I know it's been like ... FOREVER, guys, but my friend did ask me travel tips for Italy. So finally I decided to publish this sucker as I wrote last year, but was too lazy to upload it. I'm awful, I know. I'll do better. I promise.
Here we go: There are some tips and tricks to travel alone, especially without a phone. These are some of my lessons learned about Italy:
There are some tips and tricks to travel alone, especially without a phone. These are some of my lessons learned about Italy:
1. Italiarail.com
This website is your place to go for Treni Italy, but it is in English! You can search train days, even weeks in advance and find out the prices too. You can buy tickets and find multiple discount rates listed in USD. You can also just search train schedules and trains are the cheapest and go to buy tickets at the train station. If is sufficiently close to the departure date, you can also retrieve the train number and hand it to the travel agent. When you book online, be sure to print your confirmation and give that to the agent ... With confirmation of a circle and highlighted as they can be a little dense sometimes. It is in English after all ....
2. Using kiosks at train stations.
I was under the impression that unless you have a credit card with a chip and pin that you could not really use the kiosks. FALSE! Recovering a ticket purchased can be hard on newsstands without chip and pin but you can buy train tickets in cash.
In fact, the kiosks are similar to the line interface. The machines use a touch screen interface, so you can automatically change the language to English pushing the British flag.
You can search for trains to their destination as soon as possible from the output by simply entering your destination. Automatically get up the next train, and list output arrival times and then a list of costs in a grid format. If you are looking for tickets for a different day, look in the upper right corner and select "Change date and time" and then pull up a calendar to choose the date.
When ready to pay, you can insert cash and coins. Changing machine dispenses cash and coins, which I think is pretty nifty.
Your ticket will not have a train number on it or on its behalf, it will say something like valid from the date of purchase to two months from that date. So essentially you just buy a pass that can be used to target your convenience B. A destination for
2. Validating trains ticket
There are cash machines in yellow all train stations in Italy alone and that is where you validate your ticket. You must validate your ticket to board, or remain on board his train. All you have to do is put the ticket in the slot machine and the ticket stamped with date and time. The driver will look for this in your ticket. Sometimes you have to swipe your ticket on. Right or left to activate the machine and sometimes you have to look for one that is working But finding however, because it is all kicks and giggles until they throw off his train to not validate ... Just saying.
3. He bought tickets to the wrong destination
So when my friend and I split in Alba, Italy, was not sure where he was going to go next. I was thinking of going with him to Milan, but not completely sold on the idea. I was also waiting for a response from this sustainable BnB know if I could come and observe its operation. I had not received a response from them, so I had to decide where it comes from. Finally I decided to continue my trip to Pisa. Now I went to the train station relatively early in the morning because I knew there was a bus back to Asti in 0845 as. But my idiot I told the travel agent who wanted a ticket to Milan! Not only did I ask for a ticket to the wrong place, I validated the ticket too (not going to get caught without a valid ticket ..)! So the travel agent told me there was a bus at one time, but as the dream fades from my mind I realized that my bus is prior to the time I mentioned ... In fact I was pretty sure I saw my bus ride away!
I returned to the train station, explained (threw hand gestures, sad face and a good samaritan speaks English) I bought the wrong ticket and needed a ticket to Pisa instead. So I bought the right ticket and handed the ticket Milan for a refund, but because it was validated that I could not get the money! Doh!
Lesson: do not validate a ticket unless you are sure you have the correct destination on the ticket.
3. Avoid Romani
Romani, or Gypsies, tend to float around the train stations because there are many foreigners Bleeding Heart totally unprepared roll through the running game. They crowd around the ticket kiosks under the guise of helping you navigate the confusing kiosk systems, see that you get your cash or credit card and then ask for money. Occasionally, they may try to grab some of that in your pocket. Toddlers can also swarm unsuspecting travelers and deepen their pockets and run even before knowing the hell is going on (think "The Mummy" and beetles ...).
