How early should I arrive before regional train departure time??

A few minutes will be enough, especially if you already have a ticket. In Europe you just hop on and off regional trains, you don't have to queue, check luggage or whatever. In a small station, you only need a few minutes to locate the right track and get there, and off you go. In a bigger station like Roma Termini or Paris-Gare de Lyon, plan to be there 15-20 minutes before if you really want to be sure, since you can have to walk a bit. Don't forget to stamp your ticket in the machine before you get on the train, or it will not be valid.

You shouldn't take a regional train from Rome to Florence. You should take a "Freccia" high speed train. The regional train takes four hours to get you from Rome to Florence. The Freccia train takes an hour and a half. Depending on when you're traveling, you can get a huge discount on that Freccia ticket if you purchase online in advance.

I agree with Michael, the regional train takes forever, and the fast trains tend to be much more comfortable.

Are you sure you have per purchased regional tickets? You can only purchase seven days in advance but there is absolutely no reason to do so. Regional train ticket never sell out.

Hello all :-)
Perhaps I used the wrong terminology by stating Regional Train. I thought that, that is what they call trains that basically run city to city in the same country. I have pre-purchased tickets on the RailEurope site using Trenitalia and Italo Trains....

Jenny, Trains between cities in Italy come in several types, and only one is Regionale. Here's Ron In Rome's discussion of the types: http://www.roninrome.com/%20transportation/riding-the-trains-in-italy The different trains types have different rules for buying and using the tickets, so it's important to know whether you are on a Regionale or not. If you bought the ticket online and it has a seat reservation, it's not a regional. Regional trains are the same price whenever you buy the ticket; the tickets can't sell out (if there are no seats, you stand); the tickets are not for a specific train, but can be used on any regional on that particular route; and, most importantly, must be validated before use, or you will get a heavy fine. For other kinds of Italian trains: the ticket comes with a seat reservation; the ticket is only good for the particular train you have reserved; tickets bought in advance can be cheaper, if you can accept restrictions on refunds and exchanges; and they don't need to be validated, since they are only valid on one train.

It looks like you have reserved seats on a particular NON-regional train, a .Italo and a Freccia from Trenitalia. Those are both high speed "bullet" type trains. The ticket will have a car or carriage - carroza, and a seat or seats - posto. You will see car numbers on the outside of the cars. Walk down the train, slowly if it is already in the station like at Rome, more quickly if at an intermediate station like Bologna where it only stops a couple of minutes, until you find your number. Hoick the luggage up and hoick you up after - it can be quite a step up - and follow the numbers above the seats until you find your numbers and try to get the luggage onto the rack above the seat. You do just have one carry-on size bag each, right? The amount of time you need is the amount of time which will put you expectantly on the platform just before the train arrives, but not after. .Italo uses Tiburtina and Ostiense stations in Rome, Trenitalia uses Termini; they are 4 Metro stops apart. If you were on a genuine unreserved Regionale train you might do what I do and get on at a terminus station (where the train starts) 10 to 20 minutes (30 if at rush hour or Venice) ahead, or as soon as the train is posted on the electronic signs, because - being unreserved - people dash for the "good" seats, or in the case of Venice or rush hour, all the seats leaving those who join just before departure a walk through to the ends of the train searching seating, or standing in the corridor or by the doors.

Yep, you're using the wrong terminology. Another way to think of the Regionale trains is as the "local" or even the "milk run", if that term means anything to you. Regionale trains often stop at virtually every little town on their route. There's an excellent summary of train travel in Italy at Ron in Rome: http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/train-travel-italy And, for the benefit of other readers, you may have paid more than you needed to by buying through RailEurope instead of directly through Trenitalia and Italotreno.

There wasn't a train we took in our 16 night stay in Italy that was on time. And I am not exagerating. Maybe be there a bit early for your reserved trains (even those were late for us) but don't waste too much time to get there productively early or else your time could be wasted by late trains. What was nice was that the schedule did notify you if the train would be late. So you won't sit there thinking, well maybe I missed the train.