From November, commuters on high-speed services will pay less for the pass but must pay to reserve each journey. Consumer group Assoutenti says most regular users will still come out ahead.Italy's state-owned rail operator Trenitalia is changing how it prices season tickets on its high-speed network. The monthly fixed fee will fall by €80, while a €2 charge will be added for each seat reservation.The new model takes effect in November 2026. The new passes, or abbonamenti, can be bought from 17 October. How it will work At present, season ticket holders on the high-speed Alta Velocità (AV) services can reserve seats free of charge. Under the new system, they will pay €2 per reservation. The final monthly cost will therefore depend on how many trips a commuter makes. Where two connecting trains are booked together, the reservation charge will remain €2. The reservation fee will be refunded if the booking is cancelled before departure and the journey is not made. The purchase page will also show a breakdown of the total price, separating the pass from the reservation costs. The Rome-Naples example A standard monthly AV pass between Rome and Naples currently costs €418. From November, the fixed fee will drop to €338, plus €2 for each reserved trip. With 30 trips a month, the total would be €398, a saving of €20. At 40 trips a month, the cost returns to €418, the break-even point. Below that threshold, according to consumer group Assoutenti, passengers will always pay less than they do now. Why the change? Trenitalia says the aim is to make better use of seats. It wants to discourage the practice of season ticket holders booking seats they then do not use, which can leave those seats unavailable to other pass holders and to people buying single tickets. The company says the new model links the cost of the pass more closely to actual use. Assoutenti says the change could benefit all travellers. It argues that more genuinely available seats could help keep dynamic ticket prices lower, since fares tend to fall when more seats are available on a train. The group said it will monitor how the system works in practice and is ready to ask Trenitalia for changes if problems emerge. Photo credit: Bert e Boer / Shutterstock.com

Italy's state-owned rail operator Trenitalia is changing how it prices season tickets on its high-speed network. The monthly fixed fee will fall by €80, while a €2 charge will be added for each seat reservation. The new model takes effect in November 2026. The new passes, or abbonamenti, can be bought from 17 October. At present, season ticket holders on the high-speed Alta Velocità (AV) services can reserve seats free of charge. Under the new system, they will pay €2 per reservation. The final monthly cost will therefore depend on how many trips a commuter makes. Where two connecting trains are booked together, the reservation charge will remain €2. The reservation fee will be refunded if the booking is cancelled before departure and the journey is not made. The purchase page will also show a breakdown of the total price, separating the pass from the reservation costs. A standard monthly AV pass between Rome and Naples currently costs €418. From November, the fixed fee will drop to €338, plus €2 for each reserved trip. With 30 trips a month, the total would be €398, a saving of €20. At 40 trips a month, the cost returns to €418, the break-even point. Below that threshold, according to consumer group Assoutenti, passengers will always pay less than they do now. Trenitalia says the aim is to make better use of seats. It wants to discourage the practice of season ticket holders booking seats they then do not use, which can leave those seats unavailable to other pass holders and to people buying single tickets. The company says the new model links the cost of the pass more closely to actual use. Assoutenti says the change could benefit all travellers. It argues that more genuinely available seats could help keep dynamic ticket prices lower, since fares tend to fall when more seats are available on a train. The group said it will monitor how the system works in practice and is ready to ask Trenitalia for changes if problems emerge. Photo credit: Bert e Boer / Shutterstock.com