Extra high top class ! I was on an italo train ,i asked the assistant why I cannot find mu seat ... "this is not your train , your is a freccia trenitalia and we surpassed it ! it is 2 minutes back of us" I apologize , so I can get of at Bologna and change? how much for this ride ? " yese you can , you' ll find your train on the same platform we stop and... no... you don't have to pay nothing , have a nice trip sir . kindness ! this is Very super high top class !
Indeed they are both painted in dominant red. It was very kind from them to not make you pay for the trip as they very well could have (and maybe should as per rules)
As an Italian, I travel by railways, not so often as I used to, but I can really say that they made such a progress. The trains are generally punctual, the level of service is excellent and price is quite good compared to other EU countries such as Austria and Germany, with crazy tariffs and a level that is quite lower than Italy. I am not talking only about the flagship frecciarossa, but also the small regional trains are quite good clean and punctual. Staffwise, they hired a lot of new people, which are supportive and professional. Good job Trenitalia.
I have an italy trip in a few weeks and found this task to be the hardest part of planning 😂😂 You by far made me more confident about it. I honestly planned my entire day around figuring this out. Thanks for giving hours of my life back🕺🏾🕺🏾
Just an update for "Regionale Train" about the check-in. Trenitalia removed it 2 months ago. Now ticket are automatically validated at th departure time of your train. They realize after some months the was so much confusing to made the check-in!
Now that’s good information. In fact, I was on a train to Lucca last month and noted that the ticket said it would automatically be validated once the train departure time had passed, though I didn’t take full notice of that at the time.
I’m sure it will all go smoothly. Key step is to identify the binario/platform based on the train company and number and scheduled time. Binarios are well-marked and you can verify that you’re in the right place with the overhead signs. Enjoy your trip!
Well done! One thing that you forgot is that usually Trenitalia Frecciarossa has a "restaurant cart" with a bar and some selection of pastas or other stuff if you want to have lunch. Italo usually only has vending machines. It could be useful to know if for some reason you're forced to eat lunch or dinner in the train.
Thanks for the video for rail travel. I've been to Italy and used their trains, and your correct on all points. One thing that may be helpful to mention: as a non-Italian resident, you can't register on the Trenitalia website, an Italian address is mandatory. BUT you can still purchase tickets on the app. Thanks.
Thank you for this video! I leave for Italy in a couple of days and have been watching videos on the train system most of the day today. I've found this one to be THE BEST! It is so detailed; you break things down so well and are so thorough. Again, thank you!
i have a good news for you, since like sept-oct you don t need to activate the regional ticket, it does self chechk in at the departure time of the train, weather you re in or not, so if you re not in the train remember to change the departure hour to not lost your ticket.
buying tickets from the vending machine at the station allows you to choose which seat you want without being charged anything extra (that only occurs on the app where they charge you 2€ or 4€ extra) for the frecciarossa (if you buy tickets from the trenitalia app you won't be charged an extra if you choose your seat on the intercity train)
Very accurate description about how it works, very good job. Just adding a few points, if I may: - If you are taking just one High Speed train, it's ok to pick the cheapest option between Trenitalia and Italo, but... If you are taking multiple trains, it's better if you trave with Trenitalia, as the booking/ticketing system is integrated with Trenord and other subsidiaries, so you can buy an manage all your tickets on the Trenitalia app. - forget paper tickets, and get the app. You'll validate the local/regional/commuter trains in one click. - Personally, I never leave my luggage un-attended. The luggage racks located close to the doors are comfortable, but... Very good job on your videos.
Excellent review and very accurate, we Arrive in Milan in two weeks and have purchased seats on Italo for Milano Centrale to Rome Termini, we used Trainline which I found to very good, also allows us to have our tickets on our smart phones and access when offline which is great, we have also booked other trains to Civitavecchia and Venice to Milan, easy to watch your video, thanks heaps from Aus
Thank you for the video. Traveling next summer to Italy with stops in Rome and Venice. Trains will be main transportation from Rome to Venice, then back. Great comparison on the two companies.
I recently discovered your channel. We'll be traveling to Italy next year for our first time. The plan is to fly into Rome for a few days, take the train to Venice, spend a few days their before joining our cruise ship. I cannot tell you how informative this video was.
Lovely! You are accurate and clear. Don't worry if some say you're not correct here or there, about your videos: not even us Italian know every detail of our rules and regulations, and habits and regulations vary from area to area. I get you are different from the regular tourist, since you bought a home here!
My first trip to Italy was in 2011 and there were no apps . I managed to book the tickets on their website. And in case you’ll didn’t know you can book a ticket upto 3 months in advance. The tickets 3 months in advance are truly dirt cheap .
In some railway stations like Firenze Santa Maria Novella or Milano Centrale you need to arrive more than 20 minutes in advance. There are people who check that every person wanting to cross the barrier separating the hallway from the platforms does have a valid train ticket and this causes long lines. Then there’s the time it takes someone to reach first the platform and then their intended car. When buying tickets from the vending machine, should you need help, look for the official Trenitalia or Italo personnel (they have their uniforms on). In many big cities there are seemingly unsuspecting women/men standing next to them pretending to be there to help people, which they’re not as they have a hidden purpose
I’m glad t was helpful. We’re so out of touch with train travel in the US that it can be intimidating at first to walk into a station like Milano Centrale and see that 30 trains are leaving in the next 40 minutes. Enjoy your trip!
Validation looks like an hassle for foreigners, but is actually pretty convenient for people who travel frequently, as they can buy a bunch of standard tickets, which they can use anytime anyday. And only when they punch it in does the ticket start to "work". Without that system, they should book and buy a specific ticket for each trip.
Thanks for this video. My partner and I will be travelling from Venice to Verona. We purchased our tickets through the Trainline app. We have QR codes on the app. I think we have to validate them at the station.
If you have a QR code and an assigned seat is shown, you shouldn’t have to check in. You can check at the Itali desk in Venice if you have any doubts. Buon viaggio!
@@OurBigItalianAdventure thank you. The last time we travelled on a train in Italy was in 1993 and we had something called a kilometrico and they deducted the distance each time we travelled from the ticket.
@gregneil612 I’ve never heard of the kilometrico before. That was certainly a while ago. And you bought it with lira, hundreds of thousands of them. I recall a 100,000 lira note not being worth very much given the huge number. (I looked it up. About $60.)
@@OurBigItalianAdventurefifty . in 2000 , now they could be one undred . They where nice to use : no need of cents . if you said , 50 , everybody underastood 50,000 . if you said 52 and 500 those were 52,500 . very easy and practical , not a centesimal sistem but millesimal .
Hi dears, very good video, I had an interesting and precious resume of my Country train railway system. Btw Trenitalia is the former state train company, so they have the largest country covering, while most of the Trenord ( North train) net is covering the north of Italy and Lombardy , so you have more options down there. Take in count that thanks to God in Italy there is a train station even in the tiniest village. Italo is the last private company with gorgeous trains which llinks big cities very fast, but most of the time is quite expensive and with sold out places. Yes, the app is better, or you can ask to the station staff…those tickets machines are nightmare for us Italians too 😅 Enjoy your vacation! Enjoy Italy ❤
@@OurBigItalianAdventure sono 2 bellissime città, piene di opere d'arte. Le Courbusiere ammirava soprattutto il centro storico di Bergamo. Entrambe le città hanno bellissimi musei. Accademia Carrara a Bergamo (Raffaello, Tiziano, Lotto, Bellini, Mantegna, Botticelli, Guardi, Tiepolo ecc) Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo a Brescia (Raffaello, Canova, Foppa, Ceruti, ecc.ecc )
The "Check-In" process for Regionale and Regionale Veloce digital and app tickets is no longer necessary, as it has been done away with since September 21st this year. Validation now occurs automatically at the departure time of the train, and the ticket can be changed in date and time freely until then. Cheers from Liguria!
