Italy Travel Answers

Why don't you make your booking and payment and ask to get your tickets from the departure station? You probably show your id or a printout and get your tickets issued at the spot. That would be more convenient than getting them sent to UK.

I did look at that option. There is a box on their website to click for an email confirmation of purchase but it doesn't work. I'm a little nervous of just getting on the train with no proof of purchase.

I am going to be travelling t the height of the ski season, and I want first class tickets. The route is extremely busy during the ski season, and it is highly likely that all first class tickets will have been sold way in advance.

I've just made a dummy booking and see no option for ticket delivery outside Italy (as I would expect0. Taking the ticketless option with an email payment receipt seems your best choice...you would have proof of both booking and payment to show when you collected the ticket. I don't think posting real tickets abroad is commonly offered, although bahn.de will do it. If you really want real tickets then you could bite the bullet and try booking through Raileurope. They'll charge you more but I believe they will send you real tickets. www.raileurope.co.uk

I have found a list of Trenitalia agents in Italy, and according to Trenitalia none of them charge commission. I may ring around a few of these to see if I can book through one of them. I'm pretty sure a travel agent would be happy to post tickets to the UK, even if I have to pay for Fed Ex. The on-line service for e-mail confirmation doesn't work. The tab is inactive.

Sorry, Dom... Why don't you buy tickets on OBB site? They are cheaper than Trenitalia and the service is super... http://www.obb-italia.com/ only in Italian and German but I think you haven't problems...:)

Vi ringrazio il mio amico Cercherò OBB domani

Use the DB Bahn website. It has an English option and they will post your tickets to the UK. This link should get you there. bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index...

The best trains to take on that route are the EC trains run jointly by DB and OeBB. These trains are run in open access on the Italian network against the wishes of Trenitalia, which is why Trenitalia will only grudgingly aknowledge their existence and will go out of its way to discourage you from taking them. Things have improved a bit now, but a few months ago it was not possible to by tickets for this train at any Italian station, not even those where the train stopped. DB solved the problem by selling tickets on board and online. Best thing is to book online on www.bahn.de as other posters have already remarked. Since it is essentially a German train running in Italy you can buy self print tickets for it. Book now and you might be able to get a 1st class ticket for 29,-

Thanks everybody for all your help. Deutsch Bahn was the easiest and the cheapest. For anybody who is interested, DB will send tickets to the UK. I got two first class tickets for 61.50 Euros - BARGAIN!!!!