Changing the day or time of a train is a common need. You may have no time to return to the station or find a ticket office; fortunately, most eligible tickets can now be changed online in a few minutes.
I always begin by checking the fare, because it determines what may be changed, the deadline and the fee. Then I establish whether I need a booking change, a broader ticket change or a passenger-name change. They are different operations, and choosing the wrong one can waste time or money.
Have your PNR or ticket code, passenger name and a payment card ready. If the service is cancelled or seriously delayed, check your disruption rights before making a voluntary change.
Booking change, ticket change or name change?
| Operation | What it changes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Booking change | Date or time while keeping a compatible route and service. | Rome–Milan at 09:00 moved to 14:00. |
| Ticket change | Route, stations, train category, class, service or passenger count. | Rome–Milan changed to Florence–Milan. |
| Name change | The person travelling. | Correcting or replacing the passenger name when permitted. |
How to change a Trenitalia booking
For a national ticket bought online, start from My Trips in your account or use Manage your ticket. A purchase made without logging in can be retrieved with the purchase email and PNR, or with PNR and the booking-change code where offered.
- Retrieve the journey and choose booking change, ticket change or refund.
- Search the new date and train among services already on sale.
- Check stations, service level, seat and passenger names.
- Pay any fare difference and confirm.
- Keep the new email or updated ticket and do not use the old booking.
What PNR and CP mean and where to find them
The PNR is the alphanumeric code identifying the booking; CP is Trenitalia's booking-change code. For purchases made without an account, Trenitalia sends both in the confirmation email, which is worth keeping until the journey is complete. The PNR also appears in the ticket or app summary and is the code quoted to staff for a ticketless journey.
On Manage your ticket, you can search with email and PNR, with PNR and CP, or with the passenger name and recovery code for a purchase made without logging in. The recovery code appears after payment and in the confirmation email.
Base, Economy and Super Economy
| Fare | Change | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Booking and ticket changes are permitted within Trenitalia's stated limits. | A fare difference may be due; voluntary refunds carry a deduction. |
| Economy | One ticket change before departure, paying the difference to the fare then available. | No ordinary refund; name changes are allowed except on person-specific offers. |
| Super Economy | No booking or ticket changes. | No ordinary refund; name changes are allowed except on personal offers. |
FrecciaYOUNG, FrecciaSENIOR, FrecciaFAMILY, passes and promotions may add specific restrictions. Read the conditions attached to your own purchase. With Super Economy, for example, the move function should not be available; if the website returns only a generic error, check the fare first. A clearer message would save a fair amount of trial and error.
Move your journey by two hours
For eligible tickets and trains, the Trenitalia app offers Move journey ±2h. It can move departure by up to two hours, subject to ticket conditions and seat availability; the app displays any amount due before confirmation.
If the new date does not appear
The replacement train must already be on sale. This is particularly noticeable around the periodic timetable change: if, for example, you try in November to move a journey to late December, the required service may not yet be loaded. That does not necessarily mean the route has been withdrawn.
The new booking normally has to fall within six months of the first change request, but Trenitalia says that this window may be shorter during a timetable change. If you hold a Base fare and must release the original date immediately, you can consider a first move to a train already on sale and a second change when the final service appears. Before doing so, confirm that further changes remain available and that the operation will not become a ticket change with an additional fare.
Changing a booking at a Trenitalia self-service machine
A self-service machine is useful when you are already at the station and cannot complete the operation on your phone. For a booking change, have the PNR ready: retrieve the journey, choose a compatible departure and obtain confirmation. Check it immediately, because the new train, time and seat replace the old reservation.
The distinction matters after departure: where permitted, a self-service machine may process the booking change, but a broader ticket change after departure is available only at the ticket office in the departure station.
Other Trenitalia channels
If online changes are unavailable, use a ticket office, authorised agency, paid call centre or staffed Customer Service/Frecciadesk point where available. For a straightforward operation I prefer the website, app or self-service machine. Our guide lists the main Trenitalia contact channels.
Changing a Trenitalia Digital Regional Ticket
The Digital Regional Ticket is named and non-transferable. You can change date and time without limit until 23:59 on the day before travel. On the travel day you may change only the time, up to the scheduled departure. The ticket is then validated automatically and cannot be modified.
After every change, check the email, text message or app and show the updated ticket. Eligible all-Trenitalia purchases paid electronically may offer a full self-service refund until 23:59 on the day before travel, subject to the exclusions shown by Trenitalia.
How to change an Italo ticket
Retrieve the trip on the Italo website or app with the Ticket Code, first name and surname. The booking screen displays the operations allowed by your fare and the amount due.
- Open Change booking and enter ticket code and passenger details.
