We have been to Italy 3 times in the past 2 years, and are going again in a week. So we have “recent information”.
For the high-speed trains, I look at both Italo and Trenitalia, and see which has the better schedule for our needs, and/or the better price. I like to buy online at least a month in advance to take advantage of the discounts offered, but note that the discounted tickets, whether they be “super economy”, “Magic”, or “2 for 1”, come with restrictions—-generally they cannot be refunded or changed. So be sure you understand the conditions before choosing. Some of the intermediate categories of discount can be modified (changed to a different time or date) for a fee.
Note that to use the Senior discount price on Trenitalia you have to have a CartaFreccia. Do not choose the Senior ticket price unless you each have that card. Italo has no such restriction on Senior tickets, so often that is the best price.
On Trenitalia, even using the English site, you must enter the cities by their Italian name (i.e., Roma not Rome; Firenze not Florence). If you get the first 3 letters it will usually show a drop-down menu with choices starting with those letters. But if you start to write Flo….it will never offer Firenze.
Right now, looking at a random date in mid-October (15 October) for tickets from Roma Termini to Venezia Santa Lucia, for 2 tickets in 2d class, the best deal on Trenitalia is the Freccia 2X1 (2 for 1) fare which is 92 euro for 2 people.
Italo has a 2-for-1 price of 86 euros for the 2 tickets; but the better deal is the Senior fare of 34 euro, or 68 for 2 people.
