My wife and I traveled to Rome and Florence in October 2014 and had a great time. Rick's books are essential. There is one exception I would like to make to Rick's Termini Rail Station advice. He say to not talk to the people who come up to help you without being asked. They are numerous and are looking for a tip. We initially followed that advice but on our trip from Termini to the airport we received the only true help from one of these people. We had purchased our train ticket from Rome to the airport while we were in Florence. We were told by the ticket agent that we had to validate the ticket at the Rome train station because it was an open ticket that could be used anytime. However we did not know how to validate it. So we went to the information desk by the ticket agents and were told to go to a green box with no other guidance and it was obvious this person was not interested in making sure we knew what to do. We found the boxes near the trains and tried to use one. There were no instructions on the box. We stuck the tickets into the slot and it made noises but did not do anything to the ticket that indicated it was validated. One of these "helpers" told us the box was out of order. We found another box but the same thing happened. We could not tell if it was validated. I asked a security person who directed us to track 24 but did not help with the validation. When we got to track 24 there was a green box and one of these "helpers" was standing there. She helped us slide the ticket into the slot and then pressed one of 4 unlabeled buttons on the top of the box. The box printed the validation code on the ticket and we did the second ticket also. The button is the one on the left. I gave the woman a Euro and thanked her. When we were on the train and traveling to the airport the conductor came through to examine and punch the tickets. There was an elderly couple down from us who handed the conductor their tickets. Their tickets were not validated and it was obvious they had had the same problem we did. The conductor fined them 50 Euros right on the spot. He could have fined them another 50 for the second unvalidated ticket. When he took our tickets he gave me a funny look that seemed to indicate he was disappointed he could not fine us also. We are very grateful for the help we got from the unofficial "helper" and I wished I had tipped her more. She saved us 50 to a 100 Euros. The actual officials who should have helped us were not of much use. So my advice is to cautiously accept the help of the these "helpers" when you need it.
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
I love your posting here, thanks for taking the time. I think there are two lessons for people who love international travel: (1) when you come across a traveller who could use some guidance or help in your own community or country, try to provide it, with patience and a smile; and (2) when you need some guidance or help when traveling in another country, seek it out and be appreciative. Just be somewhat cautious when considering handing your baggage, camera, phone or more than a few euros to someone whose role you don't know.
Posted by
eugene/springfield, oregon, usa
102 posts
This experience duplicated mine twenty years ago on my first europe trip, also guided by RS books.
Ticket validation seemed standard and easy everywhere by my next trip with two children...well teenagers, in tow. The story explained here, I remember with slight discomfort. I should have known what to do, but I did not, and am thankful still for one person who cared.
That first trip had multitudes of new experiences, including my first tube travel in London. Here I was standing with a day pass looking for the right color train, the proper direction of travel, and a backpack as RS recommended to travel light. And million busy experienced people moving at race pace. It seemed so simple, first buy a ticket from the wall-mounted dispenser. I had changed money already, those weighty pound coins heavy in my pocket. Yes, they gave me coins and paper at the exchange. Now to get to the trains. No color coded boxes were evident. But other people seemed moving purposefully. I registered direction signs with hundreds clumping near what looked to be gates.
But the rush of people, the jet lag as I'd just flown all night, awe at being in the city dreamed of for years, or brain freeze kept me from even trying to advance toward the mass of people entering. Did RS give advice in those books I so religious studied? Probably, certainly. Yet no clue on such a tip even crossed my tangled thoughts. No helpful station staff were around, or if they were my muddled mind did not recognize any. I never had taken a US subway, and if I used a ticket reader before, there was no recollection.
So there I stood being bumped, saying sorry, no doubt appearing exactly like what could be an easy target for someone to cause trouble for or take advantage of. As I stood there a young man half the age of my then 50 years came beside me. He said something, but what I had no clue. It might have been english, yet the accent seemed more to swallow vowels, and drop or garble other word parts completely. Later, I discovered he must have been a scot from Glasgow, because I recognized the style later on that trip. Just then he could have been speaking Venusian. Anyway, he pointed at my ticket, then at the mass of people, I nodded, he put his hand on my shoulder and calmly led me into the crowd at the entry point. Placing me in front of himself, he took the ticket from my sweaty palm and put it into a slot which clearly appeared as by magic to my foggy faculties.
A metal arm swiveled open, I moved forward, the arm came back in place. My mind cleared. I knew then to take back the ticket for later use as it spit from the top of the reader. And I saw downward stairs under a marker in red, or maybe it was green, but the place I wanted showed clearly. Behind me the young man had disappeared, away on his own business and I began the next phase of my first adventures in europe.
All very easy, so simple with the kindness of a stranger. Larry from springfield remains thankful.