Here's what you do:
If you see a lot of people milling about ticket machines, find another machine. If you are sure there are more, which is a situation I've been in, walk confidently to the machine and tell the person that you do not need your help. If you push, push back and get stern, a simple "I'm fine." Said authoritatively them away. However, your best bet is to find another team. In large networks, you can be sure there are more, but you just have to look for them.
4. Public transport
So there are some cities that's a great idea to buy cards subway or bus tickets and others where there is no mechanism to check if everything is useless. For example, on buses in Naples and Rome, which is supposed to validate the ticket, but no one does and when the bus is full of people that the police are not searching all. From Piazza Garibaldi in Naples you can probably get away with not buying a ticket, but sometimes the authorities monitor the station entrance and check tickets. I am of the "better safe than sorry" route.
5. Purchase tickets for public transport:
is rare that you will be able to buy a metro card / bus ticket (in most places that double as both) at the train station or bus stop. You have to go to a Tabacchi most likely be created next to the station. Apparently not make much money by selling fare cards, so if you are going to be in one place for a long time, be sure to buy other things from there to facilitate goodwill.
6. Seats on trains
So sometimes you go to buy a train ticket that has reserved seats. Be sure to talk with the outer conductors of the train to make sure you find the right car and seat number. Sometimes, the tickets can be hard to read. If you end up in the wrong seat usually no big deal, just a hassle to move all your shit on a train moving through narrow aisles. So it is best to seek help from the guys / gals with dark blue jackets with red piping along the trim.
You will also find random people trying to help you get your luggage on the train or in the overhead compartment. Do your best to not let me help. Thieves may be trying to reach into their pockets as you are lifting your shit up or may be expecting some kind of payment for help. Watch your back.
Same goes for the train ride. If you are like me, you become a narcoleptic in moving vehicles, but not to sleep with you shit everywhere. Loop your hands through your bags as three times and put it on the opposite side of the aisle. And do your best to sleep with one eye open. No, seriously, im serious, lol. There tends to be a lot of kids and random people walking through the cars along your journey so it's best to keep an eye on your stuff.
I hope these tips help someone on the road! Any questions? Do not hesitate to ask! Any advice more? Feel free to post in the comments section!
Here we go: There are some tips and tricks to travel alone, especially without a phone. These are some of my lessons learned about Italy:
There are some tips and tricks to travel alone, especially without a phone. These are some of my lessons learned about Italy:
1. Italiarail.com
This website is your place to go for Treni Italy, but it is in English! You can search train days, even weeks in advance and find out the prices too. You can buy tickets and find multiple discount rates listed in USD. You can also just search train schedules and trains are the cheapest and go to buy tickets at the train station. If is sufficiently close to the departure date, you can also retrieve the train number and hand it to the travel agent. When you book online, be sure to print your confirmation and give that to the agent ... With confirmation of a circle and highlighted as they can be a little dense sometimes. It is in English after all ....
2. Using kiosks at train stations.
I was under the impression that unless you have a credit card with a chip and pin that you could not really use the kiosks. FALSE! Recovering a ticket purchased can be hard on newsstands without chip and pin but you can buy train tickets in cash.
In fact, the kiosks are similar to the line interface. The machines use a touch screen interface, so you can automatically change the language to English pushing the British flag.
You can search for trains to their destination as soon as possible from the output by simply entering your destination. Automatically get up the next train, and list output arrival times and then a list of costs in a grid format. If you are looking for tickets for a different day, look in the upper right corner and select "Change date and time" and then pull up a calendar to choose the date.
When ready to pay, you can insert cash and coins. Changing machine dispenses cash and coins, which I think is pretty nifty.
Your ticket will not have a train number on it or on its behalf, it will say something like valid from the date of purchase to two months from that date. So essentially you just buy a pass that can be used to target your convenience B. A destination for
2. Validating trains ticket
There are cash machines in yellow all train stations in Italy alone and that is where you validate your ticket. You must validate your ticket to board, or remain on board his train. All you have to do is put the ticket in the slot machine and the ticket stamped with date and time. The driver will look for this in your ticket. Sometimes you have to swipe your ticket on. Right or left to activate the machine and sometimes you have to look for one that is working But finding however, because it is all kicks and giggles until they throw off his train to not validate ... Just saying.
