Two questions -
1) Is there luggage/bag storage at the Florence train station?
2) I see that trains from Florence to Rome leave about every 15 minutes in the afternoon but require a reservation. If we are not sure what time we will want to leave Florence, is it easy to make a reservation when we get to the train station for a train that will leave within 30 minutes, or do we need to decide ahead of time when to depart so we can make a reservation well ahead of time?
Thanks.
Yes, there is a luggage storage room at Florence SMN station. You can buy tickets at the station that will include your reservation fee and get the next train, but you will pay full price. It would be very unusual for the train to sell out, but your choice of seats may be limited and need to sit apart.
Yes, there is a bag storage office Santa Maria Novella station. Yes, it is easy to buy a reserved ticket at the station for the next train departing, no deadline to do so. See also general station info at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/train-stations.
1) Yes. Be aware of opening hours (they close at night at 11pm and reopen at 6am). There might be long lines during peak hours, so if you need to catch a train don't go to retrieve your luggage at the last minute.
2) Yes. I've always done it that way hundreds of time as I've never pre-purchased except for very rarely. Occasionally they run out of seats on 2nd class (now called Standard on the Frecciarossa) for the very next train within 30 min. In that case you either purchase a standard seat on the following train (maybe 20-30 after that) or, if you are in a hurry, you upgrade to a more expensive class (those higher class seats never sell out).
