trenitalia tickets

[linda emerson]

I am trying to buy train tickets on the Trenitalia website and my credit cards are denied. Am I missing something or do they not accept US cards? Has anyone bought tickets through this website? Thanks

[GSPLover]

I am trying to buy train tickets on the Trenitalia website and my credit cards are denied. Am I missing something or do they not accept US cards? Has anyone bought tickets through this website? Thanks

What are you trying to buy tickets for? In most cases it is totally unnecessary to purchase tickets ahead of time. Tickets for regionale trains cannot be purchased in advance. On the subject of ticket purchase, I think that the Trenitalia site is limited to within Italy only.

[linda emerson]

I'm trying to buy overnight tickets from Rome to Paris and it says I can purchase, but when I submit my credit card it is denied. The prices on Trenitalia are better than Rail Europe.

[hylasgirl]

Your best bet for help is with the Trip Advisor board. Have you used that? It is much better with questions like these. You don't get answers like "why are you trying to buy tickets?" I do believe they don't accept american credit cards, but I am not an expert. Try the forum of the city you want to leave from. There will be a wealth of information there for you.

 

Good luck!:)

[clayton]

I'm trying to buy overnight tickets from Rome to Paris and it says I can purchase, but when I submit my credit card it is denied. The prices on Trenitalia are better than Rail Europe.

 

Post this question on slowtrav.com You will get the right answer fast. FYI, I just saw on Trenitalia site, Italian credit cards only, but check the site I noted for the best answer.

[linda emerson]

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions.

[Notenut]

The trenitalia website doesn't like foreign credit cards. They won't go through. Italians have trouble using CC's as well. You pretty much have to wait to you get there or buy them through a service which charges an extra fee.

[kkpcruiser]

I am trying to buy train tickets on the Trenitalia website and my credit cards are denied. Am I missing something or do they not accept US cards? Has anyone bought tickets through this website? Thanks

Linda

I had this same problem trying to book tickets when we traveled to Sorrento in July. I was trying to book Naples to Rome on Trenitalia and also had my card denied. Someone on the tripadvisor board suggested i use a travel agent in Sorrento to book. I wasn't too happy with this suggestion since i wanted to have all tickets purchased before we left the US and wanted a specific travel time.

 

So off to Sorrento we went and on Day 2, Ibegan looking for a "travel agent". This is not the same as a ticket or tour agent and after a few bad leads, I was directed to a travel agent, stopped on my way to catch a ferry to capri, sat down and in less than 3 minutes, had 2 tickets in the exact class and time that i wanted in hand costing me 3EU more for the service. A piece of cake.

 

If you don;t have luck before you leave, i am sure it will be easy to find a travel agent in Rome and will e able to purchase the tickets you need.

 

Have a great trip!

karen

[StevenW]

Hi Linda

 

I travelled by train within Italy in Nov2006, and I pre-booked eurostar tickets (for travel within Italy) via the Trenitalia website before I left. (Perhaps international eurostar ticket bookings might be different...)

 

In my experience the most common cause for credit cards being rejected on-line is that people forget to tell their credit card provider in advance that they are going to be using the card overseas, OR they forget to say that we'll be using it in advance of going there to pre-purchase items on the internet.

 

Most banks & other credit issuers have fraud preventions systems in place to block charges from overseas sources (eg Italy) unless the customer phones your provider in advance and instructs them to authorise any charges coming from Italy.

 

It should be that simple.

 

When I booked my trenitalia tickets (I hadn't called my bank), and whilst the first 1-2 train bookings were successful, the third & subsequent bookings failed, then I remembered that I hadn't told my bank; and that they were simply looking out for me (and themselves). Once I called them, I could continue making internet bookings via trenitalia's website & other Italian websites using my credit card.

 

I hope that's the answer for your problem.

 

Good Luck.

[kkpcruiser]

Hi Linda

 

I travelled by train within Italy in Nov2006, and I pre-booked eurostar tickets (for travel within Italy) via the Trenitalia website before I left. (Perhaps international eurostar ticket bookings might be different...)

 

In my experience the most common cause for credit cards being rejected on-line is that people forget to tell their credit card provider in advance that they are going to be using the card overseas, OR they forget to say that we'll be using it in advance of going there to pre-purchase items on the internet.

 

Most banks & other credit issuers have fraud preventions systems in place to block charges from overseas sources (eg Italy) unless the customer phones your provider in advance and instructs them to authorise any charges coming from Italy.

 

It should be that simple.

 

When I booked my trenitalia tickets (I hadn't called my bank), and whilst the first 1-2 train bookings were successful, the third & subsequent bookings failed, then I remembered that I hadn't told my bank; and that they were simply looking out for me (and themselves). Once I called them, I could continue making internet bookings via trenitalia's website & other Italian websites using my credit card.

 

I hope that's the answer for your problem.

 

Good Luck.

 

Interestingly in 2006, I also booked a Trenitalia eurostar online using a US credit card but as stated above when i tried in 2008, my card was declined AND i had notified the bank of travel. We were visiting my daughter who was traveling aborad with a copy of the card i tried to use so the card had been flagged for use in Europe at the time i attempted to buy on the Trenitalia website so i am not sure that was the problem.

 

Then again so many things in Italy can be "iffy" at times that maybe that would explain it.

 

On the topic of credit card notification, I notified 2 companies that we would be using their card abroad( in case one randomly had an issue) and i returned home to 3 calls from the bank fraud division asking for verification of the last 5 charges for myself, my husband and my daughter. At the end of the verification process, it stated if i could not verify the card would be deactivated. ALL users had been tagged for use in Europe. I thought this was great that they were on top of things yet i wondered what would have happened, if i returned the call on my daughters charges and couldn't trace her steps ( we had little communication while she was away all summer and i just happened to know her actions because we had just come from visiting her!) I am sure it is just a "double check" but it could have been pretty inconvenient if I returned the verification call but couldn't verify!:confused: