If youre travelling on ter regional trains, you can take a fully assembled bike free of charge and without booking in advance, simply hang it up in the designated space. Yes there are good savings to be had financially but the convenience of prebooking is great. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home. Aug 26, 2016 traveling by train from milan to venice. Though some train rides should be booked in advance, its generally easiest to.
Rail europe provides an exclusive seat reservation service. For buying international train tickets from italy, see the advice here. So you can take any train, the ticket is valid for 2 months from time of purchase and what you do need to do as uomo grasso said is stamp your ticket in the machines along the tracks before getting on the train. Renee, you can certainly buy tickets for the premium trains in advance ie. Italy is one of those few countries you dont really need to book train tickets in advance, even in high season. Trains in italy the fastest and best value routes omio.
Here there is no discount for advance purchase, you buy a ticket and it is valid on any train, but you must stamp validate the ticket before you get on the train to stop you using it twice. Whereas if you do not pre book then you have to show up early to buy your ticket along with a throng of other travelers that for most part do not understand the system and you need to be aware of pickpockets and scammers trying to help you. Before you visit rome, visit tripadvisor for the latest info and advice, written for travelers by travelers. If you catch regional trains and not the so called frecce, you dont need to buy tickets in advance, because there is no seat reservation and the price is always the same. For the hard to get reservation, how far in advance you need to book varies wildly. 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.
If you miss that train for any reason, your tickets will be worthless and youll have to buy more at full price. You can always try buy train tickets at your train station of departure. Find alternative ways to book your seat reservations below. Ive saved hundreds of euros by booking in advance but only for train travel i knew i wanted to definitely take on a specific day but, the. You cannot book more than 90 days in advance for train travel in italy. On your trip from florence to the cinque terre, its likely that some or all of the trains youll be using will be regionale, and you wont be able to buy tickets in advance for those. That said, if you book in advance, you can change your ticket if you miss the train. How to buy train tickets in italy an american in rome. This site uses proprietary or thirdparty profiling cookies to send online advertising with your preferences. There are only a few trains in switzerland that require a seat reservation. However, it is safer to create one in case you need to update or.
Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel. Any segments that use an intercities train, may need booking in advance some dont, but its best if you do book to get cheaper fares and to guarantee a seat. One of the best ways to see the pope in rome is to attend the sunday angelus. Most regional trains, also known as local trains, do not require a seat reservation. Theyre also nonflexible, meaning you ll need to be fairly confident that you can catch your train. For example, pisa to florence, florence to siena, milan to como or milan to tirano. On the other hand, if you plan to take conventional trains there is no need at all to buy the tickets in advance because. Jan 21, 2019 without a car, i regularly travel through italy by train. Any segments that use a regional train called ter in france dont need advance booking, and can be purchased on the day.
Train travel in italy, a beginners guide tickets from 9. The short answer is that you dont need to book seats for trains in switzerland, except for a few scenic trains. To avoid lines at the ticket counter and to be sure youll be able to travel at your desired time, buy your train ticket in advance on select italys website. Is that something we should book in advance or can i wait until we are in venice on the 15th and ask the concierge to handle.
If your travel details are 100% confirmed, you can book in advance for the. How far in advance can i book european train tickets. Even with a eurail pass, you still need to pay a little extra to ride the fastest trains on. Buying tickets soon after theyre released gives you a better chance of securing seats during busy travel days, and may give you access to sales or ticket discounts that are only available for advance purchases. If youre planning to see a lot in a short amount of time on your eurail trip, then youll most likely need to buy some seat reservations for highspeed routes before you go. You can show up at the station and buy your tickets just before departure, from the machines or the ticket office. 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 some money, perhaps going for a more flexible fare. When i create a custom italy itinerary for a new client, one of the most important parts of the initial discussion revolves around logistics, and the conversation quickly moves to italy train travel. There is also a frecciargento that departs from the airport, with no changes required.
Book restaurants about a week in advance, unless they have michelin stars. Night trains can be a way to save time and money in europe, but they arent as great as this sounds. Sbb runs an eurocity stopping in luzern with terminus in venice. Check the timetable to see whether your train requires seat reservations. Though youre given the option of registering on the site, you do not need to do so in order to buy tickets.