Excellent video- thank you! if I buy four tickets on the Trenitalia app- when I go to check in on the app for that train trip- do I have to check in four times or just once? (since l purchased four passenger tickets in one purchase)
Thanks! Good question. If it’s a Trenitalia train where you have assigned seats, you don’t need to check in. Just show the bar codes for the four tickets on your phone to the employee who will pass through the cars.
Ed, an excellent video We are planning our first train trip to Italy and this is very helpful Where is your house What is the best way to research where to stay
The house is near Macerata. I’m partial to Booking.com using this method: Use it to identify possible places and prices. If possible, go directly to property website and check out their pictures and prices. Then choose how to book. I’ve personally never had a problem using Booking. If I’m looking at a longer stay, I’ll look at Vrbo or Airbnb. There’s also agriturismo.it for places in the countryside, but it can be difficult to navigate.
Hi. I am going to italy. 1st time to travel to europe and 1st time travelling solo. What do you suggest what train i should take from Rome to Florence and back to Rome, the easiest and fastest. Im only staying for few days in rome but really want to go to Florence. Thank you so much.
Curious about how far out I should purchase tickets ? It seems that tickets between Florence and say Venice 9 mos out are $68 one way ! But I know on a previous trip I only paid around $15 -$20 one way? Do you think it’s because I’m looking so far out ?? I am ready to purchase (going in March 2025) should I wait til say January?
Absolutely correct (I'm Italian), the further in advance you buy the ticket the greater the savings. If you manage to plan the trip well in advance, the cost of the ticket, for an excellent service, can be truly "ridiculous".
On the Trenitalia app you need an Italian address. we are planning a trip in September of this year. What do you suggest? We are staying in hotels or rentals during our trip
Thank you very much for the informative video ! How about using Trainline and Omio Apps? Can I arrive to Rome Termini through the metro? IS there a one week ticket (open travels) that I can use one card for me and my partner? specifically in Milan and Rome? Thank you dear in advance for your reply, and God bless you
As I commented before, buy direct from the train operators, and not resellers such as Trainline and Omio. Trainline can be useful to find (and buy) connections that may not be offered directly, but I would still recommend buying direct
You can use them, though I don’t buy tickets that way. They’re useful for exploring your options, but I always book directly with the train company. That way, if something goes wrong, the train company views you as a customer (not Omio’s) customer and you’re more likely to get support. You can arrive at Termini directly from the airport at Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) on the Leonardo Express operated by Trenitalia. I’m not a good source for information on week-long tickets. It definitely depends on the city and the proximity of the sights you’re interested in to the metro or bus line. That determines whether it would be useful and a good value. Try Googling it. Enjoy your trip!
Nice video. Question. My wife has mobile scooter. Is there a ramp there or need to find someone to get one? Do they have parking spots to leave the scooter on the trains? I think I saw one video that showed a handicap spot but didn’t notice any in yours. Thx
Great questions. Because it’s probably critical for you to know the answers, I’d write to Trenitalia or Italo and ask customer service. You probably need to book the handicap spaces specifically. Where are you visiting? Many places in Italy are harder to navigate in a scooter than in the US.
We are going to Florence and Rome in Italy. Taking Italo from Florence to Rome. Yes. On videos have seen a lot more varying quality paving for handicapped.
Thanks for your reply. Also I’ll be in Tirano going to Milan after riding the Bernina express. Is it advisable to buy my Tirano-Milan ticket ahead of time? Does fare go up as it gets nearer?
Just a small note here, nothing too drastic, but since trenord for a while has been making a lot of work for the 2026 winter olympic games, such as completely new rails, new underpasses to eliminate level crissings etc ) until the 1st of september the train only arrives in colico ( the most northen city of lake como ) and from there to tirano there are shuttle busses. Of course they are comprised in the train ticket, nothing is going to change on your end but maybe it is helpful.
Thanks for the video. I have bought an online ticket from Tirano to Milano. If I want to take the earlier train, do I have to pay? 2- As you shown in the video, it's written "Not Valid for Travel" on the ticket bought from Trenord and directs me to Trenit app to check-in. So how can I check-in via the app, if the link doesn't work they sent to check-in alternatively? 3- From Venice to Milano, the QR code on the ticket to show on the machines of the gate will be enough to get on the train skipping the line? Thank you
Is the TrenNord ticket for a specific train? If so, I think you have a four hour window around that time, but I’d check with the agent in Tirano. (This ticket should show in the TrenNord app that you have, as should the “Check in” button.) For Venice to Milano, if you have a QR code and an assigned seat you should be good to go. Buon viaggio!
If you have bought it from Trenord, do not use Trenitalia app to check in. Moreover, there is no requirement to check-in for Trenord tickets, unlike Trenitalia. And the time allowed (if validated through paper ticket) is six hours, not four. Trenit is not the train operators app, it is only for checking schedules, do not use to check-in regional trains!
Please make a vid with info on New 2024 high speed train from Venice to Ljubljana, opening in July ( or rather, from Milan. apparently thats the departing station.. I thought it was Venice)
Thanks! We appreciate it. We’re spending three weeks in Puglia right now and then going to our house in Le Marche. We’ll have some new videos out as soon as we can find to put them together, I hope a least a couple by later in the month. It’s hard to travel and see new places and edit video at the same time!
How can we tell if the seat is next to the window? I can't tell because I don't know what know what the thick gray bar is versus the white bar on the seating map. Can you tell me?
Hmm. Without seeing what you are looking at, I’m not sure. The diagram should show a train car with seats in rows. Any bars between the rows are tables. You should be able to identify an aisle running the length of the car.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure on the diagram there is a gray bar next to the seat. I can't tell if it's a window at a wall. I noticed on videos some of the sears have a wall next to it. I want to make sure I pick a single seat that has a window
@christinalove1309 Now I understand the question … but unfortunately I don’t know the answer. However, very little of the exterior of the car is “wall”. It’s mostly window.
I can’t get access to the trenitalia app in Canada . Some ticket are booked with trenitalia and some with ítalo and we printed all the tickets . Can we enter in advance the ítalo info into the app??? And how do we deal with the lack of trenitalia app.. thank you!
As far as Trenitalia app, I tested it and I can download it in the US on a phone that didn’t have it. I’m surprised in won’t work that way for Canada. If you have a VPN, login in the US or Italy. That should work. If you were logged in to your Italo account when you bought your tickets - I’m assuming you used a computer - they should show in the app. If not, login in to the app and you can probably add them. I’m not sure since I’ve never been in that situation.
Very informative, I am traveling to Italy next week; bought my Italo tickets to travel from Venice to Rome but I am confused as to whether or not I need to validate my ticket. Do I need to validate my Italo ticket if I bought it on the app?
Just booked my flight for my Mid-Oct-Mid November 2024 Trip. Going independently, and a bit nervous getting back to Rome from Salerno on Monday for a1:50 pm flight....I will leave VERY EARLY....or leave on Sunday and book an overnight hotel in Rome...Excited and nervous! I see there are passes offered by Trenitalia and Italy RailPass...still studying! I was reading reviews and some say Italo is better that TrenItalia (ItaliaRail I think is where you can book, too?.. The site for English speakers)??
