Trains with connections in Italy

If you buy an on-line ticket from Lucca to Rome via Florence, you will get a ticket from Lucca to Florence that has a time window, 4 hours I believe, when it is valid and does not need to be validated in the stamping machine (it won't fit). And you will get a ticket with carriage and seat number for a specific train from Florence to Rome. If it is all one ticket and your inbound train from Lucca is delayed enough that you can't make the connection, then you will need to go to the ticket window and they will put you on the next train, with carriage and seat number. No charge. If you buy the tickets separately, that might be more difficult, but I don't know.

I purchased a ticket online for a Freccia train followed by a regional train and received 2 separate tickets. My recollection is that the order confirmation e-mail had 2 separate pdf files attached, one for each ticket.

From Lucca, I can go to either Pisa or Florence (and it will be
Florence), and then on to Rome...

Steve, I'm a little confused? Just a quick scan of the Trenitalia schedules for a Lucca to Roma Termini journey, all trains change in Pisa or elsewhere: I'm not seeing any which go direct to Florence from Lucca for a single train change to Rome. Or did you mean that you didn't want a train which goes on to Rome from Pisa even if you know you'll probably need to change trains there anyway?

What Frank said. I went Frecciarossa from Rome to Bologna, then regionale from Bologna to Ravenna. Two days later I went regionale from Ravenna to Bologna, then Frecciarossa from Bologna to Venice.

The buy early savings were substantial for the Freccia trains. The agent scanned my printed tickets.

There were no big savings on the regionale tickets, but they specifically said that the print need not be punched. Same process for the agent.

I looked for Rome to Ravenna and Ravenna to Venice, made sure that the connection times were adequate and bought the tickets through Trenitalia with no issues. I got 2nd class on the Freccias. The seats are so nice, I don't see the need for anything else.

Curious about your "comfort level" comment, I checked the Man in Seat 61. The classes on the Frecciarossas are described here. I'm sure you can find other trains there as well.

Kathy - I used raileurope.com. I have read that a lot of people don't seem to like that site, but I have never had an issue with it.
Anyway, I saw the trenitalia.com schedule and both sites are showing me all the schedules through both Pisa and Florence, with pricing travel times Lucca to Rome about the same regardless. The only reason to go through Florence is because I am more familiar with the station.

To Lo in Tucson, I see your point. I tried a higher class train once in France (or was it England?) and it was much nicer than second class so I just assumed the same would be true in Italy. OTIOH, the description in seat61 sounds like there's virtually no difference at all. I think you saved me some cash. Thanks.

....I have read that a lot of people don't seem to like that site, but I have never had an issue with it. ......

There are a couple of issues. Since Rail Europe is reseller of tickets, there are times when RE does not have tickets available for all of the routes. Second issue, sometimes the discount tickets that are available to through the local train site are not available through RE. And generally, RE tacks on some fees for the services provided. Generally you find better prices and more options when you go through the national rail site.

Anyway, I saw the trenitalia.com schedule and both sites are showing
me all the schedules through both Pisa and Florence, with pricing
travel times Lucca to Rome about the same regardless. The only reason
to go through Florence is because I am more familiar with the station.

OK, but if you're going from Lucca to Roma Termini and want to go through Florence S.M. Novella, you will be changing trains somewhere BEFORE Florence, and it will most likely be Pisa. I'm not seeing a direct Lucca> Florence option.

That's OK as long as you're aware of that but it sounds like you wanted to avoid Pisa altogether as you weren't familiar with that station? It's really your best option versus other routes if you want the least amount of changes, for instance Lucca> Montecatini Terme-Monsummano>Pistoia >Firenze S. M. Novella> Roma Termini.

It appears the Lucca-Florence trains are temporarily not running, but they're back on the schedule in September. There are several Lucca-Rome trips with a connection in Florence in September.

That would indicate construction project on the rail line. Happens every August on various rail lines throughout Europe.

Aha, so that's the issue! Having actual travel dates to input into the Trenitalia website would have turned up different options.

Sorry, should have put the dates in. Actually heading to Rome on 26Sep.
And looking more closely at the sites and converting betwen $ and €, it does look like raileurope pricing adds a few € to each ticket.

Now after examing the options on both raileurope and trenitalia, I see an issue. Both sites show only what they choose to show, giving only minimum time for connecting trains, typically about 15 minutes. This is OK, I guess, assuming the milk run from Lucca is on time.
Anyone know how often these trains are on time? Offhand, I wouldn't count on it after having tried out the Siena-Florence line.

Anyway, both sites say the regional ticket portion of the trip must start within 4 hours of the time on the ticket.
Can that be earlier? Or only later?
In other words, if I buy a ticket for the 8:30-9:50 Lucca-Florence train followed by the 10:08 to Rome, can I actually take the 7:40 train out of Lucca and then, hopefully, have about an hour in Florence to find an espresso before having to reboard?