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TRAIN TRAVEL

Five clever ways to save money on train tickets in Italy

Train tickets in Italy aren't always cheap, especially in the case of longer, interregional journeys. Here are five essential tips to get the best available deal.

Published: 7 July 2023 17:23 CEST
Freccia Rossa train in Milan
A high-speed Freccia Rossa train in Milan's Centrale station. Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP

Though images of decrepit trains slowly trundling across the Italian countryside may still be vivid in the minds of many, rail travel in Italy is now much different from what it once was.

Some areas of the country are still significantly underserved, but overall national rail services have improved significantly over the past two decades. 

With nearly 1,500 kilometres of high-speed line, trains are now faster and more comfortable than ever before.

READ ALSO: Five easy day trips to make from Rome by train

This better overall service has however resulted in higher fares for passengers. And, while train tickets are nowhere near the sky-high prices recently seen in the air travel sector, they can be fairly expensive, sometimes exceeding €100 per trip.

Book well in advance

While you may be thinking ‘Gee, thanks for the eye-opener, The Local’, this is the single most essential piece of advice you’ll want to follow when booking your train journey in Italy and we can’t stress enough how important it is – and how much money you can save.

Purchasing tickets at least one month before the date of your trip will not only give you access to lower fares but will also allow you not to miss out on deals or special offers as these are often time-limited or have limited availability. 

Take advantage of deals, but beware the ‘terms and conditions’

Booking in advance will allow you to snap up the best offers, and you’ll find no shortage of those, especially in the warm months.

Deals offered by national rail operators Trenitalia and Italo may include anything from heavily discounted fares for families or groups of friends to discounts of up to 60 or even 70 percent for people under 29 or day trippers.

But, before going full steam ahead with the purchase, it’s always advisable to check the relevant offers’ ‘terms and conditions’ (termini e condizioni in Italian). 

Milan's centrale station

A view of Milan’s Centrale, one of Italy’s biggest train stations. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

In fact, while some promotions may appear to be incredibly advantageous on paper, they may ‘hide’ fairly unfavourable caveats. For instance, a certain offer may be non modificabile and non rimborsabile, meaning you won’t be able to change the time or date of the journey (not even by paying a penalty), nor will you be reimbursed in the case you can’t make the trip.   

These conditions can generally be found on the same website page as the deal they refer to and are definitely worth checking beforehand.

Use price comparison websites to snap up the best fare 

Comparing prices and promotions from different companies is technically something that you could do on your own, but why go to such trouble if someone or, in this case, something else can do it for you. 

READ ALSO: The best websites for cross-Europe train travel

Train fare comparison websites have mushroomed in recent years, with Trainline and Omio being generally considered the most reliable ones in Italy. 

They both are intuitive, easy to navigate and are available in a number of different languages, including English.

Loyalty cards and travel packs

While this may not be as valuable a tip for short-stay visitors, it’s advisable for residents or those on longer stays to get the loyalty card of the company they travel with more frequently.

Besides getting immediate access to discounts on future journeys and special membership offers, you’ll also have loyalty points added to your card after every trip, which you’ll be able to cash in in exchange for a free journey after some time.

Freccia Rossa train in Rome

A view of the first class area on a Freccia Rossa high-speed train in Rome’s Termini station. Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP

People travelling frequently between the two same destinations can also buy 10- or 20-ticket travel packs (known as carnet in Italy). These can allow for savings of up to 50 percent. 

However, it’s always best to check how long the relevant travel pack will be valid for before purchasing. 

TrovaunPosto for last-minute tickets

Life is known to throw the odd curveball every now and then, which means you may at some point find yourself having to buy a train ticket at the very last minute. 

In that case, TrovaunPosto may be your only possible chance of getting a cheap (or cheaper) eleventh-hour ticket.

READ ALSO: Yes, train travel across Europe is far better than flying – even with kids

TrovaunPosto (‘Find a seat’) is an online marketplace where people who can’t make their planned trips sell their tickets at prices which, under website regulations, must be lower than the price they originally bought them for.

You might not get lucky, but it’s definitely worth a shot.

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For members

TAXES

IMU: Who has to pay Italy’s property tax?

The first instalment of Italy’s main property tax IMU is due by Monday, June 17th, this year – but not all homeowners in the country have to pay it.

