first class vs second class trians

My daughter and I took second class passage on EuroStar trains from Rome to Florence to Bologna to Venice last month and had good trips with no difficulty. There is luggage storage at the end of each car, in overhead compartments similar to thos found on airplanes, and between the backs of those several seats in each car that back up to each other. I've heard big negatives about traveling second class on other types of trains in Italy, but we had no problems at all with our EuroStar trips.

Also, you can reserve EuroStar travel farther in advance than other types of trains. This worked well for us as we could do that online.

You will not have to worry about reservations in November. Our personal preference for the past 15+ years is second class. Rode first once and didn't think it was worth the difference. Second class will be a bit more crowded because that is where most folks ride.

The runs that you list above all have Eurostars on them. Just for full information, you can also book the regionals (local) that hit every stop. Much slower and more train changes as they are not interregional. 1st class buys you a bit more leg and arm room. You will find 2nd class quite satisfactory. Unless your taking a ton of luggage, you will find ample storage in most any Italian train. Most is directly overhead but note that large heavy bags won't work overhead. Most have luggage at the end of the cars but these spaces fill up and you should watch your luggage. On the Eurostars, as well as the intercity (IC) trains, you can place a good-sized piece of luggage between the seats (hard to describe but the space is there). Also on the Eurostars, you must make seat reservations for both 2nd and 1st class. In November, you can do this at the train station just before getting on. Not a lot of tourists at that time.

Another difference is that 1st class is usually cleaner than 2nd class, and people in 1st class tend to be more quiet, and to themselves than in 2nd class.

If you're traveling on Eurostar, there is little to be gained by spending extra for first class- the second class Eurostar cabins are as nice as the 1st class cabins in IR trains in Italy.