Electronic train tickets

[LindaG]

I am planning on a day trip from Orvieto to Firenze and would like to take the train instead of drive. I see on the website, that I can buy an electronic ticket without logging in but on the app (IPad), it won't let me buy the ticket without registering for the Carte Freccia which is only available to people living in Italy. I'm not planning on buying the ticket now (the trip is the end of March) but would like to purchase the electronic ticket when I'm there. I've done this elsewhere (US, Switzerland) and it's terrific and convenient. Has anyone done this from the app? I know I can use the website but it makes sense that the app would do this.

3 weeks to Italy - yipee!! Thanks, Linda

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Linda
I've bought before from the trenitalia.com website and it lists all the fares and does work (I do hope GAC turns up here - her posts on Italian travel are a resource beyond compare!). Can you order using the website and the iPAD together? At least that means you can do so in Italy.

As for Apps, I have a Nokia brick, so I'm no help whatsoever!

regards
Ian

 

[LindaG]

Hi Ian,

Yes, I can buy it from the website on my IPad. It just seems strange that the app doesn't have that option. In the past, I would buy the ticket at the station but now I'm spoiled with the experience of electronic tickets.

I have a Nokia brick myself which I won't give up. Hence the IPad - it's my gps, computer, camera, Kindle, etc. all rolled into one. Interesting that I can no longer add to my phone from here. Tim won't accept US credit cards even through PayPal. It did a year or so ago.

Thanks, Linda

 

[GAC]

Regrettably, I can offer no help on the specific question of using the app to purchase the Trenitalia regionale electronic ticket. However, I will offer one observation: since you will be taking one of the unreserved regionale veloce trains between Orvieto and Firenze SMN (those are the only trains in service between these stations), there are no discounts whatsoever with an advance purchase, and because these trains have no reserved seats, they never "sell out", and consequently there is no real advantage whatsoever to purchasing the ticket in advance (whether in electronic or traditional paper format).

Indeed, there are only disadvantages: in both cases, you must specify the DATE and specific train you want to use. The electronic ticket is then valid for any train on that route within four hours of the selected train, while the paper ticket is valid for ANY train on that route for that specified day. However, if you want to change your travel date (let's say the weather is bad or you're not feeling well), there is a midnight deadline for such changes, so you would be out of luck if you tried to change at the last moment. The same deadline also applies to any requests for a ticket refund (plus there is a 20% cancellation fee assessed).

For these reasons, I do not recommend buying the ticket in advance. I DO recommend buying the ticket on the travel date itself, either in electronic format via the internet or a phone call, or at the train station from an electronic ticket machine in traditional format (in which case you MUST validate the ticket in the stamping machine at the track head before boarding). If you don't want to risk having to stand in line at a ticket machine or at the staffed ticket sales window, simply use the Trenitalia website with an internet connection on a personal computer.

I myself would always opt to buy a traditional paper ticket at the station just prior to taking the train. Why: you might be out of luck if you bought the ticket in advance, then arrived at the station in the morning to discover that there is a wildcat strike, or a mechanical problem, accident or track interruption which will delay trains for several hours, and you opt to postpone or cancel your trip. You might encounter hassles trying to get the ticket changed or refunded. By contrast, if you wait to buy until the day of departure, there would ordinarily be no problem buying the ticket from an electronic ticket machine at the Orvieto station (plus the sales window is open from 5:40 to 21:10 Monday through Saturday, and from 6:35 to 21:10 on Sunday and holidays).

 

[LindaG]

I wasn't planning to buy my ticket any earlier than 1/2 hour before the train but good info for those thinking of buying ahead. Linda

 

[susan]

I am going to revive this thread instead of starting a new one...

The last time I was in Italy, I did not have a smart phone. If I recall, electronic tickets were just starting to be used. It seemed much less complicated to purchase a ticket through the trenitalia website as you just printed out your reservation and that was it. I spent some time on the site yesterday and feel like a brand new newbie trying to figure out how to purchase a ticket.

I did not think about the June 2nd holiday when planning my trip. It lands on a Friday this year, which makes it a long weekend and I am guessing a very busy train travel day. It also happens to by my longest train travel day with 2-3 trains necessary to get from Treviso to Modena. I am working hard at traveling lighter, but I am not holding my breath and want this train travel day to go smoothly. Because of having to deal with luggage and traveling solo, I would like to make sure I can book a fast train for the majority of the trip that day. Most of the super economy seats are already sold out for the train I am considering. I looked on the Italian version of the site to see if any strikes were listed yet and noticed that there is a special 30% discount offered through the 17th of April so I need to figure this out fast.

Questions:
Email vs phone message for the ticket: I will not have an Italian phone number yet as I let my old Tim sim card expire. I plan to purchase a new sim card when I arrive in Italy and do not plan to use my US number at all while in Italy. Is it ok to purchase a ticket online just using an email address and what exactly do you receive in your email when purchasing a ticket this way? Do you just get a PNR number after purchasing a ticket or is there a way to print something out? OR would I need to show that email to the ticket person on the train?