Published: 14 June 2024 12:24 CEST
IMU: Who has to pay Italy’s property tax?

Italy’s main property tax, IMU (Imposta Municipale Unica, or Unified Municipal Tax) was introduced in 2012 to replace the local ICI levy.

It applies to both private and commercial property, building areas and agricultural land, and its exact amount varies by the type, value and location of the property.

IMU must be paid in two yearly instalments, with the first payment normally due by June 16th (the deadline was moved to June 17th this year as June 16th is a Sunday) and the second one due by December 16th. 

But the tax is a frequent source of confusion for homeowners in Italy as the rules on exactly which types of property it applies to have changed multiple times over the years.

Taxpayers are fully responsible for calculating and paying the amount of IMU they owe, meaning you won’t get a bill from local authorities specifying how much you need to pay for the relevant year.

Who does IMU apply to?

IMU is generally owed by owners of the following types of property:

  • Agricultural land (or terreno agricolo in Italian)
  • Building land (area fabbricabile)
  • Private houses other than the owner’s main residence (or prima casa), meaning second, third, fourth homes etc.
  • Luxury dwellings (case di lusso) falling under Italy’s cadastral categories A1 (stately homes), A8 (villas) or A9 (castles), regardless of whether they are the owner’s main residence or not.

Essentially, besides agricultural and building land owners, IMU is owed by all second-home owners in the country and owners of properties categorised as ‘luxury’ under Italy’s cadastral system.

READ ALSO: The Italian tax calendar for 2024: Which taxes are due when?

The tax doesn’t apply to main residences (prime case) but owners must be Italian residents and be registered as such under Italy’s national registry (Anagrafe) in order to qualify for this.

If you’re a foreign resident owning property in the country, you’ll have to pay IMU on it.

There are a number of IMU exemptions and discounts available to some categories of homeowners. 

These include for instance a 50-percent discount for retirees residing abroad and claiming a ‘totalised pension’ (pensione totalizzata), meaning a hybrid ‘Italian-foreign’ pension merging contributions made in Italy and those made in the foreign nation they reside in (as long as this country has pension totalisation agreements in place with Italy).

How do I calculate IMU?

Much like most other Italian taxes, calculating IMU is by no means an easy process, especially if you have little to no experience with paying it. 

That’s why it’s generally advisable to consult a chartered accountant (commercialista) who can ensure that the correct amount is paid and even arrange the transaction for you.

READ ALSO: What is an Italian commercialista and do you really need one?

That said, as a rough guide, you’ll need to take the cadastral value, or valore catastale, of your property (this is generally reported in the public deed of purchase but you can also request it at your local land registry).

Once you know the cadastral value, you must increase it by 5 percent and then multiply that number by a coefficient, which varies by the type of property you own. For instance, private residential buildings and flats have a coefficient of 160. 

Doing this will give you your property’s taxable base and from there you’ll be charged anything from 0.5 to 1.06 percent of that figure, depending on the rate (aliquota) applied by the municipality (comune) where your property is located.

How do I pay?

IMU can be paid via Italy’s standard tax form F24, which is used when paying most types of taxes in Italy, including Irpef income tax instalments.

The form can generally be found and submitted at most bank branches and post offices in the country. Some Italian banks even offer customers the option to complete and submit an F24 form directly online.

Alternatively, you can ask an Italian accountant to complete and submit the form on your behalf.

What happens if I don’t pay?

The Italian taxman shows little in the way of leniency when it comes to late filing or failure to pay IMU. 

Late filing can be punished with a fine of up to 30 percent of the IMU owed, whereas failure to pay can lead to enforced credit recovery procedures (recupero coattivo del credito) from local authorities. 

The good news here is that Italy has a procedure known as ravvedimento operoso (literally ‘active amendment’) which allows taxpayers to self-report and quickly rectify the delay in their IMU payments in exchange for significantly reduced fines.

For example, under this system, fines for late payment are reduced to 0.1 percent of the sum owed per day if the payment is made within the first 14 days from the relevant deadline.

Please note that The Local is unable to advise on individual cases. Find more information on the Italian tax office’s website or seek independent advice from a qualified tax professional.

For more information on property in Italy, check The Local’s property section.

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