train travel--1st clas v. 2nd class

We always choose second class. I like to use the dollar savings on other things. You will find a variety of opinions on this page.

If your budget permits, ride first class on the first leg of your travel and walk through second class and note the difference. Then you can choose on your later travel.

1st class: Reserved seats. You'll be sitting with other tourists in slightly nicer seats.

2nd class: Much less expensive, and you'll be sitting with the Italians.

We do only 2nd class. Look for the cars with the number 2 painted on the outside.

I don't know, Michael -- we find a lot of tourists in 2nd class. We are always there. Seriously, I don't think 1st class is worth the difference but others may disagree. Sometime, book a first class ticket and see what you think. We did that once and didn't think it was worth it.

Hi Paige,

All routes that you described are operated by the Eurostar Italia, which are the high-speed trains of Italy. Despite that, the Venice-Florence route is not actually travelled at high-speed (not sure about the Milan-Venice route but Florence-Rome is high-speed).

These trains require reservations for the seats if you have a railpass. If you are just buying tickets as you go (recommended), then the tickets come with a reservation. You can buy the reservation at the station before the train departs, even from automated ticket machines which can sometimes be much faster than waiting in line at the ticket windows (especially in Florence).

These Eurostar Italia trains are pretty much the nicest and most comfortable ones in Italy. They are the only trains in Italy I have yet found that are comfortably air-conditioned, for one thing. The first class is very luxurious, but second class is certainly comfortable - more so than economy class on an airline.

In terms of whether or not there is much difference, it mostly comes in terms of space each seat occupies. In second class there are two seats, an aisle, and then two seats. In first class it is two seats, an aisle, and then just one seat. They are also more spaced apart. Otherwise, you really do not have much of a difference between the two classes, so the decision is all up to how much you are willing to pay for the extra space.

edit - I just found that Trenitalia has virtual tours of the train cabins, so you can see what they will be like. Click here and select a first class and second-class view on the top-right to see what the difference is like. Remember though, there really is no difference in the services you get on-board other than a free drink in 1st class.

Paige, the only difference between 1st and 2nd class is that the seats are a bit wider (4 per row instsead of 5) and you get more leg room. We started off in 1st class and quickly went to 2nd class as the extra money wasn't worth it. You'll find ample arm and leg room in 2nd class. Note that the Eurostar trip between Florence and Rome only takes 1hr. 40min. Most Eurostars between the two cities are non-stops. You might try the 1st class between Milan and Venice and see what you think. It's about 12Euro more.

Thanks y'all! What a fantastic resourse you are!