Purchasing regional tickets: Since I also need to purchase 1-2 regional tickets to complete my trip that day, would it be best to just wait until that morning or the day before to purchase the regional tickets and skip doing this part online since there are no advance seat reservations for these trains. I understand that it is best to do this for regular regional train ticket travel, but was not sure if it would matter when my train travel day includes a fast train.

What happens when there is a strike?: When purchasing a super economy ticket which allows no changes or cancellations, what happens to my ticket if there is a strike that day? Are changes then allowed if trains do not run? I am guessing if the fast train with the super economy priced ticket runs but the slower regional train does not, I would be out of luck, but what would happen if there is a national strike?

Registering or just ordering at ticket without an account: After reading the pdf on the entire process of how to book a ticket, it sounds like it is better to register before purchasing tickets, but as Linda mentioned above, registering for the Carte Freccia is only available to people living in Italy and since I don't have a phone number to enter, even if I could put in all the other info, I would not be able to complete the form. Does not registering for an account present any problems when purchasing a ticket if there are problems later on such as missing a train, etc. when purchasing a ticket that does allow changes? I realize that the super economy tickets have no changes/no refunds, but for future purchases that may allow changes, would it be better to just purchase them in Italy at the train station? I am thinking I only really need to purchase the ticket for June 2nd in advance to make sure to get a seat but with the 30% special, I might want to look at my other train travel days and ticket options as well.

Using a US credit card when purchasing a ticket online: I remember last time I purchased tickets online there were some problems when purchasing tickets from the US. Is that still a problem sometimes? I did call my credit card company to let them know that I will be making purchases on an Italian website before leaving for Italy just in case they thought it might be fraud.

Using a pin chip credit card to purchase a ticket at the train station: When I am in Italy, will my credit card with a pin chip work in the ticket machines at the stations? I will using a regular credit card and not a debit card. I seem to recall a discussion on SlowTravel about both types of cards and wanted to confirm that my pin chip card would work.

I think that covers it, but am still really not sure how the whole electronic ticket thing works. Hopefully it will not be as complicated as that pdf I read was.

Thanks in advance for your help.
susan

 

[GAC]

Wow! I am impressed at the specificity of your questions!

1. You can certainly purchase a ticket in advance on the Trenitalia website, using a US credit card. You'll get a confirmation with the reservation PNR number. This is the key to the reservation. You need to present this number to the ticket agent on the train when the ticket is checked. The very best evidence is to print out the entire e-mail you receive from Trenitalia, as it contains other information which may become necessary if, for example, you needed to make changes to your reservation (which does not apply in the case of the Super Economy fare). However, you could also write the PNR number on a paper napkin or on the palm of your hand or on a scrap of paper ......

2. I have a characteristically "Italian" attitude towards advance purchases of train tickets for the unreserved regionale trains: because all seats are unreserved and the trains never sell out, and because there are never any price discounts by purchasing in advance, I prefer not to shell out any money until the very last moment, as that preserves total flexibility for a multitude of contingencies and unexpected events, both known and unknown. I make an exception if I am CONNECTING TO an unreserved regionale train from another train, and the connection time is insufficient to allow me to safely buy the ticket for the second train at the connecting train station without risking a missed connection. However, you might have enough time to buy this ticket at your originating train station (before boarding your first train). If so, you must enter the departure city as well as the arrival city on the keyboard of the electronic ticket machine when buying the paper ticket. The departure city will be different from that programmed into the electronic ticket machine (since you are buying the ticket in a different city from that where you will be boarding the regionale train).

3. In case of a strike which actually affects your travel itinerary, you would be "protected" in the sense that all of your tickets would be honored for substitute travel later in the day, or on the next day. However, you would need to get your reservation for the reserved train changed. A PAPER ticket for the regionale train can be used on ANY regionale train departing before midnight of your stated travel date. Beyond midnight, you would need to get your ticket replaced by a new ticket. BTW, an ELECTRONIC ticket for a regionale train is valid for only four hours after the stated departure time of the train noted on the receipt. Beyond the four hours, the ticket expires, so in case of a strike, you would likely need to get the electronic ticket replaced.

4. Registering is not necessary to buy electronic tickets on the Trenitalia website. Registering is helpful if you want or need to manage your account online (such as for future changes or cancellations). For the Super Economy ticket, this is a moot issue.

5. You should be able to buy an electronic ticket on the Trenitalia website using a US credit or debit card, especially if you notify your bank in advance.

6. US debit and credit cards with a PIN can be used in Trenitalia electronic ticket machines. If you have only a magnetic strip, you would need to stand in line at the manned ticket sales counters. Personally, I avoid using plastic in the machines unless I've run out of cash and there is no ATM nearby which I can use. This is because I am rather fussy about avoiding potential frauds. I have, however, used plastic in the machines on occasion in the past, with no problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[Andrew]

A few notes that I would add:

In addition to the PNR, on a reserved train, be sure that you record your seat number! I last booked on the site in 2012, and there was a PDF attachment on the email with all the information.

