Train in Livorno

If I would book a train to Livorno to Florence ahead to time. Do I have to take the exact time I book.

There are only regional trains between Livorno and Florence; they can only be booked on line one week in advance. Yes, you need to specify a specific train and if you miss it, your ticket is virtually useless.

We would add that there is really no reason to book these trains in advance. There are no reserved seats and its simply first come first serve. And we have never known Trenitalia to limit the tickets on a specific train. So you simply show-up at the station, buy a ticket, validate the ticket in the validations machine, and hop on the next train.

Hank

We would add that there is really no reason to book these trains in advance.

 

Hank

Hi Hank,

The OP may have been advised to book ahead to avoid a line at the station ticket office.

No line when we went. :)

How about you?

Or anyone else?

JB :)

Thanks for all the help

JB,

I can't recall the post where advance purchase was recommended, but I believe they were referring to buying the Regionale tickets at another Italian train station if visited prior to Livorno. No set times, just validate upon use.

Happy Travels!

(PS: I have witnessed long lines at Livorno)

I too have witnessed long lines at Livorno, so much that most people missed the first train.

It's a good idea to purchase the ticket at another train station if you have a prior stop in Italy, they can be purchased from any Trenitalia machine.

JB,

 

I can't recall the post where advance purchase was recommended, but I believe they were referring to buying the Regionale tickets at another Italian train station if visited prior to Livorno. No set times, just validate upon use.

 

Happy Travels!

 

(PS: I have witnessed long lines at Livorno)

Yes, that certainly makes sense.

Off-topic, Hank, but I'm heading your way in the next week or so on a month-long road trip.

But don't stand by the roadside ready to wave to us - the furthest north we go is Gettysburg. ;)

Happy travels indeed. :)

JB :)

Yes, that certainly makes sense.

 

Off-topic, Hank, but I'm heading your way in the next week or so on a month-long road trip.

But don't stand by the roadside ready to wave to us - the furthest north we go is Gettysburg. ;)

 

Happy travels indeed. :)

 

JB :)

JB, If you are going to be in Gettysburg and have some free time, Kathy and I could drive down and meet you (if you are interested). I think we could even find a bar that has Guinness :). Seriously , if you want we can meet you almost anytime day or evening (we are about 45 min from Gettysburg). Not sure I can get away with posting my e-mail here so just post here if you are interested and we will find a better way to communicate.

Hank

You could create a hotmail account just for this conversation then kill it as soon as you've made contact.

Or, if you post on Trip Advisor you could share your TA name and use the private message on that site.

You could create a hotmail account just for this conversation then kill it as soon as you've made contact.

 

Or, if you post on Trip Advisor you could share your TA name and use the private message on that site.

Euro, since you are almost like an old friend I should confess that JB and I have met and he is truly a charming host. After I posted that prior post I managed to find his ole e-mail address.

Hank

JB, If you are going to be in Gettysburg and have some free time, Kathy and I could drive down and meet you (if you are interested). I think we could even find a bar that has Guinness :). Seriously , if you want we can meet you almost anytime day or evening (we are about 45 min from Gettysburg). Not sure I can get away with posting my e-mail here so just post here if you are interested and we will find a better way to communicate.

 

Hank

Hi Hank,

Yep, sounds good.

Apart from the Guinness bit ;)

E-mail on its way

JB :)

I didn't line up for my ticket, I just walked up to the ticket machine and bought it. Couldn't have been much easier.

I didn't line up for my ticket, I just walked up to the ticket machine and bought it. Couldn't have been much easier.

Those ticket vending machines are a good way to go as long as they do not have a long queue. Most work with either cash (Euros) or a credit card. But most in the USA do not have the appropriate Chip/PIN type credit card so fellow Americans should always have some Euros.

Hank

Those ticket vending machines are a good way to go as long as they do not have a long queue. Most work with either cash (Euros) or a credit card. But most in the USA do not have the appropriate Chip/PIN type credit card so fellow Americans should always have some Euros.

 

Hank

Surely travellers to Europe would have both some Euros on hand, and a modern credit card (here in Canada -like Europe- is all chip and pin these days).

Surely travellers to Europe would have both some Euros on hand, and a modern credit card (here in Canada -like Europe- is all chip and pin these days).

Chip and pin cards are still not widely available in the US. For some reason, most banks have chosen to go with the chip and signature rather than chip and pin card. I've heard these will work in ticket machines too but am waiting (with my new card) to see if that is the case.

Surely travellers to Europe would have both some Euros on hand, and a modern credit card (here in Canada -like Europe- is all chip and pin these days).