Congratulations on getting your trip planned! I’m sure it will be great. Salerno to Fiumicino airport is a bit under 3 hours on a Frecciarossa to Roma Termini and then the Leonardo Express to the airport. If your flight is 1:50p (to the US?), I’d want to arrive at the airport by 11a or a bit after. You don’t want to be worrying about arriving on time and it can take awhile in the check-in line and for the security checks. I’d be looking at the 7:44a Freccia from Salerno which on the current schedule would arrive at the airport at 10:37. (If I really wanted to be safe, I’d book the Freccia before that, at 7:13a -> 10:07a, to have the other as a backup.) Of course, going to Rome the night before is also an option. Get a hotel not too far from Termini and then you can be more leisurely in the morning. As far as a rail pass, from what I understand based on research is that they are generally not a good deal unless you’re taking many trains. What is the general outline of your trip before Salerno? On the Salerno to Termini section, Italo is an option. It’s often cheaper and I like it a bit better. There are fewer trains, though. It looks like you’d be leaving Salerno on the 7:20a if not the 6:20. (Termini to the airport would then be the Leonardo Express.) I book directly through the Trenitalia and Italo apps or the websites. The only tricky part for English speakers is that Italo isn’t consistently Italian or English for city names. (It won’t find “Firenze” - it needs to be “Florence” - but Roma instead of Rome. Just a quirk.) Otherwise, the apps and websites have English versions. I hope some of this is helpful.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure Well, I finally got smart and booked a hotel in Rome for arrival and the day before departure, right near Termini so the pressure is off! Feeling much better about it...And, I just saw your new video of FCO and if was brilliant!!
@rudolphvalentinoconnection8298 Good choice. It will take the pressure off, especially on the departure end. I’m really glad you liked the FCO video. We’re hoping it will make arrival a little less stressful.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure It is fantastic. In a similar way, I've been watching videos of Atlanta Hart Airport...and tracking current flights. Tonight I changed my first leg to an early flight with a 6-7 hour layover because an 1.5 hour connection sees much too tight as the first leg often is late and the second flight to Rome seems to leave early sometimes. And, you have to get to the gate because they close boarding 15 minutes ahead of the departure time. SOOOO...I decided it was JUST TOO CLOSE! I will spend time looking at the art, getting something to eat, reading and will book a lounge for a couple of hours before the flight. Sometimes just have to decide not to spend the next 6 months worrying about running to try to catch a flight!! LOL!
Great video. Definitely learned a lot. Looking to see if you can suggest an itinerary or best means for an upcoming trip. 2 of us are flying into Rome (FCO) on a Monday then need to head up to Monterossa for a few days, then back to Rome for a few days before we go to catch a cruise ship. Do you mind if I ask what steps would you take? Thank you.
I’d do the Leonardo Express from Rome Fiumicino airport to the main station Roma Termini. From there, you can take a Freccia high speed train to La Spezia and then change to a regionale to Monterossa. It’s about 5 and a half hours total from the airport and you can buy it all as one ticket from Trenitalia. Now, you didn’t ask, but I’ll offer this: unless your dead set in Cinque Terre, id skip it unless you’ve explored a lot of Italy before. The towns are very pretty, but completely overrun by tourists. It felt like Disneyland to me when I was there in September 2019. I’d consider visiting Siena, a beautiful town and more authentic. You just need to avoid the two times a year they hold the Palio, a competition between neighborhoods centered around a horse race. Arezzo is also a nice town. Anyway, enjoy the trip!
You have to immediately call the credit card company. Fortunately, by law, you are not responsible for the charges. Plus with more sophisticated fraud detection using AI, they will notify me of transactions that look suspicious based on my buying behavior for me to approve or deny.
You usually can put it by your seat on the Cinque Terre train to La Spezia. If you then get on a high speed train, they’ll have those racks, but pay attention to the bags, especially at stops and especially near Rome.
I bought a ticket online from Milan to Montreux on train EC number 32. The ticket states "please communicate your pnr to on board personnel. Failure to do so is equivalent of being without ticket". Kindly let me know how do you communicate your pnr number to the staff?
Hi. There is a person who checks tickets on the train. Just show them your receipt with the pnr (passenger name record) to that person. Check this from Trenitalia. www.trenitalia.com/en/purchase/the_trenitalia_electronicticket.html
Informative video! I am a tourist and in my 60s. In the process of booking using Trenitalia a Milano Centrale to Venezia Mestre for October and considering the Frecciarossa train as it suits my schedule. I can see that it’s giving me FRECCIADAYS (no change and refund which I don’t mind). Is this a good offer to buy? Thanks
Hi. If you’re ok with the change and refund restrictions, it’s probably a good idea. Prices will only go up as October comes closer. I’m seeing about €19 on Trenitalia and €12 on Italo. Either is a great deal.
Are these trains rarely late? I have a flight to catch in Milan at 11:50 AM but am thinking of spending the night before in Verona. If I take the first train of the day (not a Frecciarossa, unfortunately), I can make it. TrenItalia says it can get me to Milan at 7:20 AM, plenty of time to get from the station to the airport. Unless the train runs late, of course. Is this an insane idea and should I not risk it, just spend the night before in Milan? Thank you so much for your video!
I can’t give you a firm answer. Usually they aren’t late or not by much, in general, but it probably depends on the route and certainly the particular day. The timing might be a bit tight if there is a delay, but is likely ok. The Malpensa express only runs twice an hour, at :25 and :55 past the hour from Milano Centrale and the trip is just less than an hour. So on the 7:55 train you’d arrive at the airport by 9:00, which is about 3 hours in advance of the flight, which usually is plenty of time. But this is all an estimate. Enjoy your trip!
Guys please help. I am traveling through Switzerland into Italy and want to get a Eurail pass. I dont see many using the Eurail in Italy, is it not that popular, should I be booking individual tickets directly with the rail companies? I also read somewhere that Eurail does not cover Trenord, is this true?
I believe Eurail pass does cover Trenord but not ITALO. I think it is not as popular now because it is not as good a deal. In the old days you paid $350 or so for a 6 month pass…now it is much more restricted- you have less time to use it .
Thank you ! Do you have to download each app or is there an overall app for all of them combined. Is there a website where you can see all the trains available for a destination or do you have to go to each website? Can you do the website instead of the app?
The company apps are separate, but there is a site/app called www.omio.com/ that lets you compare prices and times and buy tickets. A good system is to use Omio to choose your trains and then buy from the company apps. That way you have all the advantages. You can use the websites as well, but then you need to print tickets. Or buy from the website and use the apps to store your tickets.
Thanks for the video. We have been using tthe rainline app , I just booked a trim from Rome to Nice . From Rome to Milano centrale them to Vetimiglia and the French train line to Nice, easy pease , have you ever used them ? Thanks looking forward for more videos on trains.
That’s “thetrainline.com’, right? I’ve looked at it, but I’m not familiar with it. There’s also Omio.com. Just personal preference, but I generally book directly with the individual company. If you like train-related stuff, have a look at www.seat61.com/.
Fine review ideed. Driving a car in Italy may be felt as a discomfort even from an Italian commuting daily by car. Furthermore our cities were not thought for cars and inhabitants already have too many cars. And finally, forget cars if you plan to go to Venice. The old city itself has NO streets, only channels. Therefore: ride a train. Forget about intercity airplanes within Italy. I think there could be none anymore. Once the Milano-Romoa HS line was opened, airways company living mostly on that route, one for all, Alitalia, went bankrupt. I could add a couple of things, if you don't mind. First, a little explanation: "binario" means "railway track", our railwaymen think about the track the train will stop on. It was wise to use that word because we do not translate it in signs. Travel light, avoid large luggage. HS train have space for luggate, but not plenty for it. Regional trains on the other side, have almost no space for large luggage. Most of the trains are designed for commuters. But there are a few places where a Regionale Veloce is "the option". If your plane lands or leave from Pisa airport (Malpensa Express and Leonardo Express are special airport services and, even if the train might be the same as those used for regionali, the interiors are different with more luggage racks) or visit Venice and either book your hotel in Mestre (mainland counterpart of Venice - an uglier option, but cheaper) or want to visit Padova. In the first case any regionale fits, most of them will skip the only station between Venice and Mestre, and you have plenty of them; when traveling between Padova and Venice, a Regionale Veloce is as fast as an HS train.
