Rail pass

Sure but why? Very expensive way to do it. Regionale trains are very cheap.

If you make a rail pass work for you, you will be one of the very few who ever do. Financially they are very difficult to make pay off.

They are reasonably convenient if all you want is Regionale trains because you can hop on and off them to your heart's content, but that is not true on anything faster.

If you use anything faster (and better) than a Regionale you MUST obtain a passholder reservation before boarding the train or risk a very high fine, payable on the spot.

Unless things have changed recently the cost for a reservation on an InterCity or EuroCity train is €3 per leg. The cost for a high speed train, what are technically called Eurostar Italia and marketed as the Freccia trains is €10 per leg.

These are on top of what you are paying per day for your pass.

If you buy your tickets ahead, just like you do for a flight, you can get them very cheaply, much much cheaper than you can buy a pass. Freccia fares start at €9, many at €19, then a bit higher as the time approaches. Regionale walk up fares aren't cheaper in advance but they are really cheap anyway.

Before you plunk down loads of money on a pass do the math on buying just the tickets you need.

That said, the answers to all the questions in your post are:- yes,yes, yes (but know that it is very steep up the hill from the station - take a bus up the hill), yes, yes, it made perfect sense.

So I can go onto Trenitalia.com or RailEurope.com and just buy point to point Freccia tickets for Florence to Rome and return, Florence to Venice and return, Florence to Le Spezia and return? And then I can also purchase the reservations there as well for these tickets? Are they available for purchase now?

Italian trains are cheap. I never by a pass. I also never buy tickets in advance. I usually travel during the "shoulder season" so trains aren't that full. When I arrive in the town I am staying at, I get back in line and buy tickets for the next town on my itinerary, so when it is time to leave for the next town, I already have my tickets and don't have to stand in the ticket line and can go right on the train. it has worked for me every trip.

I will be there mid June. Seems like the height of the season. And I am traveling with 12 other people, so all of us need to get on the same trains at the same time.

Whenever you buy Frecce tickets, they will be reserved for a specific date, time, and seat assignment; it's not a separate step with a ticket. Lower fares are not refundable and often not changeable. Best rates go on sale about 4 months ahead. Regional tickets aren't reserved for a specific train, but those bought online are pre-validated for a specific 4-hour travel window. Florence to Cinque Terre is another regional-train route. See also group discount info at http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Offers/Travelling-in-groups.

Since all of the trips you have described seem to be roundtrip in the same day, you would be getting more travel out of a pass than many people. (Whether you should do all of those destinations as day trips is a different question.) The 4-day version currently costs about $157 per person in 2nd class or $195 in 1st, plus seat reservation fees just under $50 more, in comparison to full-fare 2nd class tickets adding up to about $300 per person.

Regarding the Florence to Rome (return) and Florence to Venice (return) routes, Vincenza could also travel with www.italotreno.com , trenitalia's private competitor on major routes that runs only high speed trains.

Sometimes their prices are lower than trenitalia's and sometimes not, but a comparison between two competing companies never hurts. Italo tickets always include a seat reservation, like those by trenitalia. Travel time is the same, but out of tunnels Italo's free wi-fi usually works better as their trains are less crowded.

Do you really want to go to Venice as a day trip from Florence, Vincenza? Did I got it right?

I think that staying at least one night is the only way to see the real Venice when the hordes of day trippers have gone. Walking around Venice during the night is an unforgettable experience.

Do not use or buy from Rail Europe. They are a travel agency that sells overpriced tickets. Use Trenitalia or Italiarail.

"Regarding the Florence to Rome (return) and Florence to Venice (return) routes, Vincenza could also travel with www.italotreno.com, trenitalia's private competitor on major routes that runs only high speed trains."

I don't believe Italo (or some of the other rail lines in Italy) accepts Rail passes, so Vincenza would have to purchase a regular ticket and seat reservation.

Wow. Lots of opinions. Thank you all. However, I would like to direct this post to Laura from Ricks office. Yours seemed to actually somewhat answer my question. But just to clarify...I am travelling three days by train with 12 people. Most of us have rail passes because we are there for a month. But 4 of those people are only with us for week and we have specific days and times that we are going to certain places. I did not want them to buy rail passes since it would not be cost effective for them. So for their trip from Florence to Rome and return (June 15), Florence to Venice and return (June 16), and Florence to Le Spezia and return (June 14), I can buy them tickets and reservations online through Trenitalia.com for a specific day and time. Correct? Also, I thought I saw a Freccia train early in the morning to La Spezia and also a late train @ 8pm (20:00) back to Florence. Do you know if this if true? Thanks in advance for your response.