The best way to show you how this can be done is again to walk through an example, as the official T

On the heels of  TravelWhimsy cruise review tahiti windstar s recent post on  our delayed honeymoon to Italy , this is part 2 of a  4-part series  to answer some of our readers questions on the nitty-gritty of how the trip was booked to maximize savings.
cruise review tahiti windstar Given how our flights and hotels were booked, our high-speed train rides within Italy were a little unconventional, too. However, with some online research and a bit of luck, we were able to buy train tickets directly on the Trenitalia  (Train Italy) website (against conventional wisdom at the time that recommended buying tickets in Italy or an online agent) for about $300 (vs. $1,500 regular rates, or $1,100 railpass rates).
The best way to show you how this can be done is again to walk through an example, as the official Trenitalia website cruise review tahiti windstar is a bit quirky and different from what we are used to in the US. On the main page, make sure you choose English.
I have circled three areas on the main English site, all of which advertise the special MINI fares as low as 9 euros . In comparison, cruise review tahiti windstar our tickets last year cost anywhere between 17 and 49 euros during the off-peak season. These new fares, if available, are very attractive.
So, we don t mind traveling on May 5, 2012 (about 30 days from now). Let s see what options we have. Unfortunately, the fare is only valid for one train for that day, leaving Rome at 17:46 (5:46pm) and getting us into Florence at 19:21 (7:21pm).
Once we hit Continue, you will have 15 minutes to complete your purchase. Otherwise, the seats will be released back into inventory, but may NOT come back into the 9-euro fare bucket. You will need to enter your name and e-mail address, so the train tickets can be delivered to you electronically.
Once you confirm, you will be taken to the following credit card payment cruise review tahiti windstar page. Enter your credit card information (I used the Chase Hyatt Card with no foreign transaction fees ) to complete your purchase.
For your next trip to Italy, if you can be flexible with your schedule and don t mind booking your train tickets in advance, consider cruise review tahiti windstar booking one of these amazing MINI fares. The official Trenitalia site is actually not that bad to work with (much improved cruise review tahiti windstar since December 2010)! Even if the low MINI offers are not available, you can usually get a decent cruise review tahiti windstar discount (30-60% off) if you book 60 days in advance, or travel with a family of 3 or more. Keep in mind that if you buy an Italy railpass, you will need to pay an additional  10-euro-per-person-per-ride reservation fee .
grrr!  I just today found your blog. (from Millionmilesecrets) I booked train tickets within cruise review tahiti windstar Italy about a month ago, and I think I must have used the middleman carrier:  Italiarail.com versus using the trenitalia.com website.  It may have cost me more (x four tickets, rome to florence and then florence to venice) but at this point, I won t check to see, since it would be difficult to refund and reticket and we leave tomorrow! I look forward to reading your blog.
Jerry, promotions come and go the best is to keep checking the official Trenitalia site. As for validating tickets, cruise review tahiti windstar if you purchase electronic tickets online, you will be sent pdf files, which do not need to be validated at the machines/train stations. Validating tickets is only required if you have a railpass cruise review tahiti windstar reservation or a ticket purchased cruise review tahiti windstar locally. Hope this helps.