Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

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jerome99
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Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by jerome99 »

My wife and I are having all sorts of difficulty getting train tickets for trips to and from rome as well as Munich for our upcoming trip in May. We have gotten on the Trenitalia website exactly when they come available(120 days) and continue to get a combo error message and no tickets available. Would love some help from those who have done these drains or had similar experiences. Are we making errors on the website??

Thanks!
mlipps
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by mlipps »

I took the Italotreno line (new private train line) last August and had a great experience. Their website's a lot more user friendly too. Their website is italotreno.it.

But, I would be willing to guess that this is just classic Italian lackadaisical nature and the tickets will be posted when they get around to it. There's no way they're all sold out already.
livesoft
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by livesoft »

There is an overnight train from Munich to Rome and probably the other way. Why not try Die Bahn instead?
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Mian
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by Mian »

I suggest you try http://www.raileurope.com, which I believe is the agency that handles rail tickets for TrenItaly in the USA. Their website is easy to use, and in addition, they have an 800 number here in the US you can call. I think they're like a "Travelocity" of train travel for Europe (i.e., you may pay a booking fee for tickets, but hey, they speak American :) )

Also, for an awesome and definitive guide to trains in Italy, Europe, and just about everywhere, check out http://www.seat61.com. I think it's one of the best and most helpful travel sites anywhere and is dedicated to train travel.

Hope that helps!
bberris
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by bberris »

The schedule may not be set yet. Just wait to buy the tickets, maybe 3 months ahead.
Professor Emeritus
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by Professor Emeritus »

International train connections in Europe can be a pain. But there is very little advantage in buying Italian train tickets far in advance
richard
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by richard »

trenitalia.com has tickets for May 28 from Rome to Munich. That would seem to satisfy exactly their announced timing policy.

What exactly are you searching for?
curmudgeon
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by curmudgeon »

Trenitalia website can be a bit of a challenge to deal with at times. When you get past this step, you may also have issues with your credit card :( In the past, I found it sometimes seemed helpful to have created a user id before purchasing, even though not actually required; that associated my address with the credit card purchase and reduced likelihood of the charge being denied by CC company.

I did this route a couple of years ago, at at the time, you couldn't buy a single direct ticket, at least via web, for the day trains between Munich and Rome. The Italian system didn't play well with others on doing a joint ticket. You had to buy one ticket Rome to (Verona?) and then a second ticket from there to Munich. The exception was the overnight train, which is run by a single company. The night train on Rome-Munich (run by CNL) was OK (better than other Italy night trains I've used).

And yes, Trenitalia isn't always punctual at loading the new schedules that far out, especially if there are changes being planned. We had to wait a couple of weeks longer that we expected.
Last edited by curmudgeon on Wed Jan 29, 2014 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
richard
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by richard »

curmudgeon wrote:Trenitalia website can be a bit of a challenge to deal with at times. When you get past this step, you may also have issues with your credit card :( In the past, I found it sometimes seemed helpful to have created a user id before purchasing, even though not actually required; that associated my address with the credit card purchase and reduced likelihood of the charge being denied by CC company.
The problem isn't usually the charge being denied by one's CC company, the problem is many web sites won't deal with cards not issued in their home country or will only deal with cards issued by some out-of-country issuers but not others. I've sometimes had to try three or four cards before finding one that will work for a non-US web site. If a charge doesn't go through it's worth checking with your CC issuer to find out if they have denied the charge or if the problem is elsewhere.

People outside the US frequently report the same sort of problem with US web sites. Web sites which require a zip code or post code are often a problem for people who don't live there. Consider buying gas - most of the pumps in the US require a zip code when using a credit card, but people from Italy won't have a zip code.
radchad3
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by radchad3 »

