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Trains - Rome to Florence- Checking for understanding

Posted by (Silver Spring, MD, US) on

Here is what I currently understand:
(Along with a few questions)

I can purchase the tickets at the station from a machine on the platform, or from the ticket counter, or at the American Express office in the Piazza Spanga- but this is no where near the station.

I can purchase a regional (slow train) fare at any of these locations - for 16 euro, and I can not reserve a seat on these trains. I can purchase right up until the train leaves...

I can purchase an Amica fare for an IC train for 19 euro at any of these locations (if it is available) - but there is not Amica fare discount on regional trains - and i can purchase this in advance utntil midnight before
On the IC train, I can make a seat reservation:

Questions: Can I make the seat reservation at the electronic machine?
What additional charges do I pay for a seat reservation?

I know that I can go faster and pay more for Eurostar- but, we want to save the money - and my husband will need the downtime after I have taken him all over Rome at a pretty steady pace for 2 days...

Please let me know if I my information is not accurate- Thanks - Amy

Posted by
521 posts

Amy,

The Eurostar is the only train that will take you direct from Roma Termini to Firenze S.M.N. There are IC trains that do the route, but only to Firenze Rifredi... though it looks like there are regular trains between these two stations within Florence.

I could not find any Regional (R) trains that travel this route, so if you want to travel on an R train it looks like you will need to take an R from Rome to some small town, and then try to find another R train from that town to Firenze.

A reservation is required on the Eurostar, but it also seems to be "recommended" on the IC. Yes, the seat reservation can be made at the automated machine, but I am afraid I am not sure how much it will cost for an IC train.

Posted by
6898 posts

Excellent homework. I believe that the requested seat reservation on the IC train is 3Euro. If you are looking at the Trenitalia schedule, make sure the destination is Fl.SMN. The 6:57 run shows the destination as FL.RIFR which is Florence Rifredi and not the main station.

Posted by
23626 posts

All of your thinking is accurate. If a seat reservation is an option, it will appear on screen with a yes or no response and automatically assigned. If the seat reservation is require, you will not have an option and it will priced into the ticket. While the Amica fare is often discussed here, I have never had much luck with getting it. BUT, I admit that I don't buy tickets much more than a day in advance if that.

You can buy tickets at any travel office -- doesn't have to be American Express. AND, of course, the common warning for Italian train tickets ---- VALIDATE !!!

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