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. Please note that we do not offer discounted or special offer tickets at this time. Europe do i need to book train switzerland to italy in advance. Some european trains cant be booked through our reservation service. For the hardtoget reservation, how far in advance you need to book varies wildly.
The good news is that you can generally get a decent discount on the full fare if you buy at least a month in advance. 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 some money, perhaps going for a more flexible fare on the other hand, if you plan to take conventional trains there is no need at all to buy the tickets in advance because. Travel with our frecce trains, at high speed, departing and arriving from the center of the main cities. In spain, should i book train and bus tickets in advance for traveling from one city to another. Theres always plenty of trains going the same places for different budgets. 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.
Buying tickets soon after theyre released gives you a better chance of securing seats during busy travel days, and may give you access. Faq rail europe rail travel planner europe train travel. You can book italian train tickets online using a credit card. We will be headed to venice, milan, cinque terre, florence, rome, naples, almalfi coast and finishing in bari should i buy train tickets tofrom major cities i. This is especially true for longdistance trains frecciarossa, italo, frecciargento, etc. Once youre in italy, you can buy tickets just before you get on a train. Sometimes its wise to buy your italian train tickets in advance and sometimes its not. Venice to milan, florence to rome in advance, or can i buy them day of while we are there. Passholders seat reservation guide rail europe train. I never book trains ahead except for holidays and have never had any problems getting what we needed. Hi, i am a bit confused whether i should book my train tickets in advance for my travel in italy. If you buy on the spot at the station, a standard class ticket to florence is approximately 60 between leonardo express and frecciarossa. All other trains can just be boarded with a rail pass or a ticket and do not need to be booked in advance. France, which tickets do i need to book in advance.
However, for the highspeed trains youll need to book a seat reservation. You can purchase tickets to skip the line, but that can also be done a day in advance and often on the same day. Trains from the surrounding countries to switzerland usually do require seat reservations. Hello, my hubby and i are heading to italy in may 2018. I was still quite inexperienced and i wanted to have the reassurance that i had a place to sleep every night. If you are travelling with a rail pass, then you just need to board the train, find a seat and relax. I have hardly ever bought tickets in advance in italy, because like you i prefer to have a flexible.
The best sites for buying italy train tickets in 1st and 2nd class. To buy your train ticket in english, and to compare over 300 train and bus companies on the omio app. That includes taking regional trains to get to smaller towns or short distances, and fast speed trains to travel between major italian cities. You can compare fast and slow trains or filter them out completely if you dont want to worry. Without a car, i regularly travel through italy by train. If you buy ahead, make sure you give yourself a lot of time between the scheduled landing and the train departure. I have compared companies and routes for years in order to write a guide on how to buy train tickets in italy. Long distance train tickets are cheaper if bought in advance, but you then lose the flexibility to alter your ittenary at will. Hi all travelling from grindelwald to verona on 28 september 3 people.
Search for your route and well tell you if you need a. You have a busy wish list and you lose any chance to relax and enjoy somewhere if everything is prebooked. There are ticket kiosks that accept credit cards and are fairly easy to use though a little intimidating the first time as youll have a line of impatient italians queuing behind you. What you need to know august 26, 2016 august 24, 2016 silvia donati milan, transportation buying italy train tickets, how to book italy train tickets, le frecce trains, milano centrale, online italy train reservation, train from milan to venice, venezia santa lucia. Tickets between the major italian cities do sell out so book train seats between rome, florence, milan, venice, and naples in advance. Special equipment is also available for use by disabled travellers but must be reserved locally in advance. The conductor will scan your eticket while travelling. All intercites have plenty of room for luggage, toilets, and often some form of catering either a trolley service or a cafebar. Be sure to specify if you need personal assistance whether with a wheelchair, boarding, etc. Book your seat reservations quickly and easily with our online tool. Tickets are oneway only, so do be sure to book your return tickets at the same time.
