Buy train tickets now or wait

Buying ahead of time is helpful if you can secure a discounted ticket (Economy or SuperEconomy). Those discounted tickets sell out fast and won't be available very close to the travel date. However, if you do purchase a discounted ticket, be aware that they come with stiff restrictions. They are non refundable and non changeable. Therefore you must be sure you are going to take that train, or you will lose your money. If you don't get discounted tickets and are going to pay for the full Base fare, then advance purchase is not necessary because you can always find a seat on the day of travel. There are at least 2 trains an hour from Rome to Florence, and they never run out of seats. At most the 2nd class seats sell out for the very next train (1st class never does) and you may have to wait for the next train 20-30 minutes later. Regional trains and buses no need for seat reservations and advance purchase is useless. Just buy it when you are there on the spot. For train schedules go to: www.trenitalia.com From Siena to Orvieto you need to change trains at the Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station. For buses Florence/Siena see below:
http://www.mega.it/ita/not/sita.htm (Feriali=work days=Monday to Saturday, Festivi=sundays and holidays)

Teresa , at this point , the VERY best thing you can and should do is to go to the " Ron in Rome " website where you can get a thorough grounding in how to use Trenitalia , the Italian State Railways . Understanding the basics is essential for having a problem free experience . Frankly , the conundrum you are facing about your initial trip from Rome to Florence is a very common one , We had to deal with the identical issue on arriving in Rome this past fall . IMO you don't have too much choice ; if you pre book the train too early and have a related flight or airport delay you are ,as they say , in an awkward situation . Much later in the day, and you have several hours of wasted time. As Roberto points out , other than your Rome -Florence leg ,everyting else is regionale, so no advantage in pre-purchase ( be sure however to validate those tickets before boarding the train or risk a hefty fine ) . Prior to our trip , I purchased all my major trips on Frecce trains ( which saved me about 250USD ),but due to the lack of predictability on arrival in Rome , J just bit the bullet and bought my inital trip , Rome-Naples at Termini . In my judgement that was the most sensible choice . Have a great time!!

Hi Teresa. If you're going to be 'terrified' of something, this is not it. :-)the maximum you will pay is 43 euros, so not worth worrying about. Not sure what trouble you are having with trenitalia site - click on English flag at top, use Italian city names Roma, Firenze and pick date from calendar. The price options for each train are shown at right. You will see some trains for 19E, you could buy that and take your chances, or just wait and pick the exact train you want and pay the 43 - probably what I would do to avoid stress and give flexibility. Enjoy your trip!

Teresa: I assume that you'll be visiting Rome at the end of your trip on 4/24? Instead of getting in a big rush, have you considered visiting Rome first and then moving an hour north to Orvieto? Then, go on up to Florence. Siena is a good day trip by bus from Florence. The buses line up across the street on the south side of the train station; around the corner from McDonalds. There's so much to see on the front or rear of your trip that it's nice to take Italy slowly. You'll be very tired upon arrival in Rome, and taking it easy the first day (including a nap) is always best. And I'm also a RonInRome.com user.

As Steven said, the only route for which you you could save money by booking in advance is Florence-Rome. However, since your plane could be late, I recommend that you buy your Rome-Florence ticket at the station at FCO when you buy your ticket on the Leonardo Express for FCO-Termini. Leonardo Express trains depart at 08 and 38 minutes past the hour. If your plane arrives on time and you get through immigration/passport control quickly, you just might be able to catch the 13:08 train and arrive at Termini in time to catch the 13:55 train to Florence; but don't count on it. If you catch the 13:38 train, you'll arrive at Termini in time to catch the 14:25 train to Florence which arrives at 15:51.

First, a BIG thank you for the roninrome.com tip! Hadn't seen that website yet, and his section on how to use the airport and trains in Italy was really helpful - I can't believe how in detail he went; it was great! I think I'll just wait to buy tickets until I'm actually there. As nice as it would be to save some money, the cons just don't seem worth it. I don't want to be at the airport either really stressed because I'm afraid we won't make our train reservation or really bored because I booked for later in the day than we actually ended up needing. And yes, we're hitting Rome at the end of the trip. The hotels are all booked and this schedule works out perfectly with avoiding any museum or site closures at all of the places we're going! So the route and schedule are set. Thanks for all the help, everyone!