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Travelling by train
The Italian F.S. railway net (State
Railways) covers most of the territory representing an enough
comfortable and economic means of transport (above all for
those who can avail of reductions and discounts) even if not
always so punctual.
The medium and big railway stations are equipped with information
office, in which are distributed free of charge excerpts of
the timetable regarding the zone in which you are. Also the
Travel
agencies with railway ticket office can give you information
and sell tickets. From the 29th July 2002 Trenitalia
has activated a new unique national number for every type
of service or information (timetables, tickets, reservation,
Italian and European coincidences,..): 89.20.21 has to be
dialled without prefix, from fixed telephone and from Italy
at the cost of 30 cent of euro (an unit for the answer) +
54 cent of euro per minute.
Calling the Call Center it is
possible to have access (pressing key 1, 2 or 3) to three
various services available:
- Information (timetables/trains, prices, etc).
- Reservation and Sale.
- Intercity Card and Formulatreno Promotions.
You can pass from the information service to
the Reservation and Sale service anytime of the telephone
call.
Useful References:
Site that provides the
train timetable in Europe:
For a list of the main
railway stations:
Types of train
The trains travelling on the State Railways
net are of various types, according to the speed, the number
of stops and the distance. The railway-carriages are of 1st
and 2nd class, different obviously as for comfort and price
of the ticket, but most of the Italians travel in second class,
so that, at the moment to buy the ticket, it is not practically
never necessary to specify "second class".
It is easy to distinguish immediately the first from the second
class, however on the walls of the compartment or on the windows
you will find written where you are.
For the fastest trains, independently from the class, it is
necessary to pay a supplement, otherwise you get a fine.
On board of all of the trains it is forbidden to smoke. On
the international trains it is forbidden to smoke when the
train move on the Italian territory, on some trains it is
forbidden to smoke on the whole route.
Here are the main types
of train:
- Local or regional train (without supplement): generally
it is only of second class, for short distances inside a
single region and with stops in all the stations. On board
it is forbidden to smoke.
- Direct or Express train (without supplement): with
many carriages, both of first and of second class, at average
and long distance; it makes a reduced number of stops and
at times it has various destinations;
- Interregional train it connects places situated
in various Regions, it can circulate also just at week-end
or in specific periods of the year. It has carriages of
1st and 2nd class. It has a high speed and makes reduced
number of stops.
- TAV (Train High Speed called PENDOLINO): the pendolino
is a fast super train currently in function in Italy on
the East-West routes (Turin-Milan-Venice) and north-south
(Turin/Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome-Naples-Bari) and represents
a competitive and alternative means to the airplane.
- Express Train it travels at elevated speed and
it is always necessary to buy a supplement ticket.
The express trains are in their turn classified in this
way: Express Ordinary, Intercity (some without supplement);
Express with obligatory reservation (Eurostar Italy,
T.E.E. - Trans Europe Express).
- Green Train train of the Regional Transport at
low attendance on which the offer of Amicotreno Card is
valid, that permits to travel with 50% price reduction together
with a mate.
- Train charter it is a Sunday train used by agencies,
associations, tour operator and schools for tourist-cultural
resorts and particular events.
For information on this train:
Religious Tourism and Charter
Piazza della Croce 1 - 00161 Rome - tel. +3906/44104828-44106361
above all in the winter periods.
Tickets
Purchase of tickets
All the tickets, cards and reductions can be bought both in
station and in Travel
agencies , entitled to the sale of the railway tickets,
without any increase in price. In the big railway stations
there are also automatic selling machines of tickets, while
if you leave from very small stations, without ticket office,
you can also buy the ticket directly on the train, even if
that involves a 8 euro price increase.
A ticket office service has been activated online through
which, after the registration, it is possible to reserve and
to buy railway-tickets every day from 6.30 to 23.30
using the credit card and to receive tickets at home
or to get them at the self service distributors available
in the main stations.
