Does anyone know how long it takes to get the tickets ordered on the italia rail website? When I click on "shipping & handling" I get an error. The rest of the wesite works fine. It is also unclear if the shipping charges are "baked into" the quoted price or whether you get hit with an additional charge just before checking out (I hate it when companies do that!)
The problem is that I want to book an early morning train from Orvieto to Florence on July 1st and it is not yet posted on either trenitalia or italy rail. The latest date with that particular train is on June 14. My other option is to wait and buy the tickets when I get there, which brings in a whole other set of questions....

1. If we can't use our credit cards on the website, has anyone purchased tickets very recently in Italy and successfully used a credit card there at the station? At the window or in the machines? I worry that since we are traveling as a family of 5 if we have to keep replenishing our cash it will be a BIG hassle. I don't like to travel with huge amounts of cash either, so would prefer to purchase whatever I can with plastic.
2. Maybe the best option is to wait until we arrive in Rome and book all our tickets (5 people from Rome, Orvieto,Florence then Venice). Can I book all our dates of travel at the same time and also make seat reservations?
3.Can I do #2 above at the machines or do I have to go the reservation window (I have read that there can be a long wait which I would rather avoid - thus my reason for purchasing on italia rail)
3. I am also thinking that I should at a minimum book the tickets for Florence to Venice in advance, since they are the only Eurostar trains we will be taking. What do you think?

Thanks to all who answer our questions - you are truly a wealth of information!

In first place, are you traveling on the veyr day of your arrival or will you be staying in Italy for a few days before that? If you will be in Italy for a day or two before taking the train to Orvieto, I strongly suggest you don't buy until you are here. Seats will not sell out fast, and half the trains that connect the two do not allow rservations anyhow, so buying in advance makes absolutely no difference in terms of ticket availablity and train accessibility.

Secondly, railway seats are reservable only since 60 days prior to train's departure. So the tickets for a train deprting for instance today went on sale exactly two months ago, not one day before that. Even so, July 1st is exactly one month after the sumerm schedule change, so I expect the schedules to be set (and tickets available) no earlier than June 5-10. This is not a problem, especially on such a short trip, both before very few people (and absolutely none who is Italian) buys tickets and resrevations any earlier than a week before the train departure.

Finally, if you purchase and reserve on-line with trenitalia the tickets are not shipped. Like with low cost airlines, you are mailed an ID, complete with seat and car numbers, which will substitute yor tickets.

1. When I am not using the website, I always buy tickets at the machines with either ATM or credit card.
2. Yes you can, and IMHO it's the best option.
3. Yes you can.
3. (BIS!) No need, unless you are traveling on the very day of your arrival.

I bought rail tickets at the self-service machines at Termini in Rome in 2007 and Feb 2008 using my US credit card.

No worries using the machines if you're shy about going to the windows or the line is too long, they speak English and, as dragonpat said, take US credit cards, just as long as you tell your credit card company to expect charges from Italy.

quote:

Originally posted by in4fun:
has anyone purchased tickets very recently in Italy and successfully used a credit card there at the station? At the window or in the machines?

Purchase tickets on a regular basis with no problem. Machines work great. You should easily be able to purchase Orvieto to Florence, for example, a few days in advance, as well as Florence to Venice. You could even purchase from a travel agency near your hotel the day after you arrive.

I would, however, plan on replenishing your cash on a regular basis, as credit cards are not always accepted at local establishments. Just raise your daily limit, and grab cash from the ATM whenever it's convenient (it's not really necessary to travel with tons of cash, but neither is it a big deal unless you're in busy, crowded, distracting surroundings).