Should i buy train tickets in advance from rome to naples. This is a series where we try to explain basics of travel by answering questions we ask and have to discover the answers to for ourselves. There are ticket kiosks that accept credit cards and are fairly easy to use though a little intimidating the first time as youll have. Otherwise, opt for something like italiarail, or a. So how far in advance can you book trains in europe.
For example, 90% of all uk train tickets are bought less than a month before travel. And in italy, the train tickets are heavily subsidized so they are reasonably priced to begin with, and quite cheap if you buy at least a couple weeks in advance. Europeans use trains to go shopping, attend business meetings or visit granny, everyday activities that are usually planned only days or weeks ahead, not 6 months. If you have a rail pass, you have to make sure that youve booked your seat reservation before boarding a premium train high speed, international or night trains. The exception regionale trains think bus on rails is the slowest and stops at almost every station along the way. I have hardly ever bought tickets in advance in italy, because like you i prefer to have a flexible schedule. While you can usually buy italian train tickets right at the station in italy, its often more convenient to buy them ahead of time. Sbb runs an eurocity stopping in luzern with terminus in venice. For example, the train from florence to rome takes 1 hour 30 minutes.
High speed italian trains like this are an important part of our guide for how to. Passholders seat reservation guide rail europe train. Tickitaly offers train tickets between selected italian cities on the comfortable and fast freccia arrow train services read on for more information or simply complete the form below to purchase your tickets. Book italy train tickets online with italiarail the italian train travel specialists. With a eurail pass and comfortable italian trains, the entire country is within your reach. Train travel in italy, a beginners guide tickets from 9. How to book trains in europe by rail expert the man in seat 61 rail travel follow his advice and your trip will not only be more be eco. Most train travelers in italy spend each railtravel day taking relatively short rides on. For this reason, european trains mostly open for bookings only 90 days ahead, although a handful. Even with a eurail pass, you still need to pay a little extra to ride the fastest trains on the main routes connecting italy s bigger cities. However, if time is a major constraint and you have a tight budget, youd be better off early booking the high speed train called freccia rossa which takes only 2hrs from rome to naples. Most frecce fast train and intercity italian train tickets are only sold within four months of the actual travel date and sometimes less, so you will usually not be able to purchase tickets more than four months in advance. The main trains in italy are operated by trenitalia, italo and thello, which provide highspeed, international and regional trains. Travel light, book em in advance and you may get considerable discounts because you will travel as family.
Select the departure and arrival stations and check all the italo train times. If you plan to use the high speed trains trenitalias frecciarossa, frecciargento or frecciabianca as well as italo trains you better book them in advance to save. Booking trains italy train companies popular routes trains italy. Those tickets are cheap, never discounted and are open seating. However, when i travelled from rome to pescara i was able to get a pretty good deal half an hour before departure. If your travel details are 100% confirmed, you can book in advance for the best prices and times. That said, train tickets do sell out in high season, so definitely book a month or so in advance, at least. In germany, german rail has a deal with selected airlines luftahansa is one where travelers can book open not train specific tickets on long distance train from their arrival airport to other cities in germany for a fare rivaling advance purchase fares. You can also book them through the trenitalia app look for the rate called. Trenitalias train schedules and fares are typically only released between 90120 days in advance, so its not a good idea to solidify travel plans before that pointthe timetable can change seasonally. Travelers can admire the beautiful scenery of the country as they pass through cities, mountains, countryside, lakes or by the sea. After this stay we are on to florence and would like to ride the train with only one change. Italo train schedule valid from 15 dicember 2019 until june th 2020. Traveling italy by train means you can get everywhere, from the ancient relics of pompeii to the spectacular tuscan coastline.
For the hardtoget reservation, how far in advance you need to book varies wildly. Eurail passes are only available to noneu citizens and residents and must be purchased in advance of your trip to italy. How to buy italy train tickets and save lots of money. Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel. You can always try buy train tickets at your train station of departure. Once youve checked all the italy train times online, select your favorite train and buy the ticket in a few clicks. How to travel in italy by train cheapest tickets rome. I like the idea of being flexible about travel but my concern is that the most direct train will be sold out so will have to take a longer train with more connections or have to wait for a while at train station.
In general, train service is cheap, convenient, and very functional in italy. Trains in italy the fastest and best value routes omio. Tickets between the major italian cities do sell out so book train seats between rome, florence, milan, venice, and naples in advance. Book restaurants about a week in advance, unless they have michelin stars. I plan to travel from sicily to rome just before christmas as the first leg in a longer trip to the us. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home. Generally speaking, eurail passes are best for longer trips visiting many countries where you really want to make plans up as you go. Italy rail passes and train tips from rick steves rick steves europe. We are traveling from milan verona florence monterroso via train and want to know if we should buy train tickets in advance. I would like to book train tickets, and i understood that i could book tickets online through trenitalia 4 months in advance. How far in advance can you book tickets with trenitalia. You do not get many special rates buying tickets in advance on internet.
