Terrible experience with InterRail in Italy!

Rester
Traveller
0 comments

Posted 14 years ago

Hi! I would like to advise anyone planning to stay longer in Italy not to buy InterRail for this country.

It's not worth it because of high prices of reservations for Eurostar trains (which are most long distance trains). You'll pay 10 euro/train just for the reservation, every time you wish to travel arround.

If you buy it in the train they will rob you of 18 euros/person!

If, for example, you want to leave in the morning, visit a city during the day, and go to another one in the evening, that will cost 20 for the reservations/person + 10 euros in the station, for each luggage you want them to keep for the day.

I find these prices unacceptable. There are also IC or night trains, but they are more rare and will make at least twice the time of an Eurostar. You still have to pay for them 3/5 euros for a seat reservation.

The only trains without compulsory reservation are the Espresso (but only if you don't travel in the night!), and Regionals (RV or R), both are very rare for longer distances, not to mention very slow.

If you add the numbers, you might find you spent more on InterRail ticket + reservations, than you would have if you bought normal tickets from the ticket office.


Also in the last years almost every objective is more expensive than before. They will try to charge you even for stuff you don't want to visit. For instance I went to see the Roman Forum and asked at the ticket office, after 10 mins in line:

- Hello. I'd like a ticket just for the Roman Forum .
- No! (very rude)
- No?
- No! We sell tickets for Colosseum - Roman Forum - Palatine. It costs 12 euros!
- 12 euros!? I have to leave soon, I don't have time for all, I just want to visit the Roman Forum!
- No! The only ticket cost 12 euros, no reduction for students!

So, if you have a lot of money to spend, go to Italy with InterRail, if not better visit some other country where services are better and cheaper!