suec1

It has been several years since I traveled by train in Italy / Europe. I have pre-purchased tickets on a regional train from Rapallo to Genova where we will then board a Eurostar. I realize now that it might have been better NOT to pre-purchase the regional tickets - it leaves me with a very tight connection in Genova and as I remember, the regional trains can be a bit off schedule.

But can I just use the tickets on an earlier regional train? I bought these from trainline.eu and the printout has a "scan box" for a smart phone? - which I am not going to punch in a ticket machine, now am I? So can I just board an earlier train with these tickets?

suec1

And just curious, using a regional train - how much margin would you give yourself to make the connection to the Eurostar?

PalenQ

Regional train tickets for that date can be used on any regional train that day I believe. See if your ticket has a validity period on it. There are no seat reservations on regional trains and with a valid (cancelled before boarding train) ticket you can always board.

I would just ask a train station ticket window staffer about this a few days before the train- check www.seat61.com for possible info or email or call thetrainline.eu.

How much time do you have to make that connection?

PalenQ

Regional trains, no. For example, Pisa to Florence, Florence to Siena, Milan to Como or Milan to Tirano. There's absolutely no need to buy in advance and no advantage in doing so other than saving time at the ticket office. The price is fixed so there's no cost advantage in pre-booking, no reservation is necessary or even possible so the train can never 'sell out'. In fact, buying in advance is a disadvantage as regional tickets bought online are non-refundable and non-changeable, limited to a 4-hour window from the time of train you book. So just buy a ticket at the station from ticket office or self-service machines when you get there, validate it in the little green validating machines and hop on the next train, sitting in any empty seat.>

www.seat61.com - seems you can take any regional train from 4-hr 'window' - that should be two hours before and after?

suec1

Trying to read Italian - there is something about 4 hours but maybe 4 hours after? Yeah we have a 10 minute connection in Genoa - I don't trust that. If we take an earlier train we would have about 45 mintues, do you think that is enough? Again, it has been awhile since I used the trains and in my plan of pre-booking to save money, I just clicked on to the suggested connection. But re-thinking, I should have just bought the main trains (I did save alot of money!) and done the regional ticket later. Maybe I will just repurchase - those tickets are cheap!

Andrew

I thought the Trenitalia "four hour window" for regional trains was for four hours starting AFTER the original departure time of your booked train. I think the idea is to allow for late trains, not to allow flexibility to the traveler to travel at different times.

I spent a few days on the Italian Riviera in May and experienced a number of significant delays myself on the regional trains, to the point where I booked a regional train a half hour earlier than recommended on the Trenitalia site to connect in Genoa as I left the area. I too was worried about a tight connection in Genoa. Of course, the earlier train I took was perfectly on time, so I had a nice long wait in Genoa (enough time to leave the station and go find some pizza for lunch, actually!).

45 minutes to connect in Genoa should be plenty of time.

kybourbon

What are you calling a Eurostar? Did you book the Thello train?

>>> I bought these from trainline.eu and the printout has a "scan box" for a smart phone? - which I am not going to punch in a ticket machine, now am I? So can I just board an earlier train with these tickets?<<<

It's not clear what you bought, but appears you bought from a 3rd party. When you do that, there can be an extra layer of their own restrictions on the ticket in addition to any restrictions the actual train company might have (I assume the train company in this case is Trenitalia).

>>>Regional train tickets for that date can be used on any regional train that day I believe. <<<

No. When you buy a regional ticket online on Trenitalia it's already validated for the time of departure you selected at purchase (although that can vary in some regions). So if you purchased for 9am your ticket is valid from then until 1pm (4 hours). No clue about how any of that works when you used a 3rd party to purchase.

You are talking about a 3€ ticket. Either see if it can be changed once you are in Italy (at least 24 hours in advance of travel) or just buy a new ticket at the station when you are ready to leave.

StCirq

I don't understand the Eurostar reference. As far as I knew, Eurostar is the train between London and Paris. Did you mean Thello?