- Select the new date or train.
- Check travel class, seat and services.
- Review the change fee and fare difference.
- Confirm and keep the new ticket.
| Fare | Date and time | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Flex | Unlimited changes until 3 minutes before departure; no percentage fee, but any fare difference is due. Name changes carry a fee. | 80% under the fare conditions. |
| Economy | Unlimited changes until 3 minutes before departure with a 20% fee plus any fare difference. | 40% under the fare conditions. |
| Low Cost | Change up to 72 hours before departure with a 60% fee plus any fare difference. | Non-refundable. |
Promotions may use different rules, so the conditions displayed for the specific offer always take priority.
Passenger-name changes
Italo tickets are named and staff may request identification. Name changes depend on the fare and may carry a fee; Flex permits the change until 3 minutes before departure, while individual promotions can be more restrictive.
Refunds and missing Italo Più points
The same booking-management area also offers a refund when the fare permits it. If you bought the ticket without entering your loyalty number, retrieve the journey and use Associate Italo Più up to three minutes before departure so the points can be credited after travel.
The train has already departed
With Trenitalia, where the fare permits it, a booking change can be requested within one hour of departure and only at the station shown on the ticket: at its ticket office, a self-service machine or a Customer Service/Frecciadesk point where available. Quote the PNR and wait for confirmation. A broader ticket change within the same period is available only at that station's ticket office, while a passenger-name change is no longer allowed.
For example, suppose your Milan–Rome train left at 10:00, you reach the station at 10:50 and hope to take the 11:00 service. Do not simply board it. If your ticket permits a change, regularise it immediately through an authorised channel. If you arrive early and want the previous train, make the change before boarding; availability and cost depend on the fare and seats. If the replacement costs more, you pay the difference; if it costs less, Trenitalia does not refund the difference after departure.
Boarding another train without regularising the ticket can lead to the difference from the Base fare plus a €10 penalty; non-changeable offers may be treated more strictly. Never assume that a ticket for a missed train is automatically valid on the next one.
Italo Flex includes Extra Time: within one hour of departure you can request a seat on the first available train, subject to availability. Selected offers can buy Extra Time for €10 plus the difference to the on-board fare and any percentage fee. Leave Now can move an eligible journey up to two hours earlier on the same day for €15 per passenger.
For one through contract, ask the operator for assistance before buying another ticket. Separately purchased tickets retain their individual conditions and the connection may not be protected.
Costs and special cases
What a change can cost
The total can combine a fare-specific fee and the difference between the old and new price. If the new train is cheaper, do not assume the difference will be returned: read the confirmation screen before paying.
An incorrect passenger name
Trenitalia national and Italo tickets are named. Correct the name before departure and carry valid identification. Trenitalia allows free name changes on national tickets except offers reserved for a specific person; Italo conditions and fees depend on the fare.
An unusable Super Economy ticket
Super Economy cannot be moved. If you added Trenitalia's tiRimborso option when purchasing, you may request a refund within its deadline and subject to its deduction. It is a refund option, not permission to move the ticket.
Cancellation, strike or major delay
These situations trigger rights separate from a voluntary change. Check rerouting and refund options first. See our guides to Trenitalia strikes and guaranteed trains and train refunds and delay compensation.
Final check before confirming
- The new date and time are correct.
- Departure and arrival stations have not changed accidentally.
- Train category, travel class and seat are suitable.
- The passenger name matches the identity document.
- The fee and fare difference are clear.
- The new confirmation has arrived and the old booking is no longer being used.
If you have not bought yet, compare the options in our guide to saving on Italian trains without giving up useful flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the date or time of a Trenitalia Super Economy ticket?
No. Super Economy does not allow a booking change, ticket change or ordinary refund. A passenger-name change is still possible before departure unless the offer is reserved for a specific person.
Can I change an Italo Low Cost ticket the day before departure?
No. Date or time changes must be made at least 72 hours before departure and cost 60% of the ticket price plus any fare difference.
Can a Trenitalia ticket be changed after departure?
Where the fare permits it, one booking change may be requested within one hour of departure and only at the departure station. Passenger-name changes are not allowed after departure.
Is changing an Italo Flex ticket always free?
There is no percentage change fee for the date or time, but any fare difference must be paid. Changing the passenger's name is subject to a fee.
Can a Trenitalia Digital Regional Ticket be transferred to another person?
No. It is named and non-transferable. Date and time may be changed within the permitted limits, but it cannot be modified after automatic validation.
Where can I find the PNR and CP codes for a Trenitalia booking?
The alphanumeric PNR identifies the booking and CP is the booking-change code. Both appear in the ticket summary; the purchase can also be retrieved with the email address and PNR.