Buy your ticket BEFORE you board

Italian transport runs on validate-before-you-travel. For trains, buy at the station counter, ticket machine, or Trenord/Trenitalia app, then validate at the green/yellow stamping machine on the platform if your ticket has no fixed seat. Boarding without a validated ticket on a regional train can cost a €50+ fine. For boats on Lake Como (Navigazione Laghi), buy at the ticket booth on the dock — onboard purchase is rare and not always possible. For the funicolare to Brunate, ticket office at the bottom station.