Frecce Trenitalia on their website, still showing unavailable

No, you can buy up to the day in advance (I checked) and I saw on 9/15 available but also not on 9/1. I didnt' check all the days. There is work planned on some of the lines in August (I didn't see that portion but maybe I missed it). 8/28 is available... can you go a day in advance? In April the line was shut down for work a few days to Florence but it was just for the weekend.

Thx! Actually it is that very specific date -likely something early evening. Checking trenitalia, frecce showing unavailable.

Specifically it says:
Currently not available for purchase. We are rescheduling travel solutions.

This post has links to discussions on some other ticket issues during track construction

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/train-track-works-late-july-in-florence

If it says “temporarily unavailable” that is what it means
Once they have the alternatives sorted the tickets will become available
It is still more than 2 months away-just keep checking
There will be trains or a bus substition

Christine thanks! So my date is aug 29. Showing unavailable for purchase. What you shared seemed to refer to July and I’ve looked at lots of other steves posts:) So you’re saying schedule will get released later? I was looking or desiring frecce specifically say 630pm or so mestre to SMN

Yes I know those posts are about the July track work

Yes it says “rescheduling travel solutions”
This is a major route -of course there will be trains

Just wait, check every few days

Christine thank you my concern really wasn’t that there wouldn’t be trains. I think there’s availability currently for the long trains that take about four hours. My concern was for the shorter high-speed train that it is still showing unavailable as it’s really not all that far out.

It is over 2 months.
As you can see from the July issue the rescheduling was complete and trains became available for purchase about a month out

What is the start point of your trip and the destination?

it’s really not all that far out

Yes, it is. Trains are mass transit, not planes. Trenitalia still sells the largest share of its tickets on the day of travel.

Hi Marco and Sam. Thank you ! So aug 28 frecce shows available to book now. Aug 29 frecce does not. Mestre to smn aug 29 say 630pm. RT. With a return about 4 days later. That day before - Aug 28 - shows avail to book now - the time I need does not says unavailable.

I understand your frustration so you have options

Wait.
Check every few days til your travel day is available.

Accept that it is way too early to worry about this (or to worry at all)

Book a regional train instead.

Change your travel dates

Personally I would just wait.

The fact that it is available on Friday, Aug 28 and not Saturday, Aug 29, is a dead giveaway that there is a construction project involved. There are a couple of direct IC trains, at 1:33 pm and 6:45 pm, from Firenze Rifredi (just a stones throw from SMN) that are only a bit slower than Freccia trains.

Hi Sam. So you’re thinking only slow trains then on Aug 29?

I believe the IC trains run on the fast train tracks so if they are running and already scheduled I doubt your only option would be regional

Good idea to choose a different Florence station
( Firenze Tutto le Stazioni)

the time I need does not says unavailable

I don't know what time you need, but I've made a search putting 6:30 AM as time of departure and the warning reads "currently not available" for all direct Freccia trains, up to the last one departing from Mestre at 7:38 PM.

Just wait some weeks and check again.

Months ago, We had a similar conversation with Brian from Cincinnati and this is what he wrote on 06/09:

I wanted to post back here that tickets are now available for Rome-Venice (or vice-versa) travelers out there. Several here on the forum suggested that Trenitalia would offer train travel to Florence, then a bus to connect stations within Florence and then continuing service to Venice and they were correct! Those tickets are now on sale. I wanted to make anyone aware who needs train tickets for dates affected by the bridge works so that they could purchase them. Again, many thanks to folks who answered my questions about this topic!

Sam i’m already seeing slow trains on that day that do go to Santa Maria Novella. Is there a reason why you’re thinking another train station?

The fast trains run on different tracks from the regional (slow) trains

If IC trains are going to Rifredi then you can assume the track work is on fast train tracks into SMN

( IC trains are very similar to fast trains-seat reservations required and they just make a few more stops so they take a few minutes longer)

Just a guess

Thank you all

Since I land that day, what I might just do then is just simply buy the high-speed train fare the day I land once I get there..

I’m assuming as there are two high-speed options from Venice to Santa Maria Novella for something like a 7:45 PM on a Saturday evening in late August I’m assuming they won’t have sold out every single train high speed seat across both of those carriers

It is always wise to wait til you land to purchase any train tickets for that day
Delays happen, the time it takes to get thru the airport and to the station is unpredictable

The trains will not sell out

Exactly full circle logic on my part. Again thank you all.

As I mentioned high speed trains are available for the day prior and in mid September but there is a gap... so something must be in the planning but alternatives will be offered. It is not that the schedule isn't available that far out because it is available for mid September.

Wow ok so as far out as I went there was no schedule. Is there possibility no high speed will be offered that day or evening? I would need the train early evening and ideally would need high speed as I would be coming off a long flight- and so I probably shouldn’t get it until day of because I’ll be coming off a flight (and there could be delays etc.).

I did notice that beginning Sept 1, they are showing replacement buses between Florence and Bologna, or using the regional line between those. So there appears to be a project on the high-speed line.

Hi Sam, I was just noticing on the Rick Steves Facebook page Someone was mentioning to still hang tight. I sure hope they eventually do put up a schedule for high-speed trains that would be really brutal to get in from such a long flight and to have to do some sort of regional train, which would be really long between those two places.

Is there possibility no high speed will be offered that day or evening?

Do you mean the high speed trains from Venezia Mestre to Florence on August 29? These trains will run, including the one flagged as currently not available:
https://i.postimg.cc/KzTBL75Z/Immagine-2026-06-18-162205.jpg

On that day / route I can't see what the problem is. Did I misunderstand you? You are flying into Venice and taking a train to Florence on the 29th, aren't you?

Marco hi ! Unless it just dropped this second there were NO high speed train options either trenitalia or italo starting early evening aug 29 Venice mestre to Firenze SMN at all (with return around sep 2 r/t back to Venice).

I guess it just dropped this second, but I see Freccia trains from Mestre to Florence SMN every hour at 38 past the hour up until 7:38 pm on Aug 29.

Now the return on Sept 2 is a different matter. Only direct trains are a couple of IC trains from Firenze Rifredi.

Sam, thank you. Italo shows absolutely nothing at all for August 29. Do you think they’ll be dropping that schedule at some point?

Also for the return on September 2 I’m showing a lot of not available. Do you think they’ll be dropping inventory especially high-speed inventory for the return on September 2 at some point -or italo?

The problem is the railroad tracks being worked on/repaired/upgraded. Trains can't run on them at that time, whether Trenitalia or Italo. It is just like all the orange barrels I am seeing in Wisconsin right now. "Road Closed Ahead", "Detour", "Exit Closed".