Freericks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I was thinking we were going to do an Italian
> vacation many years back (lost my job at the time
> so it didn't happen - hey - should start thinking
> about it again) I was big on the TRAINS forums.
>
> I remember reaching out there and getting a couple
> Italian railroad workers who wrote to me and said
> to contact them when I came to Italy.
>
> Now - I can't say I know they were legit, but when
> I went to India the people I met on line turned
> out to be real Indian railfans who were amazingly
> helpful.
>
> So my advice is this, go find some Italian/Europe
> railfan forums and join and start posting (Yahoo
> Groups, Train Orders, Trains/Kalmbach, RailEurope,
> etc.)
>
> Don't meet strangers in private places though. I
> met the folks in India at a McDonalds at a major
> RR station with some Indian friends who could tell
> right away that they were genuine railroad buffs
> and not anything else.


You should be safe. Only legitimate foreigners post on the internet.