We are also going to Italy in May. I had a heck of a time on the trenitalia sight until I finally switched to google chrome. I was using Safari. Didn't have a single hiccup since the switch. When booking for some reason you have to go to the top pull down menu and "purchase tickets". The schedule pulls up from there. I could not get any scheduled trains from the opening page. Hope that helps!
mlipps
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by mlipps »

richard wrote:
curmudgeon wrote:Trenitalia website can be a bit of a challenge to deal with at times. When you get past this step, you may also have issues with your credit card :( In the past, I found it sometimes seemed helpful to have created a user id before purchasing, even though not actually required; that associated my address with the credit card purchase and reduced likelihood of the charge being denied by CC company.
The problem isn't usually the charge being denied by one's CC company, the problem is many web sites won't deal with cards not issued in their home country or will only deal with cards issued by some out-of-country issuers but not others. I've sometimes had to try three or four cards before finding one that will work for a non-US web site. If a charge doesn't go through it's worth checking with your CC issuer to find out if they have denied the charge or if the problem is elsewhere.

People outside the US frequently report the same sort of problem with US web sites. Web sites which require a zip code or post code are often a problem for people who don't live there. Consider buying gas - most of the pumps in the US require a zip code when using a credit card, but people from Italy won't have a zip code.
This was an old problem, which I read about on TripAdvisor, etc. before my trip to Italy last fall. However, I did not personally experience this issue.
cherijoh
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by cherijoh »

Mian wrote:I suggest you try http://www.raileurope.com, which I believe is the agency that handles rail tickets for TrenItaly in the USA. Their website is easy to use, and in addition, they have an 800 number here in the US you can call. I think they're like a "Travelocity" of train travel for Europe (i.e., you may pay a booking fee for tickets, but hey, they speak American :) )

Also, for an awesome and definitive guide to trains in Italy, Europe, and just about everywhere, check out http://www.seat61.com. I think it's one of the best and most helpful travel sites anywhere and is dedicated to train travel.

Hope that helps!
+1 on RailEurope site. Last summer, I did a Viking River Cruise in Germany, but wanted to use frequent flier miles for my airfare. This meant I would have to pay through the nose for their bus transfers (they are included if you book their airfare). I used Rail Europe to check out the options via trains. Since I wasn't sure on exact timing, I waited to book the tickets when I got there. But it was nice to know trains ran every hour or that an intercity train leaving 20 minutes later would actually get me to my destination quicker than the meandering local train. My fellow travelers thought I was very adventurous for using the train. :wink:

Thanks for the link to seat61 - that looks like a cool site to explore.
Puakinekine
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by Puakinekine »

I second using DB Bahn and checking off the UK flag not the US or Canadian one. Clicking the US or Canadian flag on many, if not all European train sites will shoot you over to RailEurope, which is almost always more expensive for the same exact itinerary.
Here is the UK/Ireland (in other words Euro English speaking link)

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml

A really good site for all European train travel is The Man in Seat 61
http://www.seat61.com/

I have been able to use US credit cards with no problem on the DB Bahn site.
Savvy
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by Savvy »

Have you considered flying? It may be cheaper.

Ryanair
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rjbraun
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by rjbraun »

cherijoh wrote:
Mian wrote:I suggest you try http://www.raileurope.com, which I believe is the agency that handles rail tickets for TrenItaly in the USA. Their website is easy to use, and in addition, they have an 800 number here in the US you can call. I think they're like a "Travelocity" of train travel for Europe (i.e., you may pay a booking fee for tickets, but hey, they speak American :) )

Also, for an awesome and definitive guide to trains in Italy, Europe, and just about everywhere, check out http://www.seat61.com. I think it's one of the best and most helpful travel sites anywhere and is dedicated to train travel.

Hope that helps!
+1 on RailEurope site. Last summer, I did a Viking River Cruise in Germany, but wanted to use frequent flier miles for my airfare. This meant I would have to pay through the nose for their bus transfers (they are included if you book their airfare). I used Rail Europe to check out the options via trains. Since I wasn't sure on exact timing, I waited to book the tickets when I got there. But it was nice to know trains ran every hour or that an intercity train leaving 20 minutes later would actually get me to my destination quicker than the meandering local train. My fellow travelers thought I was very adventurous for using the train. :wink:

Thanks for the link to seat61 - that looks like a cool site to explore.
If I recall correctly, Rail Europe is designed to cater to US travelers and tickets may actually cost more than if you go direct to the particular train company's site. I believe that was the case when I was buying tickets between Paris and Avignon a couple of years ago. In other words, I just went direct to the sncf site (in true Boglehead fashion).
rjbraun
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by rjbraun »

Professor Emeritus wrote:But there is very little advantage in buying Italian train tickets far in advance
I disagree. If you are confident of your travel itinerary, you can save a "bundle" by purchasing tickets in advance. I think we got tickets from Florence to Venice for EUR 9 each, one-way. There's a limited supply of these low-priced tickets that go on sale maybe three months in advance. Once they sell out, that's it and you have to buy the next discounted fare, until that runs out, etc. These low-priced tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, but as we figured the only reason we wouldn't use the tickets would most likely be if we cancelled our trip entirely, we were prepared to take that risk. We're talking about less than USD 15, after all. I don't recall how much the full-fare, fully-refundable and exchangeable ticket cost, maybe EUR 69 or so, so it's a significant difference, relatively speaking. What I wrote about is for distance travel, which I think maybe involves regional trains in trenitalia-speak. I do agree with what you wrote if you're talking about short trips between a couple of neighboring towns or something
rjbraun
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Re: Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by rjbraun »

jerome99 wrote:My wife and I are having all sorts of difficulty getting train tickets for trips to and from rome as well as Munich for our upcoming trip in May. We have gotten on the Trenitalia website exactly when they come available(120 days) and continue to get a combo error message and no tickets available. Would love some help from those who have done these drains or had similar experiences. Are we making errors on the website??

Thanks!
You may want to post on tripadvisor.com. You could post on the Munich or Rome travel forums, or I think there may even be a train travel forum (not sure). There are several people on TA (TripAdvisor) who are very helpful and knowledgeable about train travel, including someone named sydneynick, I believe.

Good luck and enjoy your travels!

http://www.tripadvisor.com
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Steelersfan
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Re: Train tickets in Italy-Wow!!

Post by Steelersfan »

rjbraun wrote:
Professor Emeritus wrote:But there is very little advantage in buying Italian train tickets far in advance
I disagree. If you are confident of your travel itinerary, you can save a "bundle" by purchasing tickets in advance. I think we got tickets from Florence to Venice for EUR 9 each, one-way. There's a limited supply of these low-priced tickets that go on sale maybe three months in advance. Once they sell out, that's it and you have to buy the next discounted fare, until that runs out, etc. These low-priced tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, but as we figured the only reason we wouldn't use the tickets would most likely be if we cancelled our trip entirely, we were prepared to take that risk. We're talking about less than USD 15, after all. I don't recall how much the full-fare, fully-refundable and exchangeable ticket cost, maybe EUR 69 or so, so it's a significant difference, relatively speaking. What I wrote about is for distance travel, which I think maybe involves regional trains in trenitalia-speak. I do agree with what you wrote if you're talking about short trips between a couple of neighboring towns or something
I'm not sure if that's true in Italy (I suspect it is) but it's certainly in Germany, where I've traveled a lot, and for sure it's true there.

I saved at least 60% on most trips of 2 - 4 hours by booking 2 - 3 months in advance. No changes allowed but that was OK with me, my itinerary was set.

A few shorter trips, not so much.
MathWizard
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Re: Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by MathWizard »

I just booked with Trentalia at the automated ticket stations inside the hub just before departure.
That way we had no schedule to adhere to.

Navigating while not knowing Italian was part of the fun, though my wife would not
do it, I had to. Hint, never take the "inter-city" train which is a local, and takes forever,
and the trains are often full and hot in the summer. Take the regional trains or high speed
rail (Rome-Florence was smooth as glass and about 120 MPH , my wife slept it was so comfortable.)

According to Rick Steves, booking ahead in Italy was no cheaper than buying indivdual tickets.
For France however, buying a Eurail Pass beforehand was cheaper, so you may want a multi-country pass
for convenience.
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Steelersfan
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Re: Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by Steelersfan »

MathWizard wrote: According to Rick Steves, booking ahead in Italy was no cheaper than buying indivdual tickets.
For France however, buying a Eurail Pass beforehand was cheaper, so you may want a multi-country pass
for convenience.
Rick does say that, but the guy at Seat61 qualifies it to say they're not cheaper for regional and short trips. They are for longer trips.