Great info. Thanks. We should have talked more about luggage, in retrospect. “Binario” is interesting. It gets translated as “platform” on signs, but the word “track” is better and ironically what we would use in the US. I’m not sure about UK usage.
ZTL was enstablished to avoid pollution from cars, and car related incidents. Moreover it makes more liveable the city centers. It hurts a lot our commodity, vlbecause cars are a commodity for all, but we have to admit that it works and there are some real benefits. So ZTL it is! 😑😮💨
I agree. I think the ztl is a great concept. Those of us who aren’t Italian just need to know about it and understand it so it’s not a big “gotcha” that can leave a bad taste about Italy. Sort of like the big fines for not having validated a train ticket or, God forbid, using the Telepass lane. I remember Florence before the ztl. It was a mess in the central area. You couldn’t drive or walk. It’s a much better experience these days.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure that's our fault. In past we was more soft in enforcing rules so many had the chance to brake them and even avoid paying or worst. As soon as there was cases of violence and after having privatized the sector, new rules and regulations came into effect to avoid such outcomes. Surely is a bit hard, but the consequences of not having any rules at all would be worst.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure moreover with all the refugees that had to be helped... Some of them struggled in integrating, others was examplary persons. But we had cases really unpleasant. Unconfortable. Then the tourists. At some point we had to address the demand from outside or pur system would have been not competitive. The current system is kinda of a compromise from all these three situations.
Tourism is certainly a difficult balance for Italy. It’s so important to the economy but places are being overrun and are at the risk of losing their appeal. Venice can probably be fine with an admission fee, as so many tourists see it as a “must do” item and wouldn’t be deterred by a small fee, For me, Cinque Terre and Amalfi are at risk of losing the charm they have because of popularity, CT in particular. I tell friends to think hard about visiting. To me, it’s become like Disneyland. The small villages are almost wall-to-wall people. Three years ago, in late September, I visited with friends who wanted to see it. They had planned 4 days there and decided after one that they had had enough.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure ah Venice is exactly the place that was injured the most by tourism. The city had a population of roughly 200.000 people in past. Today, due to tourism location transformation, the city is becoming costly, with specialized shops and high prices. The population is reduced to 20.000 citizens. But yet tourism brings a non indifferent amount of money on the budget. Every year the population of Italy double it's size and you can see people from every corner of the world. Between tourism, students from international courses, immigrants, both regular or refugees and the local population, today's Italy is a full multiethnic and multicultural country. Even multi-religion country. Muslims are the 1% of the population, but Islam is the second religion of the country surpassed only by those 30% of Christian Catholics. The big chunk of the population is at one step from becoming atheists. We don't like extremism and fanatism here. As tradition, we enjoy more a calm lifestyle and even if religion sometimes ask us to apply extreme measures, we tend to think before and act long long long time after that thinking pause. It's definitely hard to try to make all happy, but somehow, it serms work. Maybe we should thanks God for this, but I have the doubt of which god we have to thanks. 🤣🤣🤣
You don’t need to do any “validation” for a Frecciarossa train. You have ticket for a specific seat on a specific train. So you just need to show the ticket on board.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure i talked to an italian friend they said they drove into a city center once and got a 80 or 90 euro fine. I guess mistakes happen
Extra high top class !
I was on an italo train ,i asked the assistant why I cannot find mu seat ... "this is not your train , your is a freccia trenitalia and we surpassed it ! it is 2 minutes back of us"
I apologize , so I can get of at Bologna and change? how much for this ride ? " yese you can , you' ll find your train on the same platform we stop and... no... you don't have to pay nothing , have a nice trip sir .
kindness ! this is Very super high top class !
Great story!
Indeed they are both painted in dominant red. It was very kind from them to not make you pay for the trip as they very well could have (and maybe should as per rules)
As an Italian, I travel by railways, not so often as I used to, but I can really say that they made such a progress. The trains are generally punctual, the level of service is excellent and price is quite good compared to other EU countries such as Austria and Germany, with crazy tariffs and a level that is quite lower than Italy. I am not talking only about the flagship frecciarossa, but also the small regional trains are quite good clean and punctual. Staffwise, they hired a lot of new people, which are supportive and professional. Good job Trenitalia.
I agree entirely.
true ! hope for next improve ! we all love our trains , extra lines needed .
I miss freccia della versilia , please give us it back !
Thank you!! We have never been to Europe. I’m the most nervous about transportation! This is so helpful!
I’m glad it’s helpful. Enjoy your trip!
I have an italy trip in a few weeks and found this task to be the hardest part of planning 😂😂 You by far made me more confident about it. I honestly planned my entire day around figuring this out. Thanks for giving hours of my life back🕺🏾🕺🏾
Thanks! Glad it was helpful. Enjoy your trip.
I'm Italian and i like to watch your videos as exercise to improve my English. Thank you.
Just an update for "Regionale Train" about the check-in. Trenitalia removed it 2 months ago. Now ticket are automatically validated at th departure time of your train. They realize after some months the was so much confusing to made the check-in!
Now that’s good information. In fact, I was on a train to Lucca last month and noted that the ticket said it would automatically be validated once the train departure time had passed, though I didn’t take full notice of that at the time.
Thanks on my way in May and doing it all by train
A little nervous about missing my train wrong platform etc
I’m sure it will all go smoothly. Key step is to identify the binario/platform based on the train company and number and scheduled time. Binarios are well-marked and you can verify that you’re in the right place with the overhead signs. Enjoy your trip!
@@OurBigItalianAdventure Thank you
Usually, the main information is on orange LED boards, that you should be able to tell identify from the coloured LCDs that show commercials.
@@giacintoboccia9386 thanks
just ask, Italian love help tourist :)
Well done!
One thing that you forgot is that usually Trenitalia Frecciarossa has a "restaurant cart" with a bar and some selection of pastas or other stuff if you want to have lunch. Italo usually only has vending machines. It could be useful to know if for some reason you're forced to eat lunch or dinner in the train.
Good tip. I’ve never tried the food, but maybe as an experiment I will next time.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure i used the bar a couple of times and was expecting a premium price for items but it was pretty average
@Dlmc85 Good to know , for an “emergency “
Thanks for the video for rail travel. I've been to Italy and used their trains, and your correct on all points. One thing that may be helpful to mention: as a non-Italian resident, you can't register on the Trenitalia website, an Italian address is mandatory. BUT you can still purchase tickets on the app. Thanks.
I wasn’t aware of that and it is worth noting. I’m not a resident, but I do own a house and have a codice fiscale. Maybe I used it when I signed up.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure you do not have to be a resident or own anything, the comment is not true
That is not true. You can register as a foreigner no problem.
Thanks for adding this.
Yes, joecesa is wrong, you can register with Trenitalia as a non resident, you can even request the Cartafreccia card for Senior too.
Thank you for this video! I leave for Italy in a couple of days and have been watching videos on the train system most of the day today. I've found this one to be THE BEST! It is so detailed; you break things down so well and are so thorough. Again, thank you!
Thanks! That’s a great compliment. We appreciate it, for sure.
Enjoy the trip! We’re also going over next week to kick off the (early) summer.
i have a good news for you, since like sept-oct you don t need to activate the regional ticket, it does self chechk in at the departure time of the train, weather you re in or not, so if you re not in the train remember to change the departure hour to not lost your ticket.
Thanks! Great update.
Fantastic video! Thank you.
Thanks! We appreciate it.
buying tickets from the vending machine at the station allows you to choose which seat you want without being charged anything extra (that only occurs on the app where they charge you 2€ or 4€ extra) for the frecciarossa (if you buy tickets from the trenitalia app you won't be charged an extra if you choose your seat on the intercity train)
Good clarification. Thanks.
