The Common Ticket Mistake Tourists In Italy Should Avoid When Taking The Train

It's no secret that traveling by train is a top-tier tourist hack for vacations in Italy. Taking advantage of Italy's rail system by hopping on Trenitalia trains can be the most convenient way to get around the country, and a Eurorail pass can be a great way to save money while visiting Italy. However, much to the frustration of many unfortunate travelers, a simple mistake with your train ticket could end up getting you charged a significant fine. Unfortunately, you can't just buy your ticket, hop on the train, and hand it to the conductor. In Italy, many tickets and passes both have to be validated before boarding, which is a step tourists often miss.

If you paid for a ticket with a reserved seat on a high-speed train, you're ready to go and you don't have to worry about validating. Although, that's not the case for other tickets. If you get on the train with an unvalidated ticket, some conductors may be able to validate it onboard for a fee, but that's not a guarantee. In cases where the conductor is unable or unwilling to validate it for you, you can end up having to pay a fine, which can cost between 100-500 euros. 

If you paid for a rail pass, but it is not validated when you get on the train, the conductor is allowed to take it from you, and you won't get a refund. To avoid this irritating expense, it's vital that you ask whether any pass or ticket you purchase in Italy needs to be validated, and if it does, know how to do it.

It's easy to make this mistake if you don't know that some train tickets need to be validated, but once you know, it isn't hard to do. If you buy an E-ticket through the Italian railway app Trenitalia, you can simply validate your ticket by pressing the check in button. Then, you'll see the word validated appear, and you'll know you are ready to board the train. If you have a paper ticket or rail pass, however, you'll need to head to the right place at the train station.

There are a few essential words and phrases you should know before visiting Italy, and if you're planning to take the train, "Convalida il tuo biglietto" is one of them. This phrase, which means "validate your ticket," is written on the convenient yellow or green ticket validation machine on the platform or near the machine where you buy your ticket. All you need to do is put your paper ticket into the slot and it'll pop back out stamped and ready to use. 

If you have a rail pass, you and any travel companions covered by the pass will need to take it to a train station ticket office before you use it for the first time. There, they'll stamp your pass, and then you're good to go for the rest of your trip.