First Class vs. Second Class

Don't buy a rail pass. They never make sense economically and are just a hassle. Buy point-to-point as needed.

Here's a decent summary of the difference between 1st and 2nd: http://umbria-italia.blogspot.com/2013/06/whats-difference-between-first-and.html#.V-wRLPkrK70

Just curious why you think a rail pass is a hassle? Is it because Italy has several private railroads that don't honor the pass?

Other than that, it seems to me that having a pass simplifies travel because you don't have to take time to buy individual tickets, and if you change your plans you can hop on a different train. Am I missing something?

The trains in Italy are generally decent - no need to pay extra for a 1st class section.

Check the prices for buying tickets vs. a rail pass, especially if you purchase tickets early and catch some of the super economy prices.

Yes, you're missing that for all high-speed Freccia trains and Intercity trains, you still have to buy seat reservation for 10 EUR (Freccia trains, a bit less for IC trains). That comes free when you buy a ticket and if you buy far enough in advance, you can sometimes get nonrefundable, non-changeable tickets for 10 EUR.
The Freccia trains are the back-bone of the Italian rail network, connecting all the major cities with fast, frequent trains.

Even Rick, a rail pass fan, says they are usually a bad deal for Italy: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/italy-rail-passes

There are two reasons for this. The first is that it's very hard in Italy to make a rail pass pay off. Even full price tickets aren't that expensive, and many are able to take advantage of advance purchase discounts.

The second is that you need a reservation to travel on all but the Regional and Regional Veloce trains, and these faster trains are a huge part of what most tourists take (Milan or Venice to Florence to Rome to Naples, for instance). So, you can't just hop on one of these trains with a pass, but must buy the reservation for that specific train. By the time you do that, you can just buy the ticket (which includes the reservation). There's also the cost of reservations - €3 for IC trains and €10 for faster Freccia trains (eg, FrecciaRossa, FrecciaArgento).

Sure, you can hop on regional trains with a pass - but these are cheap, so again, a pass is a waste of money.

Debra: if you want to learn more about passes, in addition to Rick's link above, look at this invaluable summary of the issues from rail guru The Man In Seat 61: http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#railpass-or-point-to-point-tickets

And this page of his has more about buying advance tickets (huge discounts, if you can live with the restrictions) as well as, further down, pictures of the various compartments: http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm

As for first vs second class, opinions vary. Some say first class is always worth it; others feel it's not (you should have heard my brother's profanity-laced rant about what a rip off first class was!). But a rail pass for Italy is not controversial - unless you're doing something like going from Florence to Venice every day, it's not a good deal. And as Sam said, it doesn't even add convenience.

There's also the fact that Italo, a competitor to Trenitalia on major routes, does not accept the pass. The pass isn't accepted on Trenord or Circumvesuviana lines either, but these tickets are usually cheap.

If you tell us your routes and when you're going, we can help you book cheap tickets (it's not hard, but there is a learning curve).

I think that a Eurail pass is only worth it if you are under 26 years old and qualify for the youth version. And even then, only if you are planning to backpack/travel for two months with plans to hop on and hop off the train a lot staying in one place for 1-3 days and not take any fast or fancy trains (will which require surcharge and reservation). Under these circumstances, you will then save money and have flexibility with a pass. I used a youth Eurail pass when I was young, and it was nice to be able to jump on and off at various towns whenever I felt like it and not have to worry about having to buy another ticket. If I liked the place, I may stay for a night or five. If I did not like the place, I would jump on another train in a few hours. And I did not have to worry about have using my limited cash to buy tickets or worry about a big credit card bill for train expenses after the trip. But as an old guy, every time I crunch the numbers, pre-buying tix or buy as you go just works out cheaper and better. And by the way, a 15 hour fully packed slow train on a youth Eurail pass from Venice to Brindisi gets pretty tiring after the first four hours.

PS IMO, the difference between first and second class is not substantial. First has better seat fabric/material and wider seats because fewer seats in a row. But second class is more than nice enough. Price diff is not huge. If you can pre-book at sale prices, you may as well get first class.

Forget the pass and go second class on Trenitalia. First class is only better if you prefer fewer people in the coach you're assigned to on your ticket. Fewer people on that coach because fewer people want to pay extra for not much benefit. Second class is comfortable and roomy even if all 4 seats in your pod are occupied. Even the regional ordinario trains are quite fine, where all you get for your ticket is permission to be on the train within a 4 hour period on a certain day, doesn't guarantee you'll have a seat. For me, part of the fun of traveling in Italy is taking the same trains the locals do and waiting to see what happens. One thing to remember, regardless of class: trains are not always on time - " in ritardo" is often on the Partenza boards.

Railpasses used to make a lot of sense when many of us were in college (yes I'm dating myself). One fee for lots of or even unlimited travel during a timeperiod, flexibility to hop on and off trains and to make our own schedule, and overnight trains that saved hotel costs. But rail travel in Europe has changed dramatically in the past 15 years. Most intercity lines are high speed and require seat reservations. The internet has made buying tickets quick and easy without standing in lines. If you know your travel dates, most rail lines offer discounted advance purchase fares. And of course, those over 26 have to buy 1st class passes. You get a meal and a quiet car - that's about the extra extent. And the overnight trains are all but gone.

The faster Freccia trains and also the competing, private Italo trains both offer more than two "classes" of service. You could try different areas on different trips, depending on the price difference that you see at the time of ticket purchase. The first level of "upgrade" might cost only 10 euros more per person. Sometimes when booking well ahead, the cheapest fares can be sold out in standard class and still available at other levels.

I've never bought a rail pass, but I do buy point to point tickets in Italy, always first class, even on Regionale if available! More space, not as crowded, a more pleasant car, a much better ride!