Trenitalia passenger fined 315 euros after online ticketing error

A 39-year-old passenger, Eleonora Berretti, has received a fine exceeding 300 euros nearly a year after traveling on a Trenitalia regional train in Emilia-Romagna with her dog.

Berretti claims she attempted to purchase the required pet ticket online before her journey, but the Trenitalia portal prevented the transaction with an error message stating, “Il servizio non è vendibile in Emilia-Romagna” (The service is not available for sale in Emilia-Romagna). Because she could not secure the ticket through the digital platform, she boarded the train and was subsequently flagged by staff for traveling without the proper documentation and without a carrier.

While the initial on-board fine was approximately 80 euros for immediate payment or 100 euros for later payment, Berretti chose to contest the charge via a formal complaint rather than paying immediately. After 390 days, her appeal was rejected. Due to accumulated interest and late fees, the final penalty amount rose to 315.56 euros.