We know that many of you are thinking about travelling or living in Italy, so we decided to teach you a few things about this country and today it’s going to be about How to Take Train in Italy.
We use Torino Central Station as an example, but it serves as an example for the whole country. We will show you some super important details that will be part of your day to day life when travelling by train in Italy.
Which are the main companies to buy train tickets in Italy?
The two largest companies in Italy are Italo, a private company, and Trenitalia, a state company, which is basically responsible for ensuring travel throughout the national territory. So you can go to the ticket office, just inform the desired route, if it is round trip and make the purchase. This is the first option.
How to buy train tickets in Italy?
When buying tickets you will have three options:
The first way is directly at the counter of the company.
The second way that is most used on a daily basis is to buy from the machines scattered around the station. How does it work?
They are outside these ticket offices and you can buy your ticket yourself, paying by credit card, debit card and also in cash. These machines accept notes and coins, there is a specific place for that.
The third way to buy tickets is also directly on the website of these companies or on the mobile phone app. People buy tickets directly from the Trenitalia app, it is very simple and fast. Within the application you choose your outward or return route, how many people are there and this ticket is saved in the application. The ticket also goes to your email with a QR Code that you have to present at the control.
Of course you can also buy on other apps like Omio or Trainline for example. A very important tip, in case you want to look at these prices and buy your tickets on an Italian site but you are still outside Italy, do it safely through a VPN and you know of course that we have a great partner here at things I know surfshark and bpn surfshark is a service that allows you to connect to the internet in a totally secure way that guarantees your privacy online and protects all your data with this VP On your tea you can hide your IP address protect your personal information when you use for example free wi-fi in train stations or even in other places besides a more important unblock sites connecting to a VPN server from the internet.That means you can now be in Brazil and access sites simulating that you’re where in Italy so you access blocked materials quickly with security site available only the country and beyond all this is that when you simulate a search in that country of origin that you’re searching the results are much better prices bpn will make the price is based on your location through this VPN server connection.
An important tip
An important tip for you, if you want to take your bike assembled, it is only possible in regional trains, as in those high speed trains, the ones that cut the country very fast, you have to disassemble and wrap it.
How to validate the ticket bought in the machines?
Another very important tip from this guide on how to ride the train in Italy, if you have bought your ticket at the machine or at the ticket office, it is necessary to validate this ticket. On it is written ‘Convalidare Sul Retro’, which means to validate on the back.
You turn this ticket over and it will have written the position where you have to insert it. There are several small green machines in the stations, in these machines you must insert, then it will emit a BIP and ready, will appear the time and date.
It is very important to do this to avoid fines in the control done inside the train. If you bought the ticket on the app, there is no need to validate it because you already have the QR Code.
Attention to the ‘Partenze’ panel
What matters to you is the ‘Partenze’ match panel, which are the matches, they can be on a very large main panel or on smaller scattered panels.
There you have data like:
- Train number ‘Treno’;
- Destinazione’ Destination;
- Binario’ platform;
- Schedule ‘Orario’;
You will know your journey by looking at the following information: the train number, the time of your ticket and the destination city. With these 3 information there is no way to make mistakes and miss the train.
What is it like to travel by high speed train in Italy?
The high speed trains have some accessories or services, for example, you have the lights to turn on and read a book, you have the seat markings, support to hang up a coat, space between the seats to put suitcases (if it fits) and there are specific parts to put suitcases.
There is a train called Intercity, it is a train in the regional-fast category, it would be a train that stops in several cities but in a faster way, it is very close to the Italo trains, with upholstered chairs, support to eat, it has power outlet.
This train has a part called intercitynotte, which is a part reserved for you to sleep, so if you make a very long journey, it is possible to sleep. This train goes to the south of Italy, so many people travel sometimes at night, and these people buy this cabin where they have a bed to lie down.
It is possible to eat on the train, some have a bar/café where you can order a coffee, drink, snack and there are those with restaurants too, where you can even order meals.
Can I take my pet on trains in Italy?
About pets, any train you can take your pet, provided you also buy the ticket for him. There are cars that you can not enter with your pet, business class for example, areas of silence. So when buying the ticket you can say that you will take your pet.
But beware, only pets over 10kgs you need to say you are taking it. If it is a small pet, you can take it in the appropriate bag for such. Remember to bring the pet’s health ticket and normal pet documents.
In trains like Italo, the fixed price for you to take your pet is very expensive, 50 euros for pets over 10kgs.
Apps to check train schedules
There are apps that can be very useful to check train timetables, delays, strikes, for example we have app called OrarioTreni, Trenìt and Moovit. Moovit is very good to look at bus and train timetables, many people use it in Italy.
