To book at some of the hottest popular best rome trattorias, you should consider booking a few days in advance. I plan to travel from sicily to rome just before christmas as the first leg in a longer trip to the us. 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. Tickets to book in advance in italy fodors travel talk. You can also book them through the trenitalia app look for the rate called. 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.
Usually these are very simple things like buying a train. You can always try buy train tickets at your train station of departure. You cannot book more than 90 days in advance for train travel in italy. How to book highspeed train tickets in italy rome vacation tips.
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. 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. 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. The advance booking times are called booking horizons. For this reason, european trains mostly open for bookings only 90 days ahead, although a handful. Passholders seat reservation guide rail europe train. Flexible as the name suggests, this is the ticket that gives you the most flexibility when travelling on trenitalia trains. How to travel in italy by train cheapest tickets rome. Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel.
Without a car, i regularly travel through italy by train. Otherwise, opt for something like italiarail, or a. Book restaurants about a week in advance, unless they have michelin stars. 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. For example, the train from florence to rome takes 1 hour 30 minutes. 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. How to buy italy train tickets and save lots of money. 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 book trains in europe by rail expert the man in. However, when i travelled from rome to pescara i was able to get a pretty good deal half an hour before departure. Cheap train tickets italy buy tickets online happyrail. I realise that i am missing out on the cheap ticket deals for booking ahead. Italy rail passes and train tips from rick steves rick steves europe. The main trains in italy are operated by trenitalia, italo and thello, which provide highspeed, international and regional trains. There are ticket kiosks that accept credit cards and are fairly easy to use though a little intimidating the first time as youll have. Generally speaking, eurail passes are best for longer trips visiting many countries where you really want to make plans up as you go. Those tickets are cheap, never discounted and are open seating. High speed italian trains like this are an important part of our guide for how to. Theres some really good advice here regarding train travel in italy.
This site uses proprietary or thirdparty profiling cookies to send online advertising with your preferences. Unlike rail passes, its generally easy to buy pointtopoint train tickets right at the station whereas most rail passes arent widely available in europe. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home. 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. 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.
I would like to book train tickets, and i understood that i could book tickets online through trenitalia 4 months in advance. The exception regionale trains think bus on rails is the slowest and stops at almost every station along the way. Once youve checked all the italy train times online, select your favorite train and buy the ticket in a few clicks. Buy booking in advance, you can make huge savings over the cost of tickets bought on the day. Discover the many treasures of rome and florence, go shopping in milan and explore the canals of venice by gondola. 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. 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. That said, train tickets do sell out in high season, so definitely book a month or so in advance, at least. Book italy train tickets online with italiarail the italian train travel specialists. 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. Should i buy train tickets in advance from rome to naples.
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. So how far in advance can you book trains in europe. Europe booking trains in ita ly should i book in advance. Train travel between cities in italy is relaxing and blazing fast. 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. Eurail passes are only available to noneu citizens and residents and must be purchased in advance of your trip to italy. 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. How far in advance can you book tickets with trenitalia. Train travel in italy, a beginners guide tickets from 9. Travel with our frecce trains, at high speed, departing and arriving from the center of the main cities.
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. Cant find a seat, stand till one becomes available at the next stop. If you book in advance you can save money as i said in the previous message. 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.
Italy is one of those few countries you dont really need to book train tickets in advance, even in high season. You dont necessarily need to make the reservations that far in advance, but if. If your travel details are 100% confirmed, you can book in advance for the best prices and times. How to buy italian train tickets before you leave home tripsavvy. Sbb runs an eurocity stopping in luzern with terminus in venice. 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. Booking trains italy train companies popular routes trains italy. While you can usually buy italian train tickets right at the station in italy, its often more convenient to buy them ahead of time. Be aware that there are two broad categories of train services 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. The italian train network is one of the best ways to travel to and around italy. 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. Buying train tickets in italy the 2019 guide the hotel expert.
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. There are ticket kiosks that accept credit cards and are fairly easy to use. 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. Traveling italy by train means you can get everywhere, from the ancient relics of pompeii to the spectacular tuscan coastline. Most train travelers in italy spend each railtravel day taking relatively short rides on. 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. Tickets between the major italian cities do sell out so book train seats between rome, florence, milan, venice, and naples in advance. You do not get many special rates buying tickets in advance on internet. With a eurail pass and comfortable italian trains, the entire country is within your reach. No need to wake up in the middle of the night, nobody gets tickets so early.
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. In general, train service is cheap, convenient, and very functional in italy. That said, if you book in advance, you can change your ticket if you miss the train. Travel light, book em in advance and you may get considerable discounts because you will travel as family.
How to buy train tickets in italy an american in rome. Italiarail italy train ticket and rail pass experts. 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. We are traveling from milan verona florence monterroso via train and want to know if we should buy train tickets in advance. These are the available high speed connectins in italy right now. We are a fully licenced partner of trenitalia and make the whole process fast and efficient. 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.
In actual fact, if you can book your european train tickets well in advance, fares are likely to be less expensive than you think. Select the departure and arrival stations and check all the italo train times. I have compared companies and routes for years in order to write a guide on how to buy train tickets in italy. I agree that its best to book longdistance intercity trains in advance. Should we book in advance, or will we be able to secure tickets on the day we want to travel. 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. Best way to buy train tickets italy forum tripadvisor. Trains in italy the fastest and best value routes omio. Hi, i am a bit confused whether i should book my train tickets in advance for my travel in italy.
At the minute depending on the departure hour for each train, italian time. 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. For the hardtoget reservation, how far in advance you need to book varies wildly. So its always good to find out what the specifics are for each operator and country. Theres always plenty of trains going the same places for different budgets. That includes taking regional trains to get to smaller towns or short distances, and fast speed trains to travel between major italian cities.
I have hardly ever bought tickets in advance in italy, because like you i prefer to have a flexible schedule. 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. Hi folks, travelling to italy for 3 weeks in july with 4 friends, expecting to take 6 train trips in total. Train ticket advance booking opening times vary between train types, countries and rail or bus operators, but three months is a good estimate for most services. How far in advance can i book european train tickets. Italo train schedule valid from 15 dicember 2019 until june th 2020.
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