Very accurate description about how it works, very good job.
Just adding a few points, if I may:
- If you are taking just one High Speed train, it's ok to pick the cheapest option between Trenitalia and Italo, but... If you are taking multiple trains, it's better if you trave with Trenitalia, as the booking/ticketing system is integrated with Trenord and other subsidiaries, so you can buy an manage all your tickets on the Trenitalia app.
- forget paper tickets, and get the app. You'll validate the local/regional/commuter trains in one click.
- Personally, I never leave my luggage un-attended. The luggage racks located close to the doors are comfortable, but...
Very good job on your videos.
That’s great advice. It would make the trip easier if you have multiple segments. Thanks.
Excellent review and very accurate, we Arrive in Milan in two weeks and have purchased seats on Italo for Milano Centrale to Rome Termini, we used Trainline which I found to very good, also allows us to have our tickets on our smart phones and access when offline which is great, we have also booked other trains to Civitavecchia and Venice to Milan, easy to watch your video, thanks heaps from Aus
Thanks for the note. Buon viaggio!
So informative- thank you . I will be coming to Italy from Australia next month and will travelling by train . :)
Thanks!
Thank you for the video. Traveling next summer to Italy with stops in Rome and Venice. Trains will be main transportation from Rome to Venice, then back. Great comparison on the two companies.
Thanks! Enjoy the trip.
Thanks for the service you're offering with your detailed explanations, not only for US tourists but also for italians, like me! 😄
Thanks! We’re interested and excited that we are getting Italian viewers.
Thank you so much for your effort in making this video. Very informative indeed. One of the best videos I have seen on Italy trains. 😀👍
Thanks! Glad it was helpful. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you. 🙏
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Thank you! I'm headed to Italy in two days and you were sent by heaven to make sure I have a good trip. 🙂
Thanks! Have a great trip!
This channel is great. Glad I found you. Your Italian home looks absolutely beautiful. Hi from Australia.
Thanks! We appreciate it.
I recently discovered your channel. We'll be traveling to Italy next year for our first time. The plan is to fly into Rome for a few days, take the train to Venice, spend a few days their before joining our cruise ship. I cannot tell you how informative this video was.
Thanks for the nice comment. It’s really encouraging to us. Your plan of Rome-Venice high speed train is perfect!
You should visit Florence too... It's right in-between Rome and Venice (the train stops there too).
Yes. If I were doing two cities, I’d do Florence and one of the other two. Rome for history, Venice for its unique location.
Benvenuto in Italia
Grazie.
sei fantastico! bravi!
Grazie! Troppo gentile.
Lovely! You are accurate and clear. Don't worry if some say you're not correct here or there, about your videos: not even us Italian know every detail of our rules and regulations, and habits and regulations vary from area to area. I get you are different from the regular tourist, since you bought a home here!
Thanks for your support. We try to be as accurate as possible, but I’m sure we do make mistakes. We just hope they’re not too serious.
Very accurate. You really know what you are talking about!
Thanks! I hope it was helpful.
My first trip to Italy was in 2011 and there were no apps . I managed to book the tickets on their website. And in case you’ll didn’t know you can book a ticket upto 3 months in advance. The tickets 3 months in advance are truly dirt cheap .
Thanks! Good tip.
Thanks. You pointed out all important points that's all I need to know❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks! Enjoy your trip and your train travel.
Thank you so much! Fantastic information as I am planning my 1st trip to Italy this fall.
Thanks! Buon viaggio!
In some railway stations like Firenze Santa Maria Novella or Milano Centrale you need to arrive more than 20 minutes in advance. There are people who check that every person wanting to cross the barrier separating the hallway from the platforms does have a valid train ticket and this causes long lines. Then there’s the time it takes someone to reach first the platform and then their intended car.
When buying tickets from the vending machine, should you need help, look for the official Trenitalia or Italo personnel (they have their uniforms on). In many big cities there are seemingly unsuspecting women/men standing next to them pretending to be there to help people, which they’re not as they have a hidden purpose
Both of these are excellent tips! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this very detailed video on this topic! I am more at ease now about this part of my trip! Looking forward to more!
I’m glad t was helpful. We’re so out of touch with train travel in the US that it can be intimidating at first to walk into a station like Milano Centrale and see that 30 trains are leaving in the next 40 minutes. Enjoy your trip!
10:00 That's Luz Station in São Paulo, Brazil. I know because I'm from there!
That was a fun easter egg in the video!
Good catch.
Validation looks like an hassle for foreigners, but is actually pretty convenient for people who travel frequently, as they can buy a bunch of standard tickets, which they can use anytime anyday. And only when they punch it in does the ticket start to "work". Without that system, they should book and buy a specific ticket for each trip.
Good information! Thanks for sharing it.
Wow Che precisione bravo
Grazie.
Thanks for this video. My partner and I will be travelling from Venice to Verona. We purchased our tickets through the Trainline app. We have QR codes on the app. I think we have to validate them at the station.
If you have a QR code and an assigned seat is shown, you shouldn’t have to check in. You can check at the Itali desk in Venice if you have any doubts. Buon viaggio!
@@OurBigItalianAdventure thank you. The last time we travelled on a train in Italy was in 1993 and we had something called a kilometrico and they deducted the distance each time we travelled from the ticket.
@gregneil612 I’ve never heard of the kilometrico before. That was certainly a while ago. And you bought it with lira, hundreds of thousands of them. I recall a 100,000 lira note not being worth very much given the huge number. (I looked it up. About $60.)
@@OurBigItalianAdventurefifty . in 2000 , now they could be one undred .
They where nice to use : no need of cents .
if you said , 50 , everybody underastood 50,000 .
if you said 52 and 500 those were 52,500 .
very easy and practical , not a centesimal sistem but millesimal .
Great video… always happy to watch ❤🎉 very informative ❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
Planning to go to Sicily in 2025 - if you have any info on Sicily it will prove very helpful. Love the train info and share.
We were in Sicily many years ago, but we planned a couple of weeks there in 2023, but had to cancel. What type of info would be useful?
Hi dears, very good video, I had an interesting and precious resume of my Country train railway system. Btw Trenitalia is the former state train company, so they have the largest country covering, while most of the Trenord ( North train) net is covering the north of Italy and Lombardy , so you have more options down there. Take in count that thanks to God in Italy there is a train station even in the tiniest village. Italo is the last private company with gorgeous trains which llinks big cities very fast, but most of the time is quite expensive and with sold out places. Yes, the app is better, or you can ask to the station staff…those tickets machines are nightmare for us Italians too 😅 Enjoy your vacation! Enjoy Italy ❤
Thanks for the good history. We always enjoy Italy!
Hello from Trento. Love your videos. 💖
Glad you like them!
Visit Bergamo and Brescia!
Thanks for the tip. We’ll check them out.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure sono 2 bellissime città, piene di opere d'arte. Le Courbusiere ammirava soprattutto il centro storico di Bergamo. Entrambe le città hanno bellissimi musei. Accademia Carrara a Bergamo (Raffaello, Tiziano, Lotto, Bellini, Mantegna, Botticelli, Guardi, Tiepolo ecc) Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo a Brescia (Raffaello, Canova, Foppa, Ceruti, ecc.ecc )
Ovviamente queste valgono la pena di una visita. Grazie per la lista.
for sure ! and don't miss the up town of Bergamo neither the castello and the ancient Dome of Brescia .
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Thanks for the video. Do I need to check in for the high-speed train tickets purchased on the Itranitalia app?
No. You will just show your ticket on your phone.
The "Check-In" process for Regionale and Regionale Veloce digital and app tickets is no longer necessary, as it has been done away with since September 21st this year. Validation now occurs automatically at the departure time of the train, and the ticket can be changed in date and time freely until then. Cheers from Liguria!