You can check schedules and buy tickets on trenitalia, the italian national train site. Should we book in advance, or will we be able to secure tickets on the day we want to travel. Do i need to book train switzerland to italy in advance. If youre looking for the cheapest possible ticket between a and b especially if a and b are in the same country this is the way to go. And booking a week in advance is almost always cheaper than booking on travel day. Cheap advance train tickets advance tickets info trainline. Start by selecting whether you want oneway or roundtrip travel, then start typing in your station of origin.
I agree fully with avoiding the schedule constraints. In actual fact, if you can book your european train tickets well in advance, fares are likely to be less expensive than you think. Heres how to find the train schedule, choose the train you want, book your. Advance tickets can be an especially smart buy for popular highspeed trains such as frances tgv trains and italys le frecce trains, which frequently sell out. In general, the earlier you book, the more youll save the cheapest ticket fares tend to sell out way faster than the more expensive ones, so make sure you buy your tickets in advance. Theres absolutely no need to buy in advance and no advantage in doing so other than saving time at the ticket office. Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel expert.
That said, train tickets do sell out in high season, so definitely book a month or so in advance, at least. But if you do want to drive, you should definitely read our top 6 tips for driving in italy. You can buy your train tickets roughly 2 months ahead of when you ll need them, and can even book them the day before your train trip. I want to go from madrid to malaga by train, from malaga to granada by bus, and from madrid to barcelona by train. When i first started travelling, i used to prebook all of my accommodations well in advance. Train tickets are one size fits all and are valid only for the specific date and times requested no refunds are given for missed trains. Theyre only available as single tickets for a to b rail journeys and are nonrefundable. Advance train tickets are fares that go on sale well before the day of travel. Train travel in france, a beginners guide paris to nice. For all other sncf trains the rules differ depending on the type of train and time of day, bike spaces may need to be booked in advance and may require a ticket to travel. Travel light, book em in advance and you may get considerable discounts because you will travel as family. To book your tickets for the train from rome to florence, you can do it on the day of travel, right at the train station at the kiosks there. Choose where you want to go and check whether you need to reserve a seat. Be aware that there are two broad categories of train services in italy.
Well explain you more about reservations a bit further down on this page. Martha bakerjian is an italian travel expert who uses her home in northern tuscany as a base for her indepth explorations of the country. Regional train tickets are usually only available about 60 days in advance. Italy has an extensive highspeed train network, which will get you where you want to go a lot faster compared to the regional train system. Have looked up trains grindelwald to milan depart 07. Book your italy train tickets online with us and find out everything you need to know about. If you plan to travel on an overnight train, longdistance trip or during peak holiday times. Traveling by train from milan to venice buying your ticket. Frances highspeed tgv trains always require seat reservations, and usually book up early.
Although these trains dont need to be prebooked, if you book in advance you can often find cheaper trainspecific prems fares which save money over the ontheday fullflex price. Though you re given the option of registering on the site, you do not need to do so in order to buy tickets. Trenitalia are increasing this to 180 days in early 2018. This is how seat reservations work for swiss and european. Martha bakerjian is an italian travel expert who uses her home in northern tuscany as a base for her in depth explorations of the country. Jul, 2016 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. You can buy most european train tickets online from anywhere, so it all comes down to how early you are able to commit to a nonrefundable. You can book your eticket online directly on omio or the website of the train company. 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. 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. Eurail passes are only available to noneu citizens and residents and must be purchased in advance of your trip to italy. You can do this while youre in europe by inquiring at the train station or through your hotel concierge. 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. This means all tickets for these trains are sold without a time or date.
I realise that i am missing out on the cheap ticket deals for booking ahead. 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. 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. On most of europes trains, reservations arent required, and theres plenty of seating for everyone. Should i buy train tickets in advance from rome to. Heres what you need to know when planning to take the train from milan to venice.
You can see which trains require a reservation in our timetable, or you can check by country or by train type. Plan your journey ahead and book your italy train tickets with us. Once you re in italy, you can buy tickets just before you get on a train. Highspeed trains in italy require to have a seat reservation booked in advance to boarding a train or you could be kicked out of the train. To book a train in italy you can do it with trenitalia or italo depending on the company you have chosen. Whether youre traveling with a rail pass or not, its worth taking the time to figure.