What is a mini fare

Mini fares are for small people.

I see one of our more experienced travelers have responded to you. Mini fare is a fare classification for Italy rail. It is a discount ticket purchasable until 48 hours prior. The discounts varies by train and time of day and is limited. No refund, no change. Not available on Regional trains. Mini fare can be a very good deal if it fits your schedule.

so its strictly for trains in italy? Can one get tickets for travel within Italy in London when we arrive?

Mini fares via Trenitalia are - as far as I know - for Italian rail only within Italy. They are an EXCELLENT deal if your schedule is firmly set. Although they can, IN THEORY, be purchased up to 48 hours before departure, it is very likely that the best mini-fares will be gone within a few days of the opening of the 90-day window for reservations. They get progressively more expensive - less "mini" - after that. They are easy to purchase on Trenitalia. Take note; Summer fares and schedules are not set yet. Dates open for purchase are frozen at June 9th until further notice. Who knows when they will release the schedule and the 90-day window will resume being 90 days.

Mini fares are only for travel within Italy, and you get them from Trenitalia, either by booking on the website, or buying from an " authorized travel agent," or at a station in Italy. They are limited in number. They start low, at 9 euro for a few, and then the price goes up. Although in theory you can book one 48 hours in advance, it is unlikely there would be any left on popular runs at that time. An example of a mini fare I saw yesterday, looking at travel from Rome to Venice on a date in May, was 19 euro instead of the regular 2d class fare of 76 euros. According to the Trenitalia website, you can exchange a mini ticket one time, but you will pay the difference between the mini fare you paid and the current price for that ticket. So you don't really lose out if your plans change, you just end up paying full price for the ticket.

Barbara, "Mini" is just a commercial name for "Italian Discounted Advanced Purchase Tickets". Germany, France and Spain have similar "discounted advanced purchase" fares as well.

Mini fares are indeed very good. I just 16 tix from Rome to Venice in June for only 9 Euro each. What a deal!

Barbara, this article might answer some of your MINI fare questions. If you need help buying or using the MINI fare, you might read Booking on the Trenitalia Website and Going "Ticketless" and Using PNR Codes on Trenitalia. You could certainly use the MINI fare, if you can find one available, for your Venice to Florence route.

Thank you all for your suggestions and information.. If I can get a cheap enough fair it would make it worth doing now.. I am about 60 days out now and hopefully there should still be some good fares left.. I will check out the website on how to use the Trent... website..
Will report back on any success.

OK so went on the Trent... site to see what I can find ..I am about 77 days out.. no mini fares that I can see :( I thought because I was too late but I checked to see what would be available 90 days out and could not even get a schedule to come up it said "no solution found" I then kept changing the date 89 days 88 days 87 days until I finally got a scheudule to come up for about 85 days out but the prices are the same no matter what date i put in now from next week to 85 days before I also read on the website that was suggested that June2nd is a holiday in Italy and it falls on a weekend and that is one of the days we are traveling.. so I am wondering if I am better off getting a ticket and reservation now since the time we want to leave could get booked up Any thoughts on this?
Also, I could not seem to get my ticket from Florence to Lauterbrunnen Switz from this site or am I doing something wrong.. it said no train station found.

Grazie Mille, Ron in Rome! Am following this thread as, I too didn't understand the "Mini" price option on Trenitalia's website. However, after your information, the great links to your site, some searching on Trenitalia (trying different departure times and costs) managed to successfully book and pay for a Florence-Venice trip in early May for 19 Euros! Posted prices were 60 Euros for First Class and 43 Euros for Second, so am very pleased with my purchase. Barbara in Staten Island, if you can't initially see the lower price options, choose a departure and click on "Continue." This will take you to a new screen with multiple fare options. If there isn't a Mini Price available on it, choose "Back" and pick a different time to see if anything inexpensive is available. Also, while on Trenitalia's site, I tried to book a Orvieto-Florence leg, but see that none are "purchasable." Does this mean that, given that the trip is short and frequent, pre-bookings are not taken and I should just purchase my ticket at the station?

thanks Barb I just figured that out! Was able to score a mini fare from Venice to Florence now going for two more legs I have to book and then all I have left are the swiss tickets.. wow now I know why people hire travel agents.. but this is all a learning experience and i am so grateful to the help of everyone on these boards!

Thank you for all the reponses. I was able to use the link provided to make my train reservations today. Go Mini Fares.