TRAINS 

The Trenitalia site is good and can be viewed in English, www.trenitalia.it.

There is a lot to know about taking trains in Italy. It can be baffling. You really have to put aside what you are accustomed to in North America. Much info follows but it's worthwhile to read. Best to print and bring with you.

TICKETS:  At major train stations you will usually find a staffed ticket counter (biglietteria) in addition to machines that will "talk" to you in English.  These are easy to use.  If you need human assistance, most agents speak English (in major cities and tourist areas).  Always double check your ticket before you walk away from the biglietteria.  You can buy tickets onboard but there is a huge surcharge (like 25 euro).

NOTE:  An Italian train ticket gives you the right to board a train of a particular class between two points. It is NOT a guarantee of a seat nor is it designated for a particular train on a particular day (unless there is a mandatory reservation). This also means that a schedule will NOT come with your ticket. If you buy your ticket from a machine, you must write down the schedule. If you buy it from an agent, you must ask for a schedule ("orario").

VALIDATE (STAMP) YOUR TICKET!!  There are little yellow machines for this on the walls in the station.  One end of the ticket usually has a triangle and the word "CONVALIDA" written on it.  Stick this end of the ticket into the machine and wait til you hear it stamp... if it is working. As with many things in Italy, sometimes you have to fiddle with it a bit. "Fuori servizio" means "out of service".

BROKEN MACHINES: If you are in a small train station and there's only one machine and it's broken, just look for the capo (the person who goes around checking tickets) when you get on board and tell them the machine was broken.  They will hand-validate your ticket.  (Even if they don't speak English, they'll know what you mean, standing there distraught as you hold out your ticket and point at the station.)

WHY THE VALIDATION? Train tickets in Italy are good for several months; validating them activates them. Tickets are not collected as you board and sometimes the capo never comes around; validating prevents them from being used more than once.  But the main reason: There is a heavy fine for unvalidated tickets and you have to pay it in cash right then and there on the train.  Sometimes the capo will take pity on you as a tourist, sometimes not.

KINDS OF TRAINS: The Eurostar are modern and fast and go to major cities all over Europe.  They are also the most expensive.  The Intercity trains are usually pretty modern and make stops in the major and secondary cities.  They are typically the best blend of cost and efficiency.  The ES and IC trains are good to take between major points.  If you have to get to a small place, catch a Regionale train as the last leg of your trip, otherwise it will take forever, as they stop at every town.  The Regionale trains are cheap and the older ones are usually pretty grungy.  (Still, keep your feet off the seats; the Trenitalia staff will not hesitate to scold you in any language.)  

RESERVING A SEAT: On popular routes on the ES and IC trains, it's recommended and often required to reserve a seat ("posto").  Second class is fine. (Seats cannot be reserved on Regional trains and there is no first class even though you can buy a ticket for it.) 

NOTE:  An Italian train ticket gives you the right to board a train; it is NOT a guarantee of a seat.  If you have not reserved a seat, you may find yourself battling a throng of stampeding Italians or standing the whole trip. The other advantage of reserving a posto is that if someone's in it, you don't have to worry about the language barrier, you just show them your seat reservation.

If you reserve a seat, you will get a separate ticket for that particular train on that particular day.  "Carozza" is the car and these numbers are usually displayed in the window of the train doors; "Posto" is the seat number; these are usually right above the seats, sometimes listed on the outside of first class compartments.

TRAIN TIMETABLES: If you can, use the Trenitalia website to check schedules.  (You can also buy tickets online.) Make note of the train number and exact time of departure; these two things are key to finding your train once at the station.  

At the station, the timetable ("orario") can be enormous but there is a method to the madness. There are two kinds: "In Partenza" (departures) and "In Arrivo" (arrivals). Trains are listed in order by time using the 24-hour clock. Trains are usually named for their final destination city and will be listed on all the giant electronic boards (or monitors) by this name, as well as their ID number.  

FINDING YOUR TRAIN: Once you've identified your train on the board/monitor, you will find the platform number in the "Bin" ("binario") column and info on how late the train is in the "Rit" ("ritardo") column.  Be aware of last minute platform changes, which are not always announced in English.  If you're on the platform and suddenly all the Italians start to leave, follow them. Note: your train ticket will have your final destination printed on it but this is not necessarily the name of the train!  For example, if you are going from Rome to Livorno, the train might be called "Genova" because that's where it ends.  By knowing the departure time you can find the train name and number on the timetable.  If you have reserved a seat, the train number will be printed on that ticket.  To find out the time of your arrival, look at the detailed list of stops under your train on the timetable.

TO CONNECT OR NOT TO CONNECT: In Italy, a connection is called a "coincidenza".   Need we say more?  Always take a direct train if you can find one, even if it costs more.  If you have to connect, go through a major centre.  That way, if your train runs late, you have more choices to get back on track (so to speak). 

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