train question

This is why I'm a loco2.com kind of girl. More user friendly IMHO.
https://loco2.com/

hi traylapark, is LOCO2 shows same train route as Trenitalia ?

11:00 - 13:05 pm 2 hr 5 min, no change, costs at 45.50 usd, cheaper than the price listed above.

• Yes, the 11:25 train you list from Venice to Florence is a direct train. Yes, 51 Euro will be the price if you buy at the last minute.
• Super Economy are discount tickets if bought in advance. A certain number are allocated per train and class; when sold, they are gone. Trains rarely sell out. If you buy tix at the last minute, you will pay the 'base' price. Note if you can make the 8:00 train, that would be a shorter and simpler trip, as it has only one change with plenty of time. Enjoy your trip!

Helen, Premium, Super Economy, Base etc. are types of ticket. All apply to the same seats. As you get nearer the departure date, the cheaper tickets sell out, leaving only the most expensive "Base" tickets if you buy at the station on the day.
All ticket types are available for first or second class (at different prices).

"Hotel Ala to Venezia S. Lucia station". Same way you got to your hotel when you arrived, walk or Vaporetto (water bus). The only road access to Venice (where the buses arrive) is "Piazzale Roma", which is next to the station. Most people arrive at one or the other.

"$ 51 Euro" - this is confusing, do you mean dollars (which type?) or Euros? The symbol for Euros is €, not $. If you don't know how to get a € on your keyboard, just write EUR.

If you know for sure the date and time you want to take the train I would say to pre-book for the best price and then you can choose your seat. For shorter rides 2nd class is fine, for longer trips we like first class and the cost is not that much more. If you purchase the day of you may be able to use the ticket kiosk if there is no attended counter. Because I had used the website to purchase other tickets, using the kiosk was no problem as the navigation was just like the website. When using the Trenetalia website be sure to put "0:00" as your starting time to see all solutions for your journey, not just the time you want.

Ask your hotel to call you a taxi for your journey to the train station if it is too far to walk to. You can also use Uber. If you have an early morning departure you can ask for the taxi the night before. Even when we stayed in an Airbnb our host called a Taxi for us when we had an early departure (6am) and the taxi was waiting for us.

Very few Ubers in Venice due to the lack of roads

Much appreciated everyone.

Yesterday I was browsing each train I would take, and it would make sense that first come first serve, the lowest price would be taken quicker.

Shall I pre-book all my trip ( Gent-Antwerp/Bruges/Brussels) and/or only the ones from Italy onward. The portion from Florence to Varenna is long, so I probably should book now than waiting till my departure date, correct ?

I also posted another questions under Italy regarding Varenna 1N stay, could anyone please help ?

PS, do I need to tip at restaurant, or price is already included service fee. I would dine in at Michelin restaurant in Ams, would be happy to know this in advance.

Thanks again

do I need to tip at restaurant, or price is already included service fee.

You never need to tip. Tipping is not the Italian way. Prices displayed must, by law, include everything (tax, delivery, workers wages etc.).

"Shall I pre-book all my trip ( Gent-Antwerp/Bruges/Brussels) and/or only the ones from Italy onward. The portion from Florence to Varenna is long, so I probably should book now than waiting till my departure date, correct ?"

Whether a trip by train has a discount for pre-booking is not determined by whether it is long or short, but by the train system and the particular route.

For domestic trains within Belgium, such as the ones you listed, there is no discount for advance purchase. All the trains are unreserved - just buy a ticket and hop on the one you want.

From Florence to Varenna, the portion from Florence to Milan is on a train that will have a discount for advance purchase (a freccia train). The portion from Milan to Varenna will be on a regionale train, and will not have a discount for advance purchase. But you can buy it as one ticket good for the whole journey. Do note that the discount tickets have restrictions on exchanges and refunds, so before buying an Economy or Supereconomy ticket, make sure it's the train you are going to take (correct date and time).