Thanks! When we redo the train video we’ll update the information.
Planning our trip and your videos are so valuable!
Thanks! We really appreciate hearing that. Enjoy your trip!
I like the trains in Italy !!
I agree. Nice plus convenient.
Excellent video- thank you! if I buy four tickets on the Trenitalia app- when I go to check in on the app for that train trip- do I have to check in four times or just once? (since l purchased four passenger tickets in one purchase)
Thanks!
Good question. If it’s a Trenitalia train where you have assigned seats, you don’t need to check in. Just show the bar codes for the four tickets on your phone to the employee who will pass through the cars.
Ed, an excellent video We are planning our first train trip to Italy and this is very helpful Where is your house What is the best way to research where to stay
The house is near Macerata.
I’m partial to Booking.com using this method: Use it to identify possible places and prices. If possible, go directly to property website and check out their pictures and prices. Then choose how to book.
I’ve personally never had a problem using Booking.
If I’m looking at a longer stay, I’ll look at Vrbo or Airbnb.
There’s also agriturismo.it for places in the countryside, but it can be difficult to navigate.
Hi. I am going to italy. 1st time to travel to europe and 1st time travelling solo. What do you suggest what train i should take from Rome to Florence and back to Rome, the easiest and fastest. Im only staying for few days in rome but really want to go to Florence. Thank you so much.
Either a Trenitalia or Italo high speed train. 90 minutes each way.
Curious about how far out I should purchase tickets ? It seems that tickets between Florence and say Venice 9 mos out are $68 one way ! But I know on a previous trip I only paid around $15 -$20 one way? Do you think it’s because I’m looking so far out ?? I am ready to purchase (going in March 2025) should I wait til say January?
That’s an excellent question. I’m not sure, but I’d guess your instincts are right. I’d wait until 2025 and start looking at prices then.
Absolutely correct (I'm Italian), the further in advance you buy the ticket the greater the savings. If you manage to plan the trip well in advance, the cost of the ticket, for an excellent service, can be truly "ridiculous".
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Make sure you buy your tickets from the Trenitalia or Italo websites, no intermediary.
@alteregostringinstruments5529 Yes, excellent point.
On the Trenitalia app you need an Italian address. we are planning a trip in September of this year. What do you suggest? We are staying in hotels or rentals during our trip
Hi. I think if you choose “Stati Uniti” as your home country you can use your US address. Otherwise, I’d use a hotel address.
Thank you very much for the informative video !
How about using Trainline and Omio Apps?
Can I arrive to Rome Termini through the metro?
IS there a one week ticket (open travels) that I can use one card for me and my partner? specifically in Milan and Rome?
Thank you dear in advance for your reply, and God bless you
As I commented before, buy direct from the train operators, and not resellers such as Trainline and Omio. Trainline can be useful to find (and buy) connections that may not be offered directly, but I would still recommend buying direct
You can use them, though I don’t buy tickets that way. They’re useful for exploring your options, but I always book directly with the train company. That way, if something goes wrong, the train company views you as a customer (not Omio’s) customer and you’re more likely to get support.
You can arrive at Termini directly from the airport at Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) on the Leonardo Express operated by Trenitalia.
I’m not a good source for information on week-long tickets. It definitely depends on the city and the proximity of the sights you’re interested in to the metro or bus line. That determines whether it would be useful and a good value. Try Googling it.
Enjoy your trip!
Thanks for sharing this info
You’re quite welcome! Have a great trip.
This is so informative video. Looking forward for more videos 😊
Glad you liked it! Thanks.
Nice video. Question. My wife has mobile scooter. Is there a ramp there or need to find someone to get one? Do they have parking spots to leave the scooter on the trains? I think I saw one video that showed a handicap spot but didn’t notice any in yours. Thx
Great questions. Because it’s probably critical for you to know the answers, I’d write to Trenitalia or Italo and ask customer service. You probably need to book the handicap spaces specifically.
Where are you visiting? Many places in Italy are harder to navigate in a scooter than in the US.
We are going to Florence and Rome in Italy. Taking Italo from Florence to Rome. Yes. On videos have seen a lot more varying quality paving for handicapped.
In those cities you’ll be able to go most places, but there will be uneven surfaces.
Super informative, great video. Thank-you!
Thanks!
Thanks for your reply.
Also I’ll be in Tirano going to Milan after riding the Bernina express. Is it advisable to buy my Tirano-Milan ticket ahead of time? Does fare go up as it gets nearer?
On Trenord, the prices are fixed based on the distance, as I understand it. So it shouldn’t matter for you wait to buy this ticket.
Just a small note here, nothing too drastic, but since trenord for a while has been making a lot of work for the 2026 winter olympic games, such as completely new rails, new underpasses to eliminate level crissings etc ) until the 1st of september the train only arrives in colico ( the most northen city of lake como ) and from there to tirano there are shuttle busses. Of course they are comprised in the train ticket, nothing is going to change on your end but maybe it is helpful.
Thanks.
Thank you for this video!!! Great information and I appreciate you providing this very detailed breakdown! Italy in March 2025.
Thanks! I’m sure you’ll have a great trip.
Thanks for the video. I have bought an online ticket from Tirano to Milano. If I want to take the earlier train, do I have to pay? 2- As you shown in the video, it's written "Not Valid for Travel" on the ticket bought from Trenord and directs me to Trenit app to check-in. So how can I check-in via the app, if the link doesn't work they sent to check-in alternatively? 3- From Venice to Milano, the QR code on the ticket to show on the machines of the gate will be enough to get on the train skipping the line? Thank you
Is the TrenNord ticket for a specific train? If so, I think you have a four hour window around that time, but I’d check with the agent in Tirano. (This ticket should show in the TrenNord app that you have, as should the “Check in” button.) For Venice to Milano, if you have a QR code and an assigned seat you should be good to go. Buon viaggio!
If you have bought it from Trenord, do not use Trenitalia app to check in. Moreover, there is no requirement to check-in for Trenord tickets, unlike Trenitalia. And the time allowed (if validated through paper ticket) is six hours, not four. Trenit is not the train operators app, it is only for checking schedules, do not use to check-in regional trains!
Thanks for the clarifications. Always things to learn.
Great video. Do you know Why cant i download the Trenitalia App from Australia? The Italo App i have no issues. Im from Sydney Australia.
I’m not sure. I’ve recently tested from the US and it works, but I did get a comment from Canada that someone was having problems.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure thank you
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Please make a vid with info on New 2024 high speed train from Venice to Ljubljana, opening in July ( or rather, from Milan. apparently thats the departing station.. I thought it was Venice)
That’s an interesting topic. We’ll look into it. Ljubljana is a great little city.
What terrific information! I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying your videos…..and how envious I am of you two. 😁
-Melissa
Thanks! We appreciate it. We’re spending three weeks in Puglia right now and then going to our house in Le Marche. We’ll have some new videos out as soon as we can find to put them together, I hope a least a couple by later in the month. It’s hard to travel and see new places and edit video at the same time!
How can we tell if the seat is next to the window? I can't tell because I don't know what know what the thick gray bar is versus the white bar on the seating map. Can you tell me?
Hmm. Without seeing what you are looking at, I’m not sure. The diagram should show a train car with seats in rows. Any bars between the rows are tables. You should be able to identify an aisle running the length of the car.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure on the diagram there is a gray bar next to the seat. I can't tell if it's a window at a wall. I noticed on videos some of the sears have a wall next to it. I want to make sure I pick a single seat that has a window
@christinalove1309 Now I understand the question … but unfortunately I don’t know the answer. However, very little of the exterior of the car is “wall”. It’s mostly window.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure thank you 😊
You’re welcome. Enjoy the trip.
