Train Travel from Florence to Venice

Certainly you can wait to purchase train tickets. I'm not sure where that hotel is, but most likely you'll be near the center of Florence, so Santa Maria Novella is most likely the station you need, and you are going to Venezia Santa Lucia.

The stations posted previously are what you want. As for tickets, yes you can purchase when you get there, but it is worth going to the Trenitalia site ( www.trenitalia.com ) and see what is available. Be aware that they only post schedule out a few months, so your dates of travel may not be posted yet, but you can put in a date for the day of the week and out a few weeks to get an idea of schedule.

What you should find is a departure about every half hour, it takes a couple hours, and for the difference, you might choose an "off-peak" time or cheaper fare and take the faster trains.

You could try purchasing ahead, but not sure that the savings would be worth it for a relatively short trip.

Nate,

It's essential to know the correct station names, since many cities in Europe have more than one.

That's a very easy trip, and you can easily buy your tickets at Firenze SMN just prior to your trip if you'd rather have more flexibility. You can either buy tickets at the staffed ticket window (often long queues) or from one of the automated Kiosks. Have a look at the excellent Ron In Rome website for information on how to buy tickets using the Kiosks.

You can save money by pre-purchasing tickets, but that will lock you into a specific departure time and train. With the premium trains which have compulsory reservations, you MUST be careful to board ONLY the train specified on your ticket or you may be fined on the spot!

On that particular route, you can either travel via the high speed Freccia trains, or the new Italo high speed trains, since they both use the same stations. Both have frequent departures. Choose whichever one has the cheapest tickets. You can check the Trenitalia or Italo websites for timetables and other information.

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time on the tour!

Buon Viaggio!

Hi Nate,

Just did this run about 2 weeks ago - I booked our tickets in advance on the Trenitalia site. For us, the savings were significant (36 euros for 4 people from Florence to Venice!) so it was definitely worth doing. Of course, the downside is that you are locked into a specific time/date - really just depends which you value more - flexibility or euros!!!
We used trains throughout Italy and found that they were consistently on time, quiet, clean and a terrific way to get between cities!!!

Hi Nate,

Just did this run about 2 weeks ago - I booked our tickets in advance on the Trenitalia site. For us, the savings were significant (36 euros for 4 people from Florence to Venice!) so it was definitely worth doing. Of course, the downside is that you are locked into a specific time/date - really just depends which you value more - flexibility or euros!!!
We used trains throughout Italy and found that they were consistently on time, quiet, clean and a terrific way to get between cities!!!

Thank you all for the GREAT info!

Regards
Nate

As others have noted, Nate, you will want Firenze SMN or Santa Maria Novella. Good news for you, your hotel is located pretty close (about 1km) to the train station - and just up the street from the Duomo! I stayed in Hotel California in May 2010 and loved it. They had recently done renovations, and it was very nice.

I just booked high-speed rail tickets on Italiarail from Florence to Venice. You can book as early as 120 days in advance, and the early purchase discounts are very attractive. I wouldn't wait until you get to Florence to get the tickets to Venice. It's an extremely popular destination and you MUST have a reservation. The info above about train station names is correct (and it's crucial you select the right one).

As others have posted, you can buy in advance and save money ( but be locked at that exact time and date if you don't want to lose your money) or you can buy there, but pay the full base price.

Trains from Florence to Venice are so frequent (at least two per hour) that the chance of selling out is nearly zero. In the worst case, you might have to buy the tickets for the next train if one train is sold out (or you can travel the next class above, since those never sell out). So you can buy them as late as the moment you arrive at the station.

Roberto- Could you clarify something for me-

The poster above you says you MUST have a reservation- you indicate that you can just buy tickets day of when needed.
Which is it?
We will be taking train from Venice to Florence on a Sun am- I would prefer to have flexibility and not purchase in advance- will we be OK with that plan?

All seats on high-speed trains are reserved. The reason you can wait to buy tickets at the station is that the reservation comes with the ticket and is included in the fare.

I just bought tickets on line for Firenze-Venezia on the high speed train. We are traveling with another couple who fly to Florence on a different flight.

My tickets cost 58E for 2 people, one way leaving Florence at 4:30PM. Our friends booked their tickets on line at the same time, leaving Florence at 6:30PM for 38E (again one way).

So - moral of the story...if you know for certain you can catch a specific train and can plan ahead. I personally think it's a good idea to go ahead and get your tickets before you leave the US.

As I check the website, the fares continue to go UP as the date of departure approaches.

This is for the FAST train...I'm sure you can also grab any train and go for a less expensive fare....and maybe not have a seat to sit in for a few stops...etc.

We've traveled to Italy 10+ times now, rely on trains mostly, but have taken a few buses. Maybe 2x we got on a train and there were NO SEATS! It was loaded with people and suitcases. Not a fun journey, but we got to our destination.

As mentioned, if you do pre-purchase your ticket, you have to make that train, or your forfeit the ticket and there are no refunds. If you are flexible, then I don't see a reason why you couldn't plan ahead and get to the train station for a specific train.

Even when we are in Italy and plan to use the train the next day, we make a side trip to the station, purchase our tickets the day before so there is no rush at the station to get the tickets and find the track. (sometimes track number change too - make sure you double check the departure board, or ask as you board a train to make sure it's going to your correct destination)

Trains leave several times a day to the same destinations...some more directly/faster. Learn how to read the Departure board, your destination isn't always the LAST city on the route.

As always, www.seat61.com can explain both the train systems (plural) in Italy and strategies for buying tickets.