train travel difficulties for newbies

Start here for the basics
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-italy.htm

Once you have itinerary set, come back to forum to ask more specific questions

Stick with the car, if you managed that way before (not racking up traffic tickets) and can afford it. The trains in Italy in my experience arrive behind schedule 9 out of 10 times. I never drive and think this can be stressful to the non-seasoned train rider, who doesn't understand Italian language. Only if at least there was 1 out of the 3 of you that knows or understands how to ride the trains would I recommend it.

Don't be too intimidated by trains - remember that the trains are the main form of travel for everyone - young and old - across Italy and they do this everyday. Once you've done it a couple of times it becomes routine - even boring after a while.

You'll want to take the fast trains between big cities and these come with assigned seats on a specific train. The earlier you buy the cheaper the tickets but you're trading economy for flexibility. Tickets for fast trains are generally available two months ahead.

As mentioned the Man in Seat 61 is a great resource and a site like Rome2Rio.com can help with broad planning but always confirm and doublecheck that information and book directly with Trenitalia.

The state train company is Trenitalia - they run fast trains and local ones. https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

Local trains called regionale tickets are always the same price - just buy them when you need them. Also if you have a reserved train and you miss it because of the train being late and it's the train companies fault they are required to re-book your ticket even if it is a restricted change ticket. Of course if you just miss a train with a restricted ticket the restrictions apply.

You'll want to use the Italian city names for best results when searching on train sites: Roma for Rome, Firenze for Florence etc.
Get used to using 24 hour "military" time when dealing with trains but it's used less in Italy outside of trains.

Download the Trenitalia app to check schedules, buy tickets, validate them for travel and track trains in real time.
Always validate your regionale tickets - paper ones at the stamp machine and electronic ones in the app. You should be able to import your Trenitalia tickets into your app so you should have them there in addition to printed versions.

Be brave and have a great trip,
=Tod

By all means read up on the Man in Seat 61 website. It should take away a lot of your anxiety. The learning curve is a very easy one, and you REALLY don't want a car if visiting any city. And even towns and villages can be restricted by the dreaded ZTLs. If you provide an itinerary it would be much easier to provide more meaningful information.

I enjoy traveling by train especially when traveling internationally. Using apps can be very handy for booking and additional information. It never hurts to gleam details from a ticket agent (but that can be time consuming). My experience has been quite positive. It’s a great way for everyone in your group to relax and enjoy. Embrace it while seeking as much information as possible. If along the way it doesn’t work out for you at least you can flex and rent.

We’ve rented cars frequently in Europe. But, always, always, our first choice is public transportation. So much more relaxing.

Could you list your destinations and folks here can give you a general idea what you’d be looking at for trains. Maybe I missed the list of your destinations when I was reading from my iphone. In any case, all those places are easy by bus or train. I say bus, because I know that buses to and from Siena tend to be more user friendly, IMO, than trains because the buses arrive and depart on top of the hill that Siena sits on.

If you are looking at time in Rome, you do not need or want a car.

Yes, too many cities. I think Rome, Florence and Siena would make a nice 10 day trip.

train travel is an absolute breeze in italy. i am 60+ and my knees are not in the best shape. unlike another commentator, my experience is that trains are almost always on time. when i am on vacation what difference does a 10/15 minute delay make anyway? i would say in addition to the sites already listed google maps is your friend. the trainitalia site is easy to navigate. ticket kiosks in stations are foreign-user friendly. all take cash or credit cards. look at the displays for your train number and it will tell you the platform information. now, as with any train, you will have to lift your luggage onto the carriage and stow it either overhead or in designated areas in the car. lightening your load will help. transfers from train to lodging will depend. usually, train stations are close to the center but not always. taxis and public transportation of some sort are always available. a tour is certainly more convenient but when i hear 'attenzione, allontanarsi dalla linea gialla' for the first time on every trip, the romantic in me lets me know that i have finally arrived! enjoy your rip.

