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questions about trains

I will need to take a train from Venice to Florence and on a separate trip from Florence to Rome. Do I need to buy the tickets ahead of time? Is is cheaper or does it not matter when I buy them? Anyone know the estimated cost?

Posted by
84 posts

Hi Jill, we just returned from Italy end of February - loved it by the way. One tip we found was buy your ticket as soon as you can and try to get First Class. We found the difference in price very reasonable. We took the train from Milan to Venice - had to go second class as first class was full - so booked our next leg, Venice to Florence at Milan and then when we arrived in Venice - got our First Class tickets for Florence to Rome. The time between trips was only 3 - 6 days and we had no trouble. Second class was alright, but once you go First Class it was a nice treat. Nicer bathrooms, larger seats and they came around with refreshments and a snack - was a pleasant surprise! The country side was also wonderful - great way to get around. Enjoy your trip! Stella

Posted by
23268 posts

If you just spend a little time reading some of the prior postings on this subject here and under the transportation sub-section you would have your answer. In summary -- First, it is very difficult to buy advance ticket because the Italian rail does not like Am credit cards. Second, about 55 trains each day between Rome and Florence. Hard not find a seat. You can easily buy tickets the day of or the day beforoe. However, there are some discounts for advance purchases so you might try to buy as early as you can once you arrive in Italy.