Specific direction from FCO please

Easiest is to follow the signs and check terminal maps. Following is one of many available on-line:
https://www.fiumicinoairport.net/terminals/maps.shtml
If arrival is at other than terminal 3 take the shuttle bus to T3. Take the walkway to the train station and, voila, the train!
You will find a train Info counter at T3, along with ticket machines.
Bon voyage!

I'd bet $20 there is a YouTube of this. That would let you see it rather than just read it.

And starting with 200 euros sounds fine to me. I use cards for almost everything, home and traveling. If you run our of cash ATMs are always an option. (

It will be easier than you expect. Airports generally have good signage. When in doubt, ask an airport employee. They will speak enough English to direct you.

When you get to the train station at the airport, you can purchase your ticket to Florence there. Either from a machine (which will have an English option) or from someone at the counter. That way you don’t have to worry about it at Termini. Then once you get to Termini, you just find the platform and train.

Just follow the signs with a train on them. They are quite obvious: https://images.app.goo.gl/NnwPFFs94atRArgNA

You can get a through ticket from FCO to Florence at the airport station. Or online while waiting for your luggage, there is free wifi at at FCO. In any way there is no need to make two separate purchases.

The most important thing is that trains are identified by company and code, not by intermediate stops (like Firenze SMN). That code is written on tickets and on Departure/Partenze boards: https://images.app.goo.gl/wcBsshRYHC1jA9tD7

Here are a few videos that may help
Getting from airport to Rome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQsi_m1LFW8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTcH0p1Rf4s

About the train station in Rome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F93wWByprdk

If I recall, from T3, once you get into the arrivals hall, look for signs for the trains. When we were there in September, it was slightly confusing, since they had some places cordoned off for the purposes of routing incoming people through checks (temperature, covid card, etc.) so outgoing people were routed slightly out of the way. But you will go down an elevated walkway towards the parking garages, I believe you wind up taking a right turn, and then up ahead a left turn which will lead you onto the platform area, with something like 4 tracks straight ahead.

If you did not get a ticket in T#, there are more ticket machines, very easy to use, take cash or card (some maybe card only), or there is a ticket counter.

Get your ticket, look at the schedule board, that will tell you what track the train is on, but the Leonardo Express is pretty obvious, and there are only two different trains (sometimes a third) that leave from there.

Relatively new is a Metro/subway type turnstyle that you put your ticket into to get to the train, I believe this negates the need to validate your ticket separately (an old problem and source of stories of 50 euro fines for many travelers).

From there, sit back, enjoy the not very spectacular scenery (but it is Italy!), the next stop is Termini.

The arrival track for the express used to be, and I believe still, is way on the side of the tracks, and down a ways, meaning a bit of a hike to get to the main platform area in Termini. From there, use the schedule board to find your track. If your train is an hour or more from leaving, it may not yet be listed, or have a track. The fast trains tend to leave from a common set of track, so if you see other fast trains, it will likely be in that area, if you are taking a regional train, probably on one of the other tracks. Use your departure time and train number as a clue as to where to look on the board/monitor, keep in mind that your train to S M Novella, might show as Venice (Venezia St. Lucia or Mestre for example) as that might be the last stop, with SMN being an intermediate stop. During covid, they also set up a security/document check going onto the actual platforms, and preferred you to wait until near your departure time to head to the platform. That may have all changed by the time you are there.

There are a few direct trains from FCO to Florence, bahn.de shows one at 13:53, arriving at 16:11, on a random April date. That would save you the trouble of going into Rome and changing trains, though the total time would be comparable. Use "Fiumicino Aeroporto" and "Firenze SMN" to find these direct trains as well as those requiring a change in Rome.

This is great information, thank you. I’m feeling more confident already. :)

The Leonardo Express arrives at track 24. Sometimes at track 23, depending on the departure hour from the airport.

Most high speed trains stopping in Florence go to either Milan or Turin. These trains usually depart from track 8, 10 and 12. Those going to Genoa usually stop at track 21.

The turnstiles at FCO station actually time-stamp tickets, that's what "validate" means. In another station you'd use a small punching by the tracks. There is No need to time-stamp train tickets purchased online.