answer for the question.

I use that approach to make an eductated decision, which is the best one can do before actually boarding. So far, it's worked out better than just getting on at a random end of the coach. It's also why I suggested the second approach for those who want to be certain, but emphasize that the person who boards to check shouldn't try to get back off while others are still boarding and that I only suggest it for those traveling light.

Hi all. I just can't resist asking.... Is the purpose of this whole thread just to figure out how to avoid having to walk to other other end of the car? Probably 30 ft; maybe less? What am i missing?

Probably nothing. It is just that some people are not comfortable unless they knew every detail in duplicate. There are important things to worry about and many that I don't. This is one of them.

Lol, Bob!

ALSO, I noticed that Rob is posting from Honolulu. If Rob has lived in the Islands all his life and not taken a train trip, he may not know about train travel. Just wonderin that...
Linda