Quick Interrail reservations in Italy

[nwales58]

Is there any way to book Interrail reservations for Italy quickly online?

Scenario: due to Germany you are not sure when you will get to Milan so have not booked onward reservations. Approaching, late, you know you will arrive about 10 minutes before a 2-hourly Frecce departs. Evening peak queue at Trenitalia ticket office is enormous.

Interrail.eu will not book less than an hour or so before departure time.

Oebbtickets can book but says ticket must be printed/collected from an ÖBB machine in Austria.

Any solution?

What happens if you have booked ahead but get there after the booked train has gone? Can the booking be changed online, at a machine, does it need a ticket desk or is it lost?

 

[rvdborgt]

You can book via ÖBB and just show the PDF. No problem at all, no need to print.
Or book on raileurope.com (desktop website only, can also be shown on a mobile browser but you need to select the desktop website from your mobile browser's menu) and then shown in their app or again just show the PDF.
You can only make an exchange before departure, according to Rail Europe. If you miss a connection due to a delay, you can get a full refund from the place where you booked your reservation.

 

[306024]

I was at Milan Centrale yesterday. There are two 'immediate travel' desks in the middle of the concourse, train side of the barriers. Both were staffed. Don't exit through the barriers. I arrived at 14.58 from Rome, ten minutes later had my Interrail reservation for EC54 15.20 to Brig, but there was only one person in the queue ahead of me.

I couldn't get this particular reservation through the ÖBB app, although it was a last minute decision to take EC54 rather than the 'no reservation necessary' train 5 minutes later. I did use ÖBB for my reservation from Rome to Milan.

 

[nwales58]

Thanks both.

Why on earth does the ÖBB app tell you it needs to be printed at their machine if the PDF is scannable by Trenitalia???

Great to know where the immediate desks are. Last time I went down to the ticket hall which was mayhem.

 

[30907]

Thanks both.

Why on earth does the ÖBB app tell you it needs to be printed at their machine if the PDF is scannable by Trenitalia???

A lot of operators - not just OeBB - haven't amended their instructions to allow for smartphones

 

[rvdborgt]

Why on earth does the ÖBB app tell you it needs to be printed at their machine if the PDF is scannable by Trenitalia???

Just covering their lower backside.
AFAIK printing the PDF is now only needed for some night trains.

 

[Austriantrain]

Just covering their lower backside.

Scared that the neighboring operator changes its rules overnight. Unfortunately, not an unreasonable fear.

 

[Ian99]

I went to the station at Giulianova last year with the intention of booking an interrail reservation for departure towards Bari 20 minutes later. However the booking office was closed. I went online to order through OBB but their website said it was too late for that train - this was maybe 15 minutes before departure was due.

All was okay however as I got on the train to explain to the guard that the ticket office was closed. He said to go and sit in 2nd class (I'd found him in 1st class) which I did but never saw him after, despite going all the way to Bari..

So the moral of that story is don't assume that reservations can be made via OBB right up to departure time although this might be different (I don't know) if the train hasn't left its first destination...

 

[rvdborgt]

Last year, I booked a Trenitalia IC reservation via the ÖBB app less than 10 minutes before departure.
What may be a problem is booking a reservation after its scheduled departure time, even if it's late and hasn't departed yet. Some railways don't provide for that.