I can’t get access to the trenitalia app in Canada . Some ticket are booked with trenitalia and some with ítalo and we printed all the tickets . Can we enter in advance the ítalo info into the app??? And how do we deal with the lack of trenitalia app.. thank you!
As far as Trenitalia app, I tested it and I can download it in the US on a phone that didn’t have it. I’m surprised in won’t work that way for Canada. If you have a VPN, login in the US or Italy. That should work.
If you were logged in to your Italo account when you bought your tickets - I’m assuming you used a computer - they should show in the app. If not, login in to the app and you can probably add them. I’m not sure since I’ve never been in that situation.
And thank you for the great advice .
You’re certainly welcome.
Very informative, I am traveling to Italy next week; bought my Italo tickets to travel from Venice to Rome but I am confused as to whether or not I need to validate my ticket. Do I need to validate my Italo ticket if I bought it on the app?
No need to validate. Just have it your app to show on the train. Buon viaggio!
You only need to validate kilometric tickets, if your ticket is for a specific train time and day you don’t need to.
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Just booked my flight for my Mid-Oct-Mid November 2024 Trip. Going independently, and a bit nervous getting back to Rome from Salerno on Monday for a1:50 pm flight....I will leave VERY EARLY....or leave on Sunday and book an overnight hotel in Rome...Excited and nervous! I see there are passes offered by Trenitalia and Italy RailPass...still studying! I was reading reviews and some say Italo is better that TrenItalia (ItaliaRail I think is where you can book, too?.. The site for English speakers)??
Congratulations on getting your trip planned! I’m sure it will be great. Salerno to Fiumicino airport is a bit under 3 hours on a Frecciarossa to Roma Termini and then the Leonardo Express to the airport. If your flight is 1:50p (to the US?), I’d want to arrive at the airport by 11a or a bit after. You don’t want to be worrying about arriving on time and it can take awhile in the check-in line and for the security checks. I’d be looking at the 7:44a Freccia from Salerno which on the current schedule would arrive at the airport at 10:37. (If I really wanted to be safe, I’d book the Freccia before that, at 7:13a -> 10:07a, to have the other as a backup.) Of course, going to Rome the night before is also an option. Get a hotel not too far from Termini and then you can be more leisurely in the morning.
As far as a rail pass, from what I understand based on research is that they are generally not a good deal unless you’re taking many trains. What is the general outline of your trip before Salerno?
On the Salerno to Termini section, Italo is an option. It’s often cheaper and I like it a bit better. There are fewer trains, though. It looks like you’d be leaving Salerno on the 7:20a if not the 6:20. (Termini to the airport would then be the Leonardo Express.)
I book directly through the Trenitalia and Italo apps or the websites. The only tricky part for English speakers is that Italo isn’t consistently Italian or English for city names. (It won’t find “Firenze” - it needs to be “Florence” - but Roma instead of Rome. Just a quirk.) Otherwise, the apps and websites have English versions.
I hope some of this is helpful.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure Well, I finally got smart and booked a hotel in Rome for arrival and the day before departure, right near Termini so the pressure is off! Feeling much better about it...And, I just saw your new video of FCO and if was brilliant!!
@rudolphvalentinoconnection8298 Good choice. It will take the pressure off, especially on the departure end.
I’m really glad you liked the FCO video. We’re hoping it will make arrival a little less stressful.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure It is fantastic. In a similar way, I've been watching videos of Atlanta Hart Airport...and tracking current flights. Tonight I changed my first leg to an early flight with a 6-7 hour layover because an 1.5 hour connection sees much too tight as the first leg often is late and the second flight to Rome seems to leave early sometimes. And, you have to get to the gate because they close boarding 15 minutes ahead of the departure time. SOOOO...I decided it was JUST TOO CLOSE! I will spend time looking at the art, getting something to eat, reading and will book a lounge for a couple of hours before the flight. Sometimes just have to decide not to spend the next 6 months worrying about running to try to catch a flight!! LOL!
Sounds good.
Some trains don’t have those racks when you get on.
Yes, mostly the regional ones, I think.
Great video. Definitely learned a lot. Looking to see if you can suggest an itinerary or best means for an upcoming trip. 2 of us are flying into Rome (FCO) on a Monday then need to head up to Monterossa for a few days, then back to Rome for a few days before we go to catch a cruise ship. Do you mind if I ask what steps would you take? Thank you.
I’d do the Leonardo Express from Rome Fiumicino airport to the main station Roma Termini. From there, you can take a Freccia high speed train to La Spezia and then change to a regionale to Monterossa. It’s about 5 and a half hours total from the airport and you can buy it all as one ticket from Trenitalia.
Now, you didn’t ask, but I’ll offer this: unless your dead set in Cinque Terre, id skip it unless you’ve explored a lot of Italy before. The towns are very pretty, but completely overrun by tourists. It felt like Disneyland to me when I was there in September 2019. I’d consider visiting Siena, a beautiful town and more authentic. You just need to avoid the two times a year they hold the Palio, a competition between neighborhoods centered around a horse race. Arezzo is also a nice town.
Anyway, enjoy the trip!
On the app for Trenitalia it doesnt allow me to put America as the country. Can you tell me what to do?
Look for “Stati Uniti”, the Italian way to say United States. I hope that helps.
6:00 If it can be used without a PIN, what if someone steals your card in the US?
You have to immediately call the credit card company. Fortunately, by law, you are not responsible for the charges. Plus with more sophisticated fraud detection using AI, they will notify me of transactions that look suspicious based on my buying behavior for me to approve or deny.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure I guessed so, but I prefer the thieves not to be able to use my card (that I'll block anyway).
Agree.
Thank you, very thorough!
You’re welcome. Glad it was useful.
What do you do with your luggage! Like traveling from Cinque Terre to Rome? We have each have a large suitcase.
You usually can put it by your seat on the Cinque Terre train to La Spezia. If you then get on a high speed train, they’ll have those racks, but pay attention to the bags, especially at stops and especially near Rome.
I bought a ticket online from Milan to Montreux on train EC number 32. The ticket states "please communicate your pnr to on board personnel. Failure to do so is equivalent of being without ticket". Kindly let me know how do you communicate your pnr number to the staff?
Hi. There is a person who checks tickets on the train. Just show them your receipt with the pnr (passenger name record) to that person. Check this from Trenitalia. www.trenitalia.com/en/purchase/the_trenitalia_electronicticket.html
Thanks a lot. Your video was actually very helpful in many ways.
Thanks. We appreciate the encouragement.
I love Italian trains. I’ve been visiting there for 36 years….cant count the number I’ve taken! Thanks from 🇨🇦
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Informative video!
I am a tourist and in my 60s. In the process of booking using Trenitalia a Milano Centrale to Venezia Mestre for October and considering the Frecciarossa train as it suits my schedule. I can see that it’s giving me FRECCIADAYS (no change and refund which I don’t mind). Is this a good offer to buy? Thanks
Hi. If you’re ok with the change and refund restrictions, it’s probably a good idea. Prices will only go up as October comes closer. I’m seeing about €19 on Trenitalia and €12 on Italo. Either is a great deal.
Are these trains rarely late? I have a flight to catch in Milan at 11:50 AM but am thinking of spending the night before in Verona. If I take the first train of the day (not a Frecciarossa, unfortunately), I can make it. TrenItalia says it can get me to Milan at 7:20 AM, plenty of time to get from the station to the airport. Unless the train runs late, of course. Is this an insane idea and should I not risk it, just spend the night before in Milan? Thank you so much for your video!
