Though images of old trains slowly trundling across the Italian countryside may still be vivid in the minds of many, rail travel in Italy is now much different from what it once was.
While some areas of the country are still significantly underserved, national rail services have improved significantly over the past two decades.
With nearly 1,500 kilometres of high-speed line, trains in Italy are now faster and more comfortable than ever before.
Better service, however, has resulted in higher fares for passengers, with tickets for long-distance national routes sometimes exceeding €100 per trip.
Book well in advance
While you may be thinking ‘Gee, thanks for the eye-opener, The Local’, this is the single most essential piece of advice you’ll want to follow when booking your train journey in Italy.
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Purchasing tickets at least one month before the date of your trip will not only give you access to lower fares but will also allow you not to miss out on deals or special offers as these are often time-limited or have limited availability.
Take advantage of deals – but beware of the ‘terms and conditions’
Booking in advance will allow you to snap up the best offers, and you’ll find no shortage of those, especially in the summer months.
Deals offered by long-distance operators Trenitalia and Italo may include anything from heavily discounted fares for families or couples to discounts of up to 60 or 70 percent for people under 29 and groups.
Before going full steam ahead with the purchase though, it’s always advisable to read the small print and check the ‘terms and conditions’ (termini e condizioni in Italian) carefully.
While some promotions may appear to be incredibly advantageous on paper, they may ‘hide’ fairly unfavourable caveats.
For instance, a particular offer may be non modificabile and non rimborsabile, meaning you won’t be able to change the time or date of the journey (not even by paying a penalty), nor will you be reimbursed in the event that you can’t make the trip.
These conditions can generally be found on the same web page as the deal they refer to and are definitely worth checking out beforehand.
Use price comparison websites to snap up the best fare
Comparing prices and promotions from different companies is technically something that you could do on your own, but why go to such trouble if someone else can do it for you.
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Price comparison websites have grown in popularity in Italy recent years, with Trainline and Omio often considered the most reliable options for train travel.
Both websites are intuitive, easy to navigate and available in a number of different languages, including English.
Loyalty cards and travel bundles
If you live in Italy or are a visitor planning to travel around the country for a few weeks, getting the loyalty card of the operator that you travel with more frequently can lead to substantial savings.
Besides getting immediate access to discounts on future journeys and special membership offers, you’ll also have loyalty points added to your card after every trip, which you’ll be able to cash in in exchange for a free journey after some time.
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People travelling frequently between the two same destinations can also buy 10- or 20-ticket bundles (known as carnet in Italy). These can allow for savings of up to 50 percent.
However, it's always best to check how long the relevant bundle will be valid for before purchasing (some bundles must be used up within six or 12 months from the date of purchase).
TrovaunPosto for last-minute tickets
Life is known to throw the odd curveball every now and then, which means you may at some point find yourself having to buy a train ticket at the very last minute.
In that case, TrovaunPosto may be your only available chance of getting a cheap (or cheaper) eleventh-hour ticket.
TrovaunPosto ('Find a seat') is an online marketplace where people who can’t make their planned journeys sell their tickets at prices which, under the website's regulations, must be lower than the price they originally bought them for.
You might not get lucky, but it’s definitely worth a shot.
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