TrenItalia web site

I would never suggest Rail Europe as a first option - expensive and limited ticket options. Go to Trenitalia.com, click on the British flag icon to translate the page. Be sure to use the Italian station names (pull-down menu will appear, if a city has several stations and you aren't sure which one you need, select "all stations"). Use the calendar and be aware that the week begins on Monday. Go ahead and register, you don't need an Italian address.

You will quickly get a confirmation message (select to have a SMS message sent to you), then print your ticket at home - 8,5x11 paper will be fine.

Before you start, make sure your credit card company and bank know you will be making foreign transactions.

Hope this helps.

Ditto - the trenitalia site is the easiest and best. I did notice they have changed something though - when you put in your info and see the schedule, towards the right side you can select 'train type' which gives you options for La Frecce (fast trains) or 'all trains.' If you click on that you can select 'all trains' which will show you more of the regional lines you might be needing. If you know your schedule, and intend to keep to it, the advance booking discounts are great!

It's worth trying Trenitalia first and should be fairly easy. Rail Europe now "matches" Trenitalia's offers, and sells e-tickets, but the difference is their conversion to dollars may be at a higher exchange rate than what your credit card will charge.

Rail Europe does not match the limited, discounted SUPER-ECONOMY or ECONOMY tickets of Trenitalia.

For example, just picking a day and looking at June 1, 2014....

8.20 AM
Trenitalia - $40.27 (ECONOMY TICKET)
Rail Europe - $59

8.35 AM
Trenitalia - $40.27 (ECONOMY TICKET)
Rail Europe - $44

8.50 AM
Trenitalia - $40.27 (ECONOMY TICKET)
Rail Europe - $65

Often, Rail Europe does match Italo rail prices better than they match Trenitalia ticket prices.

But Rail Europe will also charge you a Shipping & Handling fee, called a Rail Europe Booking Fee of $7.95 per transaction... Dealing with Trenitalia and Italo direct, you pay no "booking" fees. And these Trenitalia rates DO NOT reflect the SUPER-ECONOMY ticket options - which are even lower. Whereas Rail Europe may match, and in some cases beat, the BASE prices... they do not compare to the discounted pricing available when purchasing through Trenitalia in advance.

I just bought two sets of tickets on the Trenitalia web site. Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome. Super economy fares (total of 76 euros for two people, both trains) and I paid using paypal. The tickets arrived by email within seconds.