The official site listing upcoming transportation strikes is http://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi . I don't know how easily you can navigate it; it looks like not much is scheduled in the rail sector for now, and I would think the June 2 holiday is protected from having strikes.

I also note that there are some Treviso-Modena options that don't need a Freccia, and are all on Regionali Veloci taking about the same total time, but you may want to go at a certain time of day or be sure to have a reserved seat for the longest segment.

When you refer to a "pin chip credit card," do you mean that you have one of the few cards from U.S. issuers that allow you to enter a PIN with a purchase, as opposed to chip and signature? This may be essential for a card purchase from a Trenitalia machine, and a debit card should also work.

 

[susan]

Thank you so much for your advice, GAC and Andrew!!

I was able to purchase the ticket I wanted in seconds with no problems at all (except I spelled Sorpresa wrong the first time and thought maybe the discount only worked on the Italian version). It was so easy to do, that I booked a train for second train trip with the great price using the discount (SORPRESA30) that ends today.

I need to run to an event but wanted to thank you right away. I will write another post later in the day with a couple of things I still need to clarify.

Again, thank you!!
susan

 

[susan]

Hi again,

GAC, train travel has been something I study in advance to make sure I know just what I am doing. I think I have taken well over 100 trains now in Italy, starting back in 1999. That year, I had a eurail pass but since then, I have purchased tickets for each train ride. I definitely have a few stories! My Italian train vocabulary is probably the most advanced when compared to the rest of my rusty Italian I have not used for a while now.

Regarding the regional tickets, can you purchase them at the train station a day in advance now that they are only good for one day? I am guessing you can from the ticket window, but can you from the newspaper stands or even in town?

I did not know that electronic regional tickets were only good for 4 hours. Thanks for the info!

Andrew, I guess my credit card is not a pin chip card but only a chip card (the type you know insert in the little pay machines at the stores). Will this type of card work when using the train machines?

Thanks for the link to the list of upcoming strikes. I would think that June 2nd would not be a strike day with so many people traveling that day... but you never know with those crazy strikes!

I'm not sure why, but I just love the sounds of the announcers at the train stations. Not so much the crazy train travel though rushing from one binario to another.

Thanks again!
susan

 

[Andrew]

While the SlowTrav boards are still up, you might look at this discussion about updates in regional ticket sales: as of last year, they were no longer sold at station newsstands: you can buy tickets for future dates at authorized vendors such as from this list for Tuscany, typically places that sell Lotto tickets and add to cell phone accounts. The machines at most stations have improved, but I'm not sure if the ones at smaller stations allow setting a future travel date.

When I used a machine to get tickets last year, I used a card that had a PIN, and the machine asked for it. I understood that to be a requirement, but I don't know if it's the same now.

 

[susan]

Thanks, Andrew. That thread was very helpful. So much has changed since I was last in Italy!

Knowing in advance that smaller stations may not have a ticket window and with my credit card most likely not working will definitely make me plan ahead to purchase tickets at larger stations close to my travel dates OR making sure I have enough money with me to pay in cash. I assume cas works at smaller train station machines.

 

[GAC]

Susan: Specifically in regard to your question about buying paper tickets for the unreserved regionale trains in advance at the train station in Italy, the answer is yes, you can do so once the schedule has gone online. Because these tickets are no longer valid for a full two months after issuance (the rules changed as of August 1, 2015), you must now specify your travel DATE when buying the ticket, whether from an agent at the ticket sales window or when using an electronic ticket machine. When using the latter, you must remember to enter the future travel date, otherwise the machine defaults to the current date you access the machine, and will print out a ticket for that date, making it unusable for use on your future travel date.

So, if you want to buy all your regionale train tickets in advance from a machine or staffed ticket sales window, you can do so by specifying each travel date. I don't do this because I might change my mind (or the weather might be bad) and then need to seek a ticket reissuance or a refund, and I want to avoid the hassle. Also, any changes or refund requests cannot be made after 23:59 (Italy time) of the day PRIOR to your actual travel date, so you're out of luck at the last moment.

The electronic ticket machines require entering a PIN number. But you can always use cash in those machines which take cash (some only accept plastic). At the smaller stations where there may be only one machine, it will definitely accept cash. I think it's always safer to use cash if possible.

 

[susan]

Thanks, GAC! I will probably only buy my travel day tickets in advance once strikes, etc. are posted. Great reminder to make sure the date is correct on the ticket. For day trips, I am staying in places that I believe would have large enough stations that I will be able to purchase roundtrip tickets at the windows on the day I need them. I appreciate all of your help.

 

[susan]

I purchased a regionale ticket today at the Venezia S Lucia train station using one of the train ticket machines with my credit card (chip only with no pin) and it worked! I read a comment on some site recently that credit cards were now working without a pin, so I gave it a try. Not sure if credit cards without pins will work at the tiny machines at the small stations, but it appears that you no longer need a pin for the machines that sell all types of train tickets.

 

[GAC]

Thanks for the update. I'm disappointed to read that PINs are no longer required in the modern electronic ticket machines. This means that anybody who finds the credit card will be able to use it in the machines!