Train ticket questions

travel agent wants more commissions

(and no)

Time to dump the travel agent. Your experience is why I never use one. He or she is just trying to bilk you for commissions as Nigel wrote above.

Yes skip the agent and buy them online yourself at Trenitalia or Italo.

Adding my opinion to the bunch here. I just used the Trenitalia app to buy some of my tickets ahead of time for considerable savings. Very easy! Not all routes need advance purchases for savings. Also, I always use 2nd class - never had an issue with luggage.

Yep, dump that agent! Heck, you'll get better information here, for FREE, than what you're paying this clown for.
We've traveling Italy by rail - with luggage - and never needed a first-class ticket. 2nd class is plenty comfortable enough..

The only reason to book tickets NOW would be to take advantage of any deep discounts on 'fast' train tickets currently offered, Those are usually non-changeable and non-refundable. Your travel within the CT will likely be on regionale trains, and there's no need to purchase those tickets in advance for those trains; the price is fixed and there's no reserved seating.

I'm sure that travel agent has never even seen a train in Italy never mind actually travel on one!
Good Lord.
Hope you dumped him/her very fast.

You will not want huge suitcases when traveling on trains, but rather ones that each person can comfortably lift up onto the train and perhaps onto a rack at the end of each train car.

https://www.seat61.com/ is the place to start.
You can have a look at photos and videos.
Then, when you see how the trains work, go to Trenitalia or Italotreno websites to look for your tickets.
Sometimes you get a better deal for one rather than the other, and sometimes first class is on sale.

Train travel in Italy is excellent and not difficult.

You definitely don't need a travel agent. First question..where are you flying into? If Rome (FCO) and you are staying there first, then just take the Leonardo Express train into Rome Termini train station. You don't need to buy this ahead of time. Just be sure to validate you ticket at the machine before boarding. We have been to Italy several times and one time I was talking too much and got on the train without validating and got caught by the train ticket officer. I usually buy my train tickets online before my trip as certain high-speed trips (Rome to Florence, Florence to Venice) will be more costly and sometimes might be sold out. Be sure you book the St Lucia station for Venice and Santa Maria Novella station for Florence as there are multiple stations. Use the Italian names for the cities. Just be careful of people trying to help you put your luggage on the train. Scam artists are everywhere. As Rick says "Money belt, money belt, money belt" I try to be at the station 30 minutes before departure and head for the track as soon as your train shows up on the departure sign. If you are flying into Rome and heading directly somewhere else i.e. Florence or Venice then I usually don't book ahead or book several hours out from when I would arrive at the Termini due to if your plane is delayed. Also calculate in the time it takes to pass through customs, getting your luggage, taking the train into Rome. Google Trenitalia to get the English version.
You can do it !