3. He bought tickets to the wrong destination
So when my friend and I split in Alba, Italy, was not sure where he was going to go next. I was thinking of going with him to Milan, but not completely sold on the idea. I was also waiting for a response from this sustainable BnB know if I could come and observe its operation. I had not received a response from them, so I had to decide where it comes from. Finally I decided to continue my trip to Pisa. Now I went to the train station relatively early in the morning because I knew there was a bus back to Asti in 0845 as. But my idiot I told the travel agent who wanted a ticket to Milan! Not only did I ask for a ticket to the wrong place, I validated the ticket too (not going to get caught without a valid ticket ..)! So the travel agent told me there was a bus at one time, but as the dream fades from my mind I realized that my bus is prior to the time I mentioned ... In fact I was pretty sure I saw my bus ride away!
I returned to the train station, explained (threw hand gestures, sad face and a good samaritan speaks English) I bought the wrong ticket and needed a ticket to Pisa instead. So I bought the right ticket and handed the ticket Milan for a refund, but because it was validated that I could not get the money! Doh!
Lesson: do not validate a ticket unless you are sure you have the correct destination on the ticket.
3. Avoid Romani
Romani, or Gypsies, tend to float around the train stations because there are many foreigners Bleeding Heart totally unprepared roll through the running game. They crowd around the ticket kiosks under the guise of helping you navigate the confusing kiosk systems, see that you get your cash or credit card and then ask for money. Occasionally, they may try to grab some of that in your pocket. Toddlers can also swarm unsuspecting travelers and deepen their pockets and run even before knowing the hell is going on (think "The Mummy" and beetles ...).
Here's what you do:
If you see a lot of people milling about ticket machines, find another machine. If you are sure there are more, which is a situation I've been in, walk confidently to the machine and tell the person that you do not need your help. If you push, push back and get stern, a simple "I'm fine." Said authoritatively them away. However, your best bet is to find another team. In large networks, you can be sure there are more, but you just have to look for them.
4. Public transport
So there are some cities that's a great idea to buy cards subway or bus tickets and others where there is no mechanism to check if everything is useless. For example, on buses in Naples and Rome, which is supposed to validate the ticket, but no one does and when the bus is full of people that the police are not searching all. From Piazza Garibaldi in Naples you can probably get away with not buying a ticket, but sometimes the authorities monitor the station entrance and check tickets. I am of the "better safe than sorry" route.
5. Purchase tickets for public transport:
is rare that you will be able to buy a metro card / bus ticket (in most places that double as both) at the train station or bus stop. You have to go to a Tabacchi most likely be created next to the station. Apparently not make much money by selling fare cards, so if you are going to be in one place for a long time, be sure to buy other things from there to facilitate goodwill.
6. Seats on trains
So sometimes you go to buy a train ticket that has reserved seats. Be sure to talk with the outer conductors of the train to make sure you find the right car and seat number. Sometimes, the tickets can be hard to read. If you end up in the wrong seat usually no big deal, just a hassle to move all your shit on a train moving through narrow aisles. So it is best to seek help from the guys / gals with dark blue jackets with red piping along the trim.
You will also find random people trying to help you get your luggage on the train or in the overhead compartment. Do your best to not let me help. Thieves may be trying to reach into their pockets as you are lifting your shit up or may be expecting some kind of payment for help. Watch your back.
Same goes for the train ride. If you are like me, you become a narcoleptic in moving vehicles, but not to sleep with you shit everywhere. Loop your hands through your bags as three times and put it on the opposite side of the aisle. And do your best to sleep with one eye open. No, seriously, im serious, lol. There tends to be a lot of kids and random people walking through the cars along your journey so it's best to keep an eye on your stuff.
I hope these tips help someone on the road! Any questions? Do not hesitate to ask! Any advice more? Feel free to post in the comments section!