Use and validity
of the tickets
It is possible to use one way and return tickets within two
months from the issuing date. Within their validity, they
give you right to a limitless number of stops without any
validity.
It is obligatory
to obliterate all the tickets
Before starting, both the journey there and back, it is obligatory
to obliterate the tickets using "yellow or orange small
machines" situated near the platforms.
Once obliterated, the ticket has validity:
- 6 hours, for journeys with distance inferior to km. 200,
- 24 hours, for travels with distance superior to km. 200;
In case you forget to obliterate, inform the train staff once
got on and you will pay a fine of 8 euro, otherwise, on the
train, the controller will oblige you to pay a sanction of
15.45 euro.
If the ticket office is closed or broken or there is no obliterating
machine at the railway station, inform the staff before the
departure and you will not be fined.
Intermediate stops are allowed within the 6, 24, 48 hours
successive to the obliteration, according to the length of
the travel.
In train without
ticket
Since 2002 it has been instituted, in a experimental way,
a new purchase modality (on-line or through the
telephone ticket office at 199.166.177, with payment by
credit card) that makes you access to the trains also without
the ticket, in fact the issue of it will take place on
the train by identifying the customer through the PNR
and the identity document that are released by the telephone
ticket office.
The new modality of sale is designed just exclusively for
customers who travel in first class, and only on the
some Eurostar Italy trains of the Rome-Milan route
and viceversa.
Berths and sleeping
cars
Most of the night trains have berths of 1st
and 2nd class or only of 2nd class. The railway carriages
of 1st class have 4 berths for compartment, those of 2nd class
have 6.
Each traveller has pillow and a set of sheet-blanket mono-use
at their disposal.
Besides the ticket it is necessary to pay a supplement that
varies according to the class and the periods of the year.
The sleeping cars are carriages with cabins with one,
two or three sleeping places equipped with warm water, reading
lamp, plug for electrical current, etc.
The women who travel alone have the possibility to reserve
the place in a compartment just for women.
For using it, you must pay, besides the normal travel ticket,
a supplement that is valid only for the day and the reserved
train.
Cars on the end
For long routes, both national and international,
it is possible to travel by train having the car on the end.
For going abroad there are connections with Austria, Belgium,
France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland.
It is not possible to go through all the routes every day,
some can be run across just during Summer, Christmas or Easter
time.
The prices vary according to the length of the car, to the
used connection, if you make the journey there and back. However
a lump sum is applied, comprising the price of car transport
and the one of an adult traveller, with reductions on the
railway-ticket for the other passengers in some periods of
the year. The cars cannot be taken on board in all the stations.
The reductions of the "Cars on the
end" offer:
- 10%
if the Service is reserved on 2 or more routes (also
journey there and back),
- 20% or 30% if with the
same car respectively 3 or 4 people travel,
- 10% if you are ACI member.
It is moreover guaranteed ACI free road assistance
in the 30 days following the car shipment.
Motorbike on the end
It is possible to transport also your motorbike
on the main national connections at the cost of:
- 80 euro for journeys up to 950 km
- 120 euro for journeys beyond the 950 Km
Every motorbike or scooter should have a maximum
height from land of mt 1,58 (included eventual windshield),
a maximum breadth of cm 85 (included eventual bags and/or
cases) and should be equipped with some tripod. The transportation
covered with insurance and the discharge from the train of
the means of transport lasts about 60 minutes after the arrival.
Bicycles on the end
The transport of the bicycle on the traveller's
end is carried out only on some trains (marked on the official
timetable with appropriate sign).
Every traveller can transport a single bicycle.
The traveller, besides his ticket, must have the daily
supplement for the transport of the bicycle:
- 3.50 euro on Metropolitan, Regional, Direct
and Interregional trains (within 24 hours from the obliteration)
and 2,50 euro for holders of the Amico Treno Card
- 5 euro within national territory on the Express,
Intercity, Eurocity and in some Euronight trains
(within 24 hours from the obliteration)
- 12.30 euro within international area
For group travels with more than 10 bicycles,
it is obligatory the preventive written request (with the
indication of the day, the route, the trains and the number
of bicycles), underwritten by the responsible of the group,
which has to be presented to the Group Centre at least 7 days
before the departure for travels within the nation, a month
before for an international travel.