You think? Actually, our beloved USA is often behind the curve with technology. For example, we were about the last Western Country to get real HD Television. Our cell phone systems also lagged far behind most of Western Europe and Asia. And now, our credit card technology is still entrenched in the 1980s with no prospect of much improvement. The standard in the USA is still the magnetic strip cards, but MC, Visa, and Amex are now moving towards Chip/Signature technology. Only a small percentage of Visa/MC issuers are going to Chip/PIN. And Chip/Signature is not very helpful in European vending machines (such as ticket machines in train stations) where one must have a PIN. And if you dare ask the question "why" the US banks will quietly admit that the credit card issuers just do not want to spend the money to convert our system to a true Chip/PIN system like you have in Canada (and is fully implemented across Europe).

In a related tale, a few months ago AMEX replaced my card with their "newer" chip/signature card. I called them and asked for a real Chip/PIN card like they currently issue in Canada. They explained that they will only give Chip/PIN cards to those who have a Canadian address. Go figure.

Hank

I'll throw out another option for buying that train ticket, but it'll only work if you have wifi or cellular access in port: get the Trenitalia "Treno Pronto" app. You can buy your ticket right on there. I used it to get my tickets from FCO to Roma Termini and back. I just brought it up here at home and it showed the options for trains between Livorno and Firenze S.M. Novella. You use you CC on that one, so if you didn't think to bring EUs to buy those tickets, try it. Your "ticket" is a virtual one on your smartphone/tablet.

As for that AMEX Chip & Pin card: I chickened out and didn't try it in a machine, as I wasn't comfortable with having it fail and keep the card (off chance). I just used cash. But, I only had this "issue" with I bought Metro tickets. I didn't have any issues in any restaurant/store that took plastic (they always brought me a receipt).

Those ticket vending machines are a good way to go as long as they do not have a long queue. Most work with either cash (Euros) or a credit card. But most in the USA do not have the appropriate Chip/PIN type credit card so fellow Americans should always have some Euros.

 

Hank

How many euros will I need?

How many euros will I need?

It could be that my experience was an anomaly so I don't want to assume that it's always this way. I arrived at Livorno Centrale on the public bus with about 50 other cruise passengers, apparently just behind another bus and just before yet another. This was in July, so the height of the season, and perhaps it was just a "perfect storm" situation. It was a zoo in there, and folks had a hard time figuring out the ticket machines so the lines were long for both the booth and the machines.

Based on that experience, if I were to go again during the season I would (1) take a taxi to the station so I wasn't arriving as part of a herd and (2) buy my ticket the day before at whatever stop I happen to be at in Italy (assumes, of course, that there is a prior stop in Italy but I've yet to be on a cruise were Livorno was my first stop in the country).

It is so much easier in Civitavecchia where you can quickly grab the BIRG ticket from the newsstand and be on your way.

That depends on where you're going. If you mean Livorno to Florence the fare is Euro 9,20 each way.

 

It could be that my experience was an anomaly so I don't want to assume that it's always this way. I arrived at Livorno Centrale on the public bus with about 50 other cruise passengers, apparently just behind another bus and just before yet another. This was in July, so the height of the season, and perhaps it was just a "perfect storm" situation. It was a zoo in there, and folks had a hard time figuring out the ticket machines so the lines were long for both the booth and the machines.

 

Based on that experience, if I were to go again during the season I would (1) take a taxi to the station so I wasn't arriving as part of a herd and (2) buy my ticket the day before at whatever stop I happen to be at in Italy (assumes, of course, that there is a prior stop in Italy but I've yet to be on a cruise were Livorno was my first stop in the country).

 

It is so much easier in Civitavecchia where you can quickly grab the BIRG ticket from the newsstand and be on your way.

The cruise I am leaning toward ATM is May 12-24 - right before peak season, I guess. Hopefully the lines will not be so long when kids are in school.

What is a BIRG ticket?

The BIRG is a regional ticket only available in Lazio (Civitavecchia & Rome); for €12 this ticket covers regional train fare as well as all public transit (buses, metro, trams) in Rome for the entire day.

I too have witnessed long lines at Livorno, so much that most people missed the first train.

 

It's a good idea to purchase the ticket at another train station if you have a prior stop in Italy, they can be purchased from any Trenitalia machine.

We will be in Rome for 4 days prior to our cruise. If I understand well, we can buy our tickets (Livorno to Lucca) while in Rome ? We arrive in Livorno at 8:00 and the train for Lucca is at 8:52 ... we don't want to miss this train, because the next one (9:30) is double the price...

We are also planning on stopping in Pisa on the way back. I know we have to change train in Pisa, and we can go out and take a train later. Is there a time limit for the ticket to be valid ?

Thank you.