Months ago we made 2 train reservations with Italo for Naples to Rome and Rome to Florence.
We have selected seats when we made reservation. Both are around 1pm departures on 10/10 and 10/13.
How early do we need to get to Naples and Rome train stations before departure.?
We printed out our reservations- What do we need to do with printed online voucher at train station?
There is no specified minimum time. You just need enough time to get through the station, find your train on the big departure board, go to the correct platform (binari) and get on.
It would take 5-10 minutes, so if it is your first time, arrive 30 minutes before departure, which gives you plenty of time, you can even buy a snack for the trip.
Photo of departure board here: http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/1a79c2339b3a4689a845694080eca019/rome-italy-train-departures-at-termini-station-f4m5e0.jpg
20 minutes should be enough, they don't post track numbers much earlier.
All you have to do it getting on the right train and being able to tell/show the conductor your PNR code when he/she'll come at your seats.
In Rome there may be doors to pass from the shopping center to the tracks area. They just want to see an e-ticket to keep gypsies and beggars far from the tracks, but being you an obvious tourist they'll probably wave you in.
Italotreno may be listed as NTV on monitors and departure boards, just look for your train number and departure hour. The last column on the right headed "binario/platform" sooner or later will show the track number.
Just a point of terminology. There are tickets, and there are seat reservations. For some train systems, these can be bought separately. For Italo, when you buy your ticket, you get a seat reservation (as you say). However, there is no "reservation" all by itself for Italo - what you have are "tickets" with "seat reservations."
I mention this because if you refer to your ticket as your "train reservation," some may get confused (I did, and had to read your post twice). Just call it a ticket.
With your printed tickets, you just go to the station. As you have been told, for Italo trains you do not need to go through additional screening or security. You wait until your train departure track is posted, and go to that track. You may have to show your tickets to get onto the platform. On the train, the conductor will scan your ticket.
That's it.
For a large station, if it's your first time there, you will want to get there a bit early to use the toilet, buy a snack, and get your bearings. Once you know a station better, you can get there much closer to departure. As said above, they don't post tracks too early. I once saw a tourist in Prague nearly have a heart attack, because it was well over an hour before her train departure, and while the train was posted, the track wasn't. I tried to explain that this is how it works, and the track will be posted in plenty of time for her to get to the train (it was a small station with only four platforms), but she would not be comforted.
Used to be that tracks were posted way in advance, but more large stations are now going to the 20-minute track posting time. Hopefully this cuts down on the rush to a different track if the track number changes because of a late departure or arrival.
We have tickets with reserved seats through Italiarail (Trentalia) from Naples to Rome. Is the process the same?
Yes, the process is the same for Trenitalia as for Italo.
We have tickets with reserved seats through Italiarail (Trentalia) from Naples to Rome. Is the process the same?
Yes the process (or lack of process) is the same. Both companies use the same stations and the same tracks.
Just walk into the station, find your train and get on board - simple. No interaction with anybody until the conductor checks your ticket some time during the trip.
I have used Trenitalia a few times. Trains are referred to by number and first or last stop. So, a train going to Firenze S.M.N. could be listed as going to Venezia Santa Lucia. If the train you are getting is coming from Napoli Centrale or Salerno it will appear on the arrivals and departure boards. There could be something like 8 minutes between arrival and departure times. When the departure platform number appears on the board you head for the platform. I usually have the printed online ticket with the PNR handy. The train number will be on a screen at the platform. Up along the platform there are usually signs indicating where the different train carriages will stop. The train may not arrive in before you get to the platform. The carriages can either in the order ...3, 4, 5..
etc or ...7, 6, 5... etc. At or on the door of the train carriage it will show the seat numbers, lower or higher, at that end of the carriage.
They also call out the train info in English and Italian at the train stations. After a few moments on the train and before it moves they will say the train number and where it is going, such as the final destination.
If you look at the Trenit app for the dates in question it will show the full route of the train.