A supplement valid twelve months at the cost
of 40 euro permits the transport of the bicycle on the traveller's
end, limitedly to the places available only on Metropolitan,
Regional, Direct and Interregional trains, on the "green"
trains ( all the week days, excluded on Saturday).
Animal Transport
It is possible to travel with a dog or a cat
or another small domestic animal in specific cases or with
precise formalities listed at the page
http://www.trenitalia.com/it/...
Reductions and discounts
on the national tickets
It is possible to avail of price reductions
on the railway-ticket price according to the bands of age
and in various periods through nominative cards.
- Subscription
The following formulas are possible:
- monthly: it is released at sight on presentation
of a valid identity card;
- annual: it is more favourable in comparison with
the purchase of 12 monthly subscriptions;
- regional or provincial: for travels whose
routes is comprised within the borders of the Region and
independent Province;
- for Intercity and ES both on first and on
second class, to be used for routes up to 1000 Km;
- Subscriptions for integrated services.
- Ticket for groups
Travelling in group leads to the following price reductions
for all the year except for the Christmas and Easter periods,
and from the 25th June to the10th September:
- 20% for groups of at least 6 people;
- 30% for groups from 25 to 50 people.
The tickets have 1 month validity.
According to the number of people, 1 or more mates have
right to the free ticket.
- Reductions for families
Offers for families composed of 3 people of which 2 adults
and 1 boy aged between 4 and 12 years. The adults pay the
ticket of 1st or 2nd class at entire price while the boy
travels free of charge. In presence of other boys a 50%
price reduction is applied. Such offer is valid all the
year long.
Reductions for those who are less than 26
years
- Smart Card
The Smart Card is a nominative card valid 1 year that
gives right to 10% price reduction on tickets of
1st and 2nd class and 10% on travels carried out in sleeping
car and in berths and of 25% on the prices of international
tickets of the main European railroads.
Valid in all the periods of the year, and is designed for
young people between 12 and 26 years.
It can be bought in all the ticket offices and some Trenitalia
Travel agencies showing an identity card.
- Youth Card
The Youth card is a personal card designed for all the young
people, not only students, with less than 26 years. It gives
right to price reductions on the transports, lodgings,
tourist services, museums, restaurants, etc for a total
of beyond 100.000 agreed points in Italy and in Europe,
listed in the appropriate guide. It is available at the
CTS offices and at the Youth Centres.
The card holders have a price reduction that varies from
20% to 40% on the Railways of North Milan.
For having further information on this type of card, consult
the web site http://www.cartagiovani.it.
Discounts for disabled people
- Blue Card
It is a nominative card valid 5 years just on the
Italian net and costs 5 euro.
It is issued to physically and/or psychically disabled people,
with a recognized permanent aid companion, on presentation
of a sanitary certificate.
It gives right to buy a single ticket at ordinary rate valid
for two people (the invalid person and the companion) and
other welcome and assistance services arranged in the railway
stations and on the trains. Such card can be requested by
disabled people who hold an accompanying allowance at Disabled
Assistance Centres, available in the main railway stations,
in the Ticket offices and in the Travel
Agencies.
Reductions and discounts
for foreign people
There are also reductions in particular for
foreign people living abroad who travel in Italy:
- Trenitalia
Pass
for people living abroad. It allows to travel, in first
and in second class, on all of the Trenitalia trains and
on the FS ferries in service between Villa S. Giovanni and
Messina for 4 or 10 days in two months. To use the trains
eurostar it is necessary to pay a difference of price. It
can be bought abroad in authorized agencies and in Italy
in the main railway stations. Besides the basic offer it
can be bought also in the version Saver, for small groups
from 2 to 5 persons that travel together, and Youth, of
just 2a class, for the young people that are not still 26
years of age the first day of validity of the pass.
