The train system in Italy is different than many other countries because they separate the ticket that allows you to ride on the train itself and the ticket that allows you to sit in an assigned seat. The latter is called a "reservation," and an "R" indicates whether it is required on a train schedule.


Italian rail passes and train tickets do not guarantee you a seat on the train. If the train seats are full, but tickets are not required, you must stand for the duration of the ride. If the trip requires you to have a reservation, you must buy both a ticket and a reservation.
Train reservations are necessary, in addition to the ticket, for trains going to other countries, trains that travel at peak times and overnight trains. They are also essential for travel around holidays. You cannot legally ride an Italian train with a reservation but without a ticket.
If you are traveling within Italy at off-peak times, check the train schedule to see if there is an "R" next to the train route for which you have a ticket. If there is not an "R" (reservation required), you will only need to purchase a ticket. Remember that the Italian trains will sell more tickets than they have seats, if there is high demand.;
, If you are traveling to Italy, it is a good idea to establish what towns you would like to visit. Learn the Italian names for cities, not just the English names.


For example, the Italian name for Florence is "Firenze." The Italian name for Rome is "Roma." Milan is "Milano." Venice is "Venezia" and Sicily is "Sicilia." Genoa is "Genova" and Turin is "Torino." It is a good idea to also learn the names of the major airports.
 If you plan to travel on an overnight train, long-distance trip or during peak holiday times. You can book Italian train tickets online using a credit card.


Purchase tickets online from www.trenitalia.com if you have a European credit card. This site allows you to search for travel dates and discounts.
Purchase tickets from WhyGo Italy.com if you have an American credit card. The Trenitalia site does not take American credit cards. Click on the "Italy Train Travel" section and purchase Italy rail passes or separate train tickets. You can also pay for reservations on this site.
It is a good idea to book the long-distance trips as close to 90-days before as possible. You can find the best discounts at this time, including "Super-Economy" or "Economy" that are under $15 for a second-class fare.
 The Trenitalia ticket machines allow credit card purchases from most international credit cards, including American cards. If you know you are going to use the train to travel from 1 place to another, it is a good idea to purchase some tickets when you arrive.
 There are often 2 windows for purchasing train tickets, 1 for same day travel and another for future travel. You can use Euros to purchase these tickets.
 It is far cheaper to book economy tickets months in advance than to book a few days ahead using a Eurail Pass and pay the surcharge.


If you already have a Eurail Pass you can book tickets in 2 ways. You can go online to www.fsitaliane.it, search for train journeys and book with the "Global Pass" function. You will need to pay your surcharge online. You can also use the automated touch-screen machines at train stations and pay the surcharge using a credit card.
 There are yellow machines at entrance points so that you can validate your ticket for the specific trip you are taking. You will be fined by the conductor if you fail to do this.


There are some very small train stations that do not have yellow validation machines. In this case, you may be able to give your ticket to the conductor to be punched.
Understand Italian train tickets versus reservations.
Research the train routes.
Book tickets up to 90 days in advance.
Purchase train tickets when you arrive in Italy using the automated touch-screen machines at train stations.
Purchase train tickets from the tellers.
Buy a Eurail Pass if you are going to be traveling through Italy by train extremely often and you are unable to make advanced reservations on the trenitalia.com website.
Validate your train ticket when boarding a train.
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