Italian Travel Via Train Italy - Tour Italy

April 18th, 2006

When going to Italy there may be many areas you will want to explore.  Using the Italy travel train (or rail is it is often called) is a great option to save money and still get to see all of the countryside as you tour Italy.  You can relax and watch the scenery through the window, feel comfortable and get to your destination in style.  Most Italy travel train destinations will require reservations because of the popularity of using this mode of transportation.  You will purchase Italy travel train tickets for a particular destination.  If you want to change your ticket before the Italy travel train leaves, you can do so at the station at no additional cost.  If you miss the Italy travel train that you have reservations for, you have twenty four hours to make a new reservation at a cost of three euro.  If, however, you do not get to the station within twenty four hours, you will lose the ticket and will have to purchase another one.

If you do not have an Italy travel train ticket, you can always get on anyway, find the capotreno and pay the eight euro penalty.  The Intercity Italy travel train takes a bit longer but is also much less expensive and does not require reservations.  Check with the agent or at the station for departure times, arrival times and prices.  You may find that the arrival times are similar enough to warrant the cheaper fare.  Often the Intercity Italy travel train is only a half an hour later and is worth the less expensive fare.

If you have a group of three or more using an Italy travel train, ask for a mini group discount.  You will have to make a reservation but you may get up to a twenty percent discount.  Once you have an Italy travel train ticket, you will need to find the track that you will be leaving from.  This can pose quite a challenge.  You will need to know which track you are on by asking around.  It is not listed on your ticket and the tracks are laid out based on final destination.  So you may be getting off somewhere else.  Make sure to budget enough time in your schedule to get to your track on time.  Some Italy travel train tracks are hard to find and not in a common area.  A few minutes before the train leaves, the track number may disappear.  This means your train is ready to leave and you will likely miss it so allow for enough time to ensure you are on the right train.

An overnight Italy travel train can also be a fun alternative, especially if you have never been on one before.  You may need to give the conductor your ticket and passport to keep overnight.  You will have them returned to you in the morning at your destination.  There are a few types of cabins available.  You can choose a private cabin or you can use a cabin that sleeps four or six.  The six person bunk is the least expensive. 

Many trains allow smoking and have a limited number of non smoking seats.  Also, you may be asked to leave your seat if you did not reserve one.  Italy travel trains are usually on time.  It is also best to carry cash for the Italy travel trains.  Although there are ticket kiosks available that seem to be able to take credit cards, they often do not work.  Traveling by train is an inexpensive and fun way to tour the Italian countryside.  It is a great option for seeing many cities in one trip and being able to enjoy the different sides of the culture.

Posted in Italy Tours, Trian Italy Travel at 10:56 AM . ( )