There are ticket kiosks that accept credit cards and are fairly easy to use. You dont necessarily need to make the reservations that far in advance, but if youre traveling with a rail pass, dont assume you can hop on any italian train with just your pass in hand. I see there is an intercity train from monterosso to pisa centrale then a regionale train on to florence do you recommend purchasing the intercity tickets in advance or will tickets and seats be readily available the morning of travel. You can still get cheap train tickets with this ticket, however they will still be more expensive, so try to book in advance to get the best price. Cheap train tickets italy buy tickets online happyrail. You cannot book more than 90 days in advance for train travel in italy. But it is normally possible to buy it on the spot too if it is not fully booked, but i dont think it is often the case and you have plenty of trains. Discover the many treasures of rome and florence, go shopping in milan and explore the canals of venice by gondola. The advance booking times are called booking horizons. How to book trains in europe by rail expert the man in.
I have compared companies and routes for years in order to write a guide on how to buy train tickets in italy. For trains operating in popular countries like france, italy, spain, uk and sweden, we include the seat reservation in the train ticket price, so you dont have to worry about it. Best way to buy train tickets italy forum tripadvisor. Frecce services are cheaper if purchased in advance with varying penalties for changes or cancellation but regionale tickets cost the same no matter when you buy them and are therefore best purchased immediately prior to travel in case you change your mind. If you book in advance you can save money as i said in the previous message. That said, if you book in advance, you can change your ticket if you miss the train. No need to wake up in the middle of the night, nobody gets tickets so early. I agree that its best to book longdistance intercity trains in advance. Tickets to book in advance in italy fodors travel talk.
You dont necessarily need to make the reservations that far in advance, but if. Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel expert. Italian train tickets and rail passes can be purchased through eurail, italiarail and rail europe, all private entities, the latter of which are brokers of trenitalia tickets. At the minute depending on the departure hour for each train, italian time. Basically you can get a discount up to the 20% when travelling on special trains and in special days currently there is an offer for which you can get a discount of 20% if travelling on tuesdays, wednesday or saturday.
So far, in my last 3 visits to italy, i have always bought tickets on the day of travel at the train station, and never encountered a sold out train. I realise that i am missing out on the cheap ticket deals for booking ahead. Travel with our frecce trains, at high speed, departing and arriving from the center of the main cities. Buy booking in advance, you can make huge savings over the cost of tickets bought on the day. This site uses proprietary or thirdparty profiling cookies to send online advertising with your preferences. Be aware that there are two broad categories of train services in italy. For certain trips you can book your tickets up to 6 months in advance whereas with others you will have to wait 90 days before departure. How to book highspeed train tickets in italy rome vacation tips.
Usually these are very simple things like buying a train. These are the available high speed connectins in italy right now. The italian train network is one of the best ways to travel to and around italy. Train travel between cities in italy is relaxing and blazing fast. Theres no better way to see the cities of italy than by train, trains link just about every town or city of any size, centre to centre. Unlike rail passes, its generally easy to buy pointtopoint train tickets right at the station whereas most rail passes arent widely available in europe. Italiarail italy train ticket and rail pass experts. International tickets from france start at 15 for thello trains from marseille and nice to milan and 29 for tgvtickets from paris and lyon to torino and milan both trains require a compulsory reservation. Should we book in advance, or will we be able to secure tickets on the day we want to travel. Theres always plenty of trains going the same places for different budgets. So its always good to find out what the specifics are for each operator and country. Europe tickets to book in advance in italy hi friends i will be visiting italy from 5th may to 17th may and i will be visiting venice, florence, pisa, lucca, siena. We are a fully licenced partner of trenitalia and make the whole process fast and efficient. But it can be smart to buy in advance for certain trains and destinations, especially if your dates are set and you dont want to risk a specific train journey selling out, or if youre hoping to land an advancepurchase discount.
Without a car, i regularly travel through italy by train. Rail is one of the most popular ways for travellers to get around europe but ive often heard them bemoan the fact that fares are expensive. The italian train network is so extensive and modern that it connects all the major cities, so you can easily travel to and around the country. It helps to know some basic italian phrases that will help you buy a ticket, but the italian ticket machines and signs are fairly easy for english travelers to navigate. You can buy your train tickets roughly 2 months ahead of when youll need them, and can even book them the day before your train trip.
Italy is one of those few countries you dont really need to book train tickets in advance, even in high season. How to buy train tickets in italy an american in rome. How to book a long distance train in italy the below is the cheapest and easiest method to book a long distance train from two cities such as venice to florence. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home tripsavvy. How far in advance can i book european train tickets. Hi, i am a bit confused whether i should book my train tickets in advance for my travel in italy.