Train tickets in Italy

At this time I would buy when you get there. The mini discount, if available, is available till midnight the day before. Rail Europe is a travel agency with a general mark up to the tickets, don't see discount tickets nor tickets to all trains - so skip them. Which airport are you flying into?

The Trenitalia web site will be the place to get the tickets (Rail Europe adds fees and ignores low-fare options). You can buy them when you are there if you want to remain flexible. There will be tickets. They won't sell out...probably. But the sometimes great deal with mini fares WILL go away as time passes and seats start to fill up. If low price is more important to you than the ability to change plans on the fly, go ahead and buy now.

Thank you. We are flying into venice and taking the train to Florence a few days later. I was hoping not to have to go the station just to buy tickets before our day of travel, but for some reason Trenitalia is not letting me complete the transaction online. Does anyone know if there are places other than the train station where I can buy tickets, preferably in San Marco? Thanks.

When you get into Venice, run by the train station to purchase your tickets and reservation to Florence. It's often a 2 hour trip on one of the fast (non-regional) trains (158 miles). They go thru Bologna to get there, and sometimes you have to transfer trains.

Unfortunately, the Trenitalia MINI ticket has changed since it's inception. Now the lead time is midnight two days before your travel date. You can no longer buy MINI tickets and travel the next day - so you have to be a little more organized.... or pay the BASE rate. You might also email your accommodations and ask if there is a nearby "FS" travel agent. They are distributors of the Trenitalia tickets. There may be one close to your accommodations. If you're two days in advance, you could get the MINI discounted ticket through them.