- Eurail
it is an offer for those who live in a country outside Europe
(with the exclusion of Turkey, Russian Federation, Morocco,
Tunisia and Algeria). Two are the possibilities: Eurailpass
and Eurailticket.
- Eurailpass and the Eurailpass Flexi allow to move
freely on the trains of the railroad national companies
of transportation of 18 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finlandia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg,
Norway, Holland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary).
The Eurail Selectpass allow the free movement at
a limited extent to 3, 4 or 5 countries between those that
belong to the Community Eurail (Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg
are considered as an unique country, the Benelux). - The
Eurail divide themselves still in Basic (for adults-just
in 1a class), Youth (young until 26 years-just in 2a class)
and Saver (reserved to small groups).
- Eurailticket: ticket from town to town to valid
in 22 European Countries and for 2 months, for those who
travel alone or in group.
- Greece
'n Italy Pass
the Pass is an offer for those who do not live in Italy
or in Greece and allows the free traffic on all of the trains
of Trenitalia and all of the trains of the Greek Railroads
(CH) that move about on the Italian and Greek railroad nets
and Greek in addition to a return travel on some navigation
companies. The validity is of 4-10 days (also not consecutive),
in about 2 months. The pass can be: Basic (for adults -
children from 4 to 12 years are eligible to a discount of
50%), Youth (young until 26 years - just in 2^ class) and
Saver (small groups from 2 to 5 persons). They are sold
only in agencies outside Europe.
International tickets
Reductions for those who are less than
26 years
- Inter-Rail ticket
http://www.interrailnet.com
- http://www.inter-rail.it
Ticket that permits to travel freely in the 2nd class on
the railway nets (and other transport companies such as
some navigation companies) of the countries adherent to
the convention chosen by the traveller, with the exclusion
of the internal routes of the residence country. Supplements
and reservations must be paid separately.
Studied for young people of whichever nationalities under
26 years.
The railway nets and the other transport companies participants
are divided into 8 geographic zones: the G Zone comprises
Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Turkey, (comprised the marine services
of the navigation company ADN/HML between Brindisi and Patrasso).
The ticket validity and price vary according to the number
of zones you wish to buy.
For the route from the departure railway station to the
frontier of the chosen zone and on the transit routes between
the frontier of a zone and the frontier of an other zone,
if not adjacent, the ticket is free if you buy a card including
the G zone, otherwise you have right to a 50% price reduction
on the ticket.
- Inter-Rail for boys and girls
For boys and girls aged between 4 and 12 years. There is
a 50% reduction on the cost of the ticket necessary to arrive
closer up to the limit of the chosen zone and return.
Express Supplements and reservations will have to be paid
by the traveller.
The Inter Rail ticket can be bought until two months before
the starting date of validity, showing the Identity card
or the Passport.
- Rail Plus
Card valid 1 year for the purchase of international tickets
at a reduced price for guys up to 26 years. A reduction
of 25% is expected on the price of the international tickets
and on the price of the domestic tickets of the main European
railroads. It can be bought in the ticket offices of the
railway stations and in the authorised travel agencies.
Reductions without age limit
- Ticket Inter-Rail + 26
The ticket permits to travel freely in the 2nd class on
the railway nets (and other transport companies such as
some navigation companies) of the countries adherent to
the convention chosen by the traveller, except for the internal
routes of the residence country.
It is valid for those who are already 26 years on starting
the travel.
The railway nets and the other transport companies participants
are divided into geographic zones: the G Zone comprises
Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Turkey, (comprised the marine services
of the navigation company ADN/HML between Brindisi and Patrasso).
The ticket validity and price vary according to the number
of zones you wish to buy: from a minimum of 266 euro for
1 zone for 12 days validity.
