Train options Florence to Rome

Two companies to choose from. The latter runs only high speed train, the former is State owned and runs also slower Regional commuter trains.

www.trenitalia.com
www.italotreno.it

You have the option to purchase in advance if you want discounts. Just be aware that discounted tickets are non refundable and generally non changeable in case you change your mind later and are not taking the train you book. If you buy on the day of departure you will be paying the full “Base” fare.

Seats don’t run out (there are trains to Rome every 10-20 minutes) so if you want full flexibility you can buy on the spot just minutes before departure.

So it’s your choice, but if you buy a discounted ticket in advance do so only if you are firm on your plans.

On our trip 3 years ago, we took an Italo train from Rome to Florence. We’d just landed at the Rome airport, took a train to the Termini station downtown, and an express Italo train was leaving in a very few minutes, so we bought tickets then and there. I don’t recall the price, but it was far cheaper than expected, and the trip to Florence was smooth and quick.

Coming back to Rome at the end of our time farther north, we took a slower Trenitalia train.* It made many stops, and as we got closer to Rome, more and more people got on, some really loud and not very well behaved. When the train reached the Termini station and we got off it, we had the longest walk along the platform to reach the actual station building and the exit. The train must’ve parked as far from the exit as possible, which just made that journey all the longer. I wasn’t sure we’d ever reach the end of the platform. As long as it’s not excessively more expensive, faster is the better choice.

*Please forgive my typographical /name error. I originally put in “Ferrovia” when I meant Trenitalia as being the slower train that we rode to Rome. I’ve now corrected that error, as reflected in the rewording above. My original message was typed at a little after 5:00 in the morning, when I hadn’t been sleeping well. Thank you marco, below, for catching my mistake. Now to get some sleep … | - )

a slower Ferrovia train

Ferrovia means Railway (singular), I'm afraid I can't understand what train you have actually used. Not all local trains stop at the secondary set of tracks in Termini station, it happened to you but it doesn't happen to every passenger on a budget.

jennyd, as a general rule you should learn about the different types of service offered by different Trenitalia trains (Freccia vs IC vs Regionales); this way you will avoid using the slow local trains (full of students and commuters) for long journeys.

Italotreno is a smaller, private company that runs only high speed trains. Sometimes in combination with their own buses, to reach towns far from the main railway lines.

Look carefully at train numbers. Once we almost got on the wrong train because it left at almost the same time as ours for the same destination-Florence. It's not like the US train system where trains for any destination are few and far between.

jennyd, I’m just reiterating that we’ve taken trains both directions between Florence and Rome. The Italo express train was quick and easy. The particular Trenitalia train we took (I originally mistakenly used the word “Ferrovia” instead of “Trenitalia” in my earlier response, but I’ve now edited that to say “Trenitalia”) was much slower, made several stops, and had several less-considerate other passengers onboard. It also stopped at the Rome Termini train station far from the exit gates, which required a long, long walk once we got off the train. I don’t recall how much either train cost, but the Trenitalia ride was more of an ordeal.

Trenitalia offers several levels of trains. The Frecciarossa (Italian for “Red Arrow”) are their highest-speed trains, and then there’s a variety of other trains that vary in speed, number of stops enroute, possible need to switch trains enroute, and price.

The best train for the 3 of you could depend on the preferred departure and arrival times, and price. One option that’s been convenient for me is using the Trainline App. You put in the departure and arrival locations, and it presents types of transportation, price ranges, and length of ribs to get there. Click on the train results bar, and it’ll display the possibilities. You can even buy your tickets through the App for a small convenience charge, or using the information it has shown to identify which train you want, you can then go to the Trenitalia or Italo Website to order your tickets directly from them, no extra charge.