Booking Italy train tickets (trenitalia) online - how to validate ticket?

Question

I am thinking of booking my train tickets between cities in Italy online. Does that mean I will have to print out my ticket at my local printer? How do I validate the ticket if it's simply a printout and not an actual official ticket? Also, is it better to do this online to ensure a seat or is it better to wing it and get the tickets at the station on the spot?

Answer 1

If you already know exactly your travel plans, booking tickets online is definitely better: it can save you long lines, expecially during the summer. The operation of the man checking your home printout on board is surprisingly smooth, being in Italy.

If you don't know your plans in advance you can buy your ticket on the spot: there are automatic machines in 4 languages in the biggest stations. consider that the main trains (Milano-Roma, i.e.) may be sold out during weekends or the summer.

If you buy tickets at the station for a train that don't have obligatory reservation, you have to obliterate them at a yellow machine. If you're not sure, obliterate it.

Answer 2

Unless you're here on the week on either side of Easter, you don't usually need to get tickets very far in advance. If you do book ahead of time, you can choose to go to one of the machines in the station to retrieve your ticket. There is a "ticketless" option for some trains, you can receive the code in an e-mail or just as an SMS message on your cell phone and show it to the conductor. The conductor will print a receipt.

Personally, I almost always just buy tickets at the station when I want to go somewhere.

Answer 3

If I were you i wouldnt really worry about it. I would just print the train schedule of where u want to go so you have an idea when they leave. You can purchase your tickets there. If you are planning to travel on a Friday afternoon or Sunday, then I would purchase my ticket a day ahead at the train station being that alot of people travel home for the weekend.

Answer 4

You just need to print the ticket in your own printer and that's all you need to board the train. Once the train departs the guardian will pass asking for tickets or checking at his palm that your printed ticket is good.