Do you need to buy tickets in advance?

Regional trains, no. For example, Pisa to Florence, Milan to Como or Tirano, Florence to Siena. There's absolutely no need to pre-book and no advantage in doing so other than saving time going to the ticket office. The price is fixed so there's no cost advantage in pre-booking, no reservation is necessary or even possible so the train can never 'sell out'. Just buy a ticket at the station or from the self-service machines when you get there, validate it in the machines and hop on the next train.

Long-distance trains, yes. For example, Rome to Florence, Milan to Venice. All seats on Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca & InterCity trains are reserved, so they can in theory sell out, although in practice there's almost always places available on most trains even just before departure so yes you can buy at the station on the day if you really want. The issue is price, as on the day of departure the expensive 'base' fare applies, but if you pre-book you can buy a cheap economy or super-economy fare from as little as €9, €19 or €29.

..............

'Economy' & 'Super-Economy' are cheap advance-purchase fares which save you money if you're happy to book in advance on a 'no refunds' basis. Economy & Super-Economy fares vary like air fares, so book early to get the cheapest price. Economy and Super-Economy fares are only valid on the specific train you've booked. Economy allows a change of reservation before departure, Super-Economy does not allow any changes. If you miss your booked train, the ticket becomes worthless. Note: You won't see any 'Economy' or 'Super-Economy' fares if part of your journey is on a regional train, e.g. Pisa to Venice changing at Florence. Split the journey, and you'll see Economy and Super-Economy fares for the long-distance part, in this example the Florence to Venice part.


http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm# ... italia.com
MathWizard
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Re: Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by MathWizard »

Steelersfan wrote:
Rick Steves says ...,
but seat61 says...

http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm# ... italia.com
Thanks for the link, that will be useful. We do plan to go back to Italy in a few years.

The pictures on the site of the 2 class seating on inter-city trains are not what we saw. The pictures were more
like the first class on the bullet train we later took. The seating on the intercity train that we were on looked more like
an old school bus, with people having to stand in the aisle for hours between Naples and Rome.
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Steelersfan
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Re: Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by Steelersfan »

MathWizard wrote: The pictures on the site of the 2 class seating on inter-city trains are not what we saw. The pictures were more
like the first class on the bullet train we later took. The seating on the intercity train that we were on looked more like
an old school bus, with people having to stand in the aisle for hours between Naples and Rome.
Inter-city and regional trains vary a lot. I've been on some that were as nice as the long distance trains, although that's not common. More often they are more utilitarian, but a step or two above school buses.

OTOH - there was that train to Maastricht that I'm convinced was once used during WWII to move German troops to the front, complete with military green paint and bars on the windows to keep them from jumping off the train on the way. A school bus would have been a step up from that.
cherijoh
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Re: Train tickets in Italy [trouble booking with Trenitalia]

Post by cherijoh »

MathWizard wrote:I just booked with Trentalia at the automated ticket stations inside the hub just before departure.
That way we had no schedule to adhere to.

Navigating while not knowing Italian was part of the fun, though my wife would not
do it, I had to. Hint, never take the "inter-city" train which is a local, and takes forever,
and the trains are often full and hot in the summer. Take the regional trains or high speed
rail (Rome-Florence was smooth as glass and about 120 MPH , my wife slept it was so comfortable.)

According to Rick Steves, booking ahead in Italy was no cheaper than buying indivdual tickets.
For France however, buying a Eurail Pass beforehand was cheaper, so you may want a multi-country pass
for convenience.
Now that is interesting - in Germany the intercity trains are the ones that make the fewest stops and the RB (regional bahn) are the ones that stop in all the little towns. :? I do recall being told that the quickest way to get between Madrid and Florence was via Paris, and thought it was a joke. But it was in fact the quickest route at the time.
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