Just found out the price difference for a train ticket in Italy can be over 50 euros

I was planning a trip to Florence and was looking at train times from Rome. I checked the official Trenitalia site for a high-speed train, and a ticket for next Tuesday was 89 euros. Out of curiosity, I looked at the exact same train on a third-party booking site, and they wanted 142 euros for it. That's a 53 euro difference for the same seat on the same train, booked on the same day. I couldn't believe it. I always thought those sites might add a small fee, but this is just them taking a huge cut for doing nothing. It made me realize how many people probably get ripped off because they don't go straight to the source. Now I check the actual train or bus company site first, every single time. Has anyone else found a price gap this big on something basic like transport?

4 comments

4 Comments

avery_flores1d ago

Yeah, the "huge cut for doing nothing" part is so real. I saw the same thing with a bus from Naples to the Amalfi Coast. The company's own site had tickets for 10 euros. One of those big travel search sites listed the same bus at 25 euros. It's just a straight up scam for people who don't know to check the actual operator. I bet they make millions off that one simple trick.

hannah_west391d ago

Totally happened to me with a train in Italy last year. Always open a new tab and search for the actual bus or train company's website. Those big sites pay for ads to show up first, so you have to dig a little. It's annoying but saves so much cash.

fionafoster1d ago

But is it really a scam, @avery_flores? Those sites do run ads and have costs, so they're providing a search service, even if it's a lazy one. Still feels pretty scummy to charge that much more though, doesn't it?

brooket431d ago

It's not really a scam, but it's a lazy way to make money. They're just hoping you won't check the source.