I can’t give you a firm answer. Usually they aren’t late or not by much, in general, but it probably depends on the route and certainly the particular day. The timing might be a bit tight if there is a delay, but is likely ok. The Malpensa express only runs twice an hour, at :25 and :55 past the hour from Milano Centrale and the trip is just less than an hour. So on the 7:55 train you’d arrive at the airport by 9:00, which is about 3 hours in advance of the flight, which usually is plenty of time. But this is all an estimate. Enjoy your trip!
@@OurBigItalianAdventure thank you so much!
Have a great trip!
Guys please help. I am traveling through Switzerland into Italy and want to get a Eurail pass. I dont see many using the Eurail in Italy, is it not that popular, should I be booking individual tickets directly with the rail companies? I also read somewhere that Eurail does not cover Trenord, is this true?
I believe Eurail pass does cover Trenord but not ITALO. I think it is not as popular now because it is not as good a deal. In the old days you paid $350 or so for a 6 month pass…now it is much more restricted- you have less time to use it .
@@OurBigItalianAdventure thank you for your response.
You’re welcome.
It seems I need an Italian address to sign up to Trenitalia and its loyalty programme !!
I’m surprised. I don’t recall having that problem.
Excellent Video
Thanks! We appreciate the comment. It’s great encouragement.
How do we get from the airport to the train station?
Hi. Walk toward the right as you exit immigration. You’ll get to an escalator that leads to a tunnel to the station.
they luckily deleted that stupid process of "check in" for regional train
Yes. I have heard that. We’ll update it next time.
How is it if you travel with a dog
Here’s a link you might find useful: www.trenitalia.com/en/services/travelling_with_yourpets.html
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you ! Do you have to download each app or is there an overall app for all of them combined. Is there a website where you can see all the trains available for a destination or do you have to go to each website? Can you do the website instead of the app?
The company apps are separate, but there is a site/app called www.omio.com/ that lets you compare prices and times and buy tickets. A good system is to use Omio to choose your trains and then buy from the company apps. That way you have all the advantages.
You can use the websites as well, but then you need to print tickets. Or buy from the website and use the apps to store your tickets.
Thanks for the video. We have been using tthe rainline app , I just booked a trim from Rome to Nice . From Rome to Milano centrale them to Vetimiglia and the French train line to Nice, easy pease , have you ever used them ?
Thanks looking forward for more videos on trains.
That’s “thetrainline.com’, right? I’ve looked at it, but I’m not familiar with it. There’s also Omio.com. Just personal preference, but I generally book directly with the individual company.
If you like train-related stuff, have a look at www.seat61.com/.
Fine review ideed. Driving a car in Italy may be felt as a discomfort even from an Italian commuting daily by car. Furthermore our cities were not thought for cars and inhabitants already have too many cars. And finally, forget cars if you plan to go to Venice. The old city itself has NO streets, only channels. Therefore: ride a train.
Forget about intercity airplanes within Italy. I think there could be none anymore. Once the Milano-Romoa HS line was opened, airways company living mostly on that route, one for all, Alitalia, went bankrupt.
I could add a couple of things, if you don't mind. First, a little explanation: "binario" means "railway track", our railwaymen think about the track the train will stop on. It was wise to use that word because we do not translate it in signs. Travel light, avoid large luggage. HS train have space for luggate, but not plenty for it. Regional trains on the other side, have almost no space for large luggage. Most of the trains are designed for commuters. But there are a few places where a Regionale Veloce is "the option". If your plane lands or leave from Pisa airport (Malpensa Express and Leonardo Express are special airport services and, even if the train might be the same as those used for regionali, the interiors are different with more luggage racks) or visit Venice and either book your hotel in Mestre (mainland counterpart of Venice - an uglier option, but cheaper) or want to visit Padova. In the first case any regionale fits, most of them will skip the only station between Venice and Mestre, and you have plenty of them; when traveling between Padova and Venice, a Regionale Veloce is as fast as an HS train.
Great info. Thanks. We should have talked more about luggage, in retrospect. “Binario” is interesting. It gets translated as “platform” on signs, but the word “track” is better and ironically what we would use in the US. I’m not sure about UK usage.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure platform is the UK usage in my experience. Platform 9 3/4 😁
Hogwarts, and all. I’d forgotten about that platform.
ZTL was enstablished to avoid pollution from cars, and car related incidents.
Moreover it makes more liveable the city centers.
It hurts a lot our commodity, vlbecause cars are a commodity for all, but we have to admit that it works and there are some real benefits.
So ZTL it is! 😑😮💨
I agree. I think the ztl is a great concept. Those of us who aren’t Italian just need to know about it and understand it so it’s not a big “gotcha” that can leave a bad taste about Italy. Sort of like the big fines for not having validated a train ticket or, God forbid, using the Telepass lane. I remember Florence before the ztl. It was a mess in the central area. You couldn’t drive or walk. It’s a much better experience these days.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure that's our fault. In past we was more soft in enforcing rules so many had the chance to brake them and even avoid paying or worst.
As soon as there was cases of violence and after having privatized the sector, new rules and regulations came into effect to avoid such outcomes.
Surely is a bit hard, but the consequences of not having any rules at all would be worst.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure moreover with all the refugees that had to be helped... Some of them struggled in integrating, others was examplary persons. But we had cases really unpleasant. Unconfortable.
Then the tourists. At some point we had to address the demand from outside or pur system would have been not competitive.
The current system is kinda of a compromise from all these three situations.
Tourism is certainly a difficult balance for Italy. It’s so important to the economy but places are being overrun and are at the risk of losing their appeal. Venice can probably be fine with an admission fee, as so many tourists see it as a “must do” item and wouldn’t be deterred by a small fee,
For me, Cinque Terre and Amalfi are at risk of losing the charm they have because of popularity, CT in particular. I tell friends to think hard about visiting. To me, it’s become like Disneyland. The small villages are almost wall-to-wall people. Three years ago, in late September, I visited with friends who wanted to see it. They had planned 4 days there and decided after one that they had had enough.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure ah Venice is exactly the place that was injured the most by tourism.
The city had a population of roughly 200.000 people in past.
Today, due to tourism location transformation, the city is becoming costly, with specialized shops and high prices. The population is reduced to 20.000 citizens.
But yet tourism brings a non indifferent amount of money on the budget.
Every year the population of Italy double it's size and you can see people from every corner of the world. Between tourism, students from international courses, immigrants, both regular or refugees and the local population, today's Italy is a full multiethnic and multicultural country.
Even multi-religion country. Muslims are the 1% of the population, but Islam is the second religion of the country surpassed only by those 30% of Christian Catholics.
The big chunk of the population is at one step from becoming atheists. We don't like extremism and fanatism here. As tradition, we enjoy more a calm lifestyle and even if religion sometimes ask us to apply extreme measures, we tend to think before and act long long long time after that thinking pause.
It's definitely hard to try to make all happy, but somehow, it serms work.
Maybe we should thanks God for this, but I have the doubt of which god we have to thanks. 🤣🤣🤣
This train is Freccia Rossa..
👍
How is the TrenItalia Frecciarossa ticket validated?
You don’t need to do any “validation” for a Frecciarossa train. You have ticket for a specific seat on a specific train. So you just need to show the ticket on board.
Mentre il 112 è un numero generico, in grado di rispondere a qualunque emergenza, il 118 è il numero dedicato alle emergenze sanitarie.
Grazie. È informazione utile.
Italy on trains, needs very few lessons.
Travel by train in Italy... 😅
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seeing all the fees makes me never wanna drive
It’s not bad for you don’t get the fines.
@@OurBigItalianAdventure i talked to an italian friend they said they drove into a city center once and got a 80 or 90 euro fine. I guess mistakes happen
Yes. I’ve done it twice and the price was over €100 each time.
Super helpful and informative video! I am planning a trip to Italy at the moment so this is super useful Thanks for sharing
Thanks! Have a great trip.