It used to be that once you purchased your train ticket, you were good to depart right away. Sometimes the conductor showed up to validate your ticket before you arrived at destination. Sometimes he did not. Many people found irresistible the temptation to reuse the same ticket again and again before it expired. Until Trenitalia (the railway company) decided to put a stop to this practice (without really addressing the shortage of train personnel). And the yellow punch machines were introduced. Before you onboard, don’t forget to validate your ticket. There is a Euro 25 penalty if you miss this easy step and if you are so lucky to meet the ticket conductor during your trip.