I'm not an expert on Italian trains, but have taken many of them and my understanding was that the 4-hour window means you can take an alternative train up to 4 hours after the one you bought tickets for.

If you bought from a 3rd party, I guess all bets are off and you'll have to read the fine print.

suec1

Yes, Thello from Genoa to Nice. So is 45 minutes enough margin for the regional scheduled to Thello connection?

Andrew

45 minutes would have been plenty of time for me when I connected to the Thello in Genoa in May - I think I had 50 minutes and the regional train I arrived on was on time; the Thello was 10 minutes late on top of that.

bvlenci

"<i> Regional train tickets for that date can be used on any regional train that day I believe. < /i>

This is only true of tickets you buy at the train station.

As others have said, regional tickets bought online are good for trains leaving up to four hours after the departure of the train you bought the ticket for.

The conducter might very well accept your ticket if you try to use it on an earlier train. However, considering the small price, I would just buy a new ticket at the station, which can be used on any train that day. These tickets must be stamped to validate them, and once they're validated, they're good for four hours.

PalenQ

What are you calling a Eurostar?>

Originally Italy's first high-speed trains were called Eurostar - the name was created for them by Fiat or whoever made them and was subsequently licensed to London-Brussels/Paris Eurostar trains by Fiat (or whoever made them) - Italy used Eurostar traction 450, etc. for several years before today's three (I think) different names were used.

If you look on www.bahn.de/en - German Rail's schedule site they still use "Eurostar" for Italian high-speed trans.

Old Eurostar trains are still used:

https://www.italiarail.com/trains/eurostar

bvlenci

The old Eurostar trains have been re-baptized as Frecciabianca trains.

PalenQ

You are talking about a 3€ ticket. Either see if it can be changed once you are in Italy (at least 24 hours in advance of travel) or just buy a new ticket at the station when you are ready to leave>

3 euros - about a cup of station coffee? Is that what you paid - seems very cheap for a fairly long ride- if so yes why worry - see if it can be changed to earlier time frame or bit the bullet and buy a new ticket?

kybourbon

>>>3 euros - about a cup of station coffee? Is that what you paid - seems very cheap for a fairly long ride<<<

That's for the regional ticket portion between Rapallo and Genoa. It's not for the Thello ticket onward to Nice.

From what I can see on Trenitalia, had she purchased it there, she could change the regional ticket to an earlier train as long as she did at least 24 hours in advance.

Regionale 11226 - from Rapallo to Genova Piazza Principe
SERVICE


OFFER
2ª Classe

Offerta ORDINARIA
Ordinaria
Servizio 2ª CLASSE 3.60 € 3.60 €

Ordinaria:
The purchased ticket is already validated with the date and time of departure chosen by the customer. Tickets may have different validity according to regional regulations. Change and refund are permitted according to different regional regulations.

***When you click the i next to fare type (ordinaria).***

ORDINARY - Online ticket
Change of train date/time Yes

Change of ticket
(route, no. travellers, class/service, etc.) No

Refunds Yes

Change of train date/time
Only one change of date/time is allowed by 23:59 on the day prior to the date chosen by the customer.
Change of ticket: not allowed
Refund
Change of train date/time
Only one change of date/time is allowed by 23:59 on the day prior to the date chosen by the customer.
Change of ticket: not allowed
Refund
For tickets purchased online, a refund is allowed (for cancellation of journey) by 23:59 on the day prior to the date chosen by the customer.
General rules
The ticket purchased online is already validated with the date and time of departure chosen by the customer and is valid for four hours. Different periods of use may be provided for by individual fares and other fare provisions. Departure can take place within the period of validity indicated on the ticket. The ticket purchased online is nominative, personal and non-transferable and must be kept until leaving the station. It can be purchased up to 5 minutes before departure of the traveller. For further information, see the General Conditions of Carriage

PalenQ

3 euros for a half-hour train ride - yup those regional trains are dirt-cheap (www.bahn.de/en says some trains take 32 minutes or so and other direct ones 52 minutes so - take the quicker train.