- Rail Plus
Card valid 1 year for the purchase of international tickets
at a reduced price. A reduction of 25% is expected on the
price of the international tickets and on the price of the
domestic tickets of the main European railroads. It can
be bought in the ticket offices of the railway stations
and in the authorised travel agencies.
Tourist Tours by train
The "F.T.I. - Ferrovie Turistiche
Italiane" (Italian Tourist Railways Stations) is an association
of voluntary service born from the previous experience of
the "FBS - Ferrovia
del Basso Sebino" (Railways of Basso Sebino) that manages
the tourist service for travellers, on the railway line Palazzolo
on the Oglio-Paratico Sarnico, situated in Lombardy on the
border between the Province of Bergamo and Brescia, along
the Oglio river, as far as reaching on the southern shore
of Iseo Lake.
It is a Sunday service, called "TrenoBlu"
("Blue Train"), where together with the travel by
trains is available also the one by ships on duty on the Lake
of Iseo.
Tourist services of this kind are organized also by:
- "FVO - Ferrovia
Val d'Orcia" (Railway of Val d'Orcia") through the
"Train Nature" (in this way the tourist trains
and the entire initiative are called) on duty, with old '50
years "Diesel rail-cars", in spring and autumn on
the Siena line;
- and recently always in Tuscany is the "FCP Ferrovia
Colle Val d'Elsa - Poggibonsi ("Railway Colle Val d'Elsa
- Poggibonsi), with the initial aim to make the most of the
historical-technical particularities of this short Tuscany
railway where nineteenth-century tracks and a curve with just
100 m of radius, the tightest of all FS net, still exist.
With the (Green small Sardinia train) "Trenino verde della Sardegna"
it is possible to go to the discovery of the Sardinia mountain,
to go through landscapes, hardly reacheable in other way,
on board of a deliciously slow means of transport.
The passenger can see little known glimpse of landscape where
no trace of man work is found: it seems that the railway is
part of this landscape and that the railway stations, the
roadman's houses , the galleries and the bridges are there
since ever, inserted in perfect harmony between forests and
mountains.
You can travel on the CALENDAR TRAINS or on the TRAINS
ON RENTAL.
- CALENDAR TRAINS:in determined periods of the year
and according to a fixed calendar, it is possible to travel
on this type of trains, simply buying the ticket in the
departure railway station, in the agreed agencies ("Green
Small Train Point") or directly on the train.
- TRAINS ON RENTAL: : it is the type of travel preferred
by groups, associations and agencies that rent the train
and personalize the travel (route, timetables, pauses);
you can chose the composition of the convoy (railcar, diesel
electric locomotive with one or more carriages).
The most demanding people can also rent the epoch convoy:
vapour-locomotive and wooden carriages , for a travel like
in 19° century.
The price depends on the requested travel (duration, route
and composition): it is obviously higher for a long travel
and if historical material is used (vapour locomotive and
epoch carriages).
You can have further information contacting:
- Business and Marketing FdS Service: http://www.treninoverde.com
c/o Railway Museum d - via Pompeo - Monserrato (CA) - tel/fax:
+39070/580246 - Toll Number 800/460220
E-mail: treninov@tin.it
or directly to the offices of the Business Managing of:
Cagliari - tel. +39070/57930346 fax: +39070/581765
Macomer - tel. +390785/70001 fax: +390785/72358
Sassari - tel. +39079/2401301 fax: +39079/250755
For tourist trains it is possible
to have information through the web site of the Italian Railways
: http://www.trenitalia.com/...
Useful References:
- Railtour Italia: http://www.railtouritalia.com
(also in English)
In the web site is published the calendar of all the special
trains - with vapour-locomotives and other historical railway
means - scheduled and carried out in Italy. Railtour Italia
promotes to the general public excursions with special trains.
- Circumvesuviana: http://www.vesuviana.it/nebula/
Information also on the timetables of the trains, the buses
and the cableway: http://web.tiscalinet.itfunicolare
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