We found train travel in Italy to be fairly simple. IMO you have far too many destinations listed for a trip of only 10 days I would suggest you pare those down, and come back for more specific recommendations. October of 2024 is only 3 months away, so you need to confirm your plans ASAP.

Looks like you added the places you want to visit. None of those really lend themselves to a car rental. But those need a lot more than 10 days. More like 15 minimum if you are doing RT Rome. So you need to either stretch your time or edit places.

If you can do a multicity ticket instead, I'd suggest something with a more logical progression. Fly into Venice, then CT, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, and Rome. Fly home from Rome. If you must do a RT ticket, then take the train (or fly) to Venice on your arrival day and work your way back to Rome.

I'll agree that the you don't need or even want a car for the destinations you've listed. We love Italian trains and they're really not difficult at all once you get the hang of it. Trust me, I'm a complete knob when it comes to figuring out public transit so if I can do it. you can too! The really nice thing for the 3 of you is that you can all just sit back and enjoy the ride; no watching the road, signage or maps, and no parking headaches.

But Rome, Orvieto, Florence Venice, Siena, CT and back to Rome in 10 days? Oof. Way too much. If you've not been to any of them before, I'd cut the list by at least half if not more. 2 nights for 6 locations would be 12 nights and only 1 FULL sightseeing day each. That's a LOT of moving around, and not all attractions are open every day of the week. If keen on seeing some of the major museums in Florence, for instance, you don't want your one day to end up being the one many of them are closed

How about watching some Youtube videos about using trains in Italy? Watch a few of them to pick up tips from others. The trains high-speed trains between major cities (Rome-Florence-Venice, etc) are probably easier to understand. Pretty straight-forward. The regional trains to smaller places often require transfers. That's when opportunities arise for delays, getting on the wrong train (done that), etc. Also, smaller train stations often do not have elevators and you might have to go between tracks/trains by way of a staircase.

Also, if visiting Siena from Florence, consider traveling by bus rather than train. The bus will go from city center to city center. It has been a very long time since I did that route so I cannot offer the name of the bus company. I recall leaving from outside the Florence train station and being dropped off city-center Siena.

Brenda is correct about the bus. We used FLIX to go from Siena to Rome. To be honest, I have no idea what the bus company was that we used from Florence to Siena. We walked into the bus station right next to the Santa Maria Novella train station, went up to the counter and purchased the next available tickets.

Luggage is slightly easier for a bus, because it goes underneath the passengers, at street level. For trains, you might have to be able to carry the suitcase up a couple steps. If you can't reach to put the luggage up above, someone may offer to help, or if the train is not full you can keep it right next to you. Some trains have a luggage compartment close to the door. I tend not to use them unless I can sit close.

To get 10 days you’ll need to spend 11 nights in Italy
Counting your trip in nights gives a clearer picture

A 3 night stay gives you just 2.5 days of sightseeing

You have too many locations
Each location change eats up at least a half a day-check out, get to train, Train trip, Find next lodging, check in, get oriented
If you only have 11 nights pick no more than 3 locations or you’ll spend most of your time doing the above

Venice and CT are outliers-drop them

If you must fly In/Out of Rome and have 11 nights
Consider this;
Arrive Rome
Train to Orvieto 2 nights-good place to get over jet lag, easy 1 hour train trip from Roma Termini. on the train line to Florence
Train to Florence
Florence 5 nights-2 day trips-Siena, Lucca/Pisa or CT( not the best choice-time consuming travel with little reward)
Train to Rome
Rome 4 nights
Fly home from Rome

Putting all your Rome nights at end of trip eliminates split stay
Plan above is only 3 main train trips with luggage
Day trips by bus or train are easy

If you must have Venice
Fly IN to Venice
Out of Rome
Flying in to Venice is much easier than flying out of Venice ( it can be done just more difficult)
Venice 3
Florence 4 with 1 day trip
Rome 4