Some notes for a better & more economical experience on Italian trains
- The further out you book, the cheaper the tickets are.
- You can book tickets ahead of time at http://www.trenitalia.com
- Note the train reservations with assigned seats printed on them and booked via the website cannot be exchanged or refunded, so choose your time and date wisely.
- A CartaFreccia (CF) card can save you exorbitant amounts on train tickets when you are booking online, in advance. The card costs nothing and gives you points for your tickets. You must be able to show the card with your ticket on the train, so you cannot buy tickets for other people with your card, they will be fined if they are caught. Ex: A train from Vicenza to Milan two weeks out with my CartaFreccia for the "fast & clean" train costs 14 Euros, the same ticket without the CF booked the morning of departure costs 50 Euros.
- Keep up with the local news to make sure that your trip is not suddenly cancelled due to a transportation strike.