Travel from Rome to Florence?

is there a day in Florence that a lot of the sites are closed?

Yes, on Monday.

We have never bought tickets for Italy before we arrived. You can purchase them easily at the train station or a travel agent. I find the Trainitalia website really confusing. We usually go to a travel agent the first day we arrive and buy all our tickets. If you do it in advance you can get a deal but these tickets are not changeable or refundable. We have always bought first class tickets. But I am reading from posters that second class is fine too. So I think we will ask what the difference is.

You can buy tickets up to 120 days in advance.

In Firenze, most museums are closed on Mondays and some are closed on Tuesdays.

We always buy Eurail passes (www.eurail.com ) to have our train pass set then make reservations for specific trains the day they come open (by checking the website) though most don't require reservations. We always go first class and would recommend that a couple who is 5'9 and 6'5 do so as well. In Europe, Sundays and Mondays are the most common days for things to be closed. Check each website to see when the particular places you want to visit are closed and to check hours. Order tickets online in advance to save time in lines.

I'm not certain if they have released the beyond June schedule, but yes, you can usually book them 4 months in advance to the day.......you can get as low as 9 euro for some trips, with first class usually being about 10 or 20 euro more, but for a long trip, hey, that's still a deal! Second class is very suitable, I have never felt cramped, and can use my savings somewhere else.....but to each his own....Second class is usually arranged 2 seats on either side with an aisle in the middle, compared to first which is usually 1 and 2 separated..... but take a look here to help answer your questions.... http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.htm#.VS8hARTD_cs

good luck!

gh,

The Italy guidebook has lots of information on which days various Museums and other sites are closed in Italy. I often pack a copy along, as it's a good reference source during trips.

Regarding train travel, as the others have mentioned you can buy tickets up to 120 days in advance for the "fast" trains. If any of your routes will involve Regionale trains, tickets for those are best purchased in Italy as there's no price benefit for buying in advance. Tickets for Regionale trains MUST be validated prior to boarding on the day of travel, or you'll risk hefty fines which will be collected on the spot.

Rail passes are very rarely a good value for Italy, as the per-day cost of the pass is often higher than P-P tickets purchased well in advance. I use second class most of the time and especially in the fast trains, the seats are very comfortable. One of my sons is 6'5" and he manages just fine in second class. The Regionale trains usually only offer second class, so there's no point in paying for first class comfort on those. For the definitive word on whether or not to buy a Railpass, you may find it helpful to have a look at this....

http://seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#Should%20you%20buy%20a%20railpass%20or%20pay-as-you-go

gh,
I am 6'8" , my wife is 5'9" and we traveled in second class on the Italo treno and we were very impressed with the space. The train itself was very clean and the bathroom spacious as my wife has mobility issues. There were 2 seats on each side of the aisle.

Even if you are 7 ft tall you don't need first class. It's not like a plane. Trains are spacious even in the lower classes. The only advantage of the first class is that is often nearly empty and quiet. Seats are a bit wider too, as there are only three in a row instead of 4 (with the aisle in the middle).
http://www.seat61.com/frecciarossa.htm#.VS9WanBHarU

WOW! you guys are awesome! Thank you so very much for all the wonderful information. It's all so confusing for a first timer.

Love the link to the website also! That will be a big help.

Heidi

Another train option is Italo,http://www.italotreno.it/EN/Pages/default.aspx, I have used them in the past between Rome, Florence and Venice. They have 4 classes, I have used Prima (2nd class) and Club Executive (1st class). The earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket.
Enjoy your trip.

Both brands of fast train running between Florence and Rome operate new, modern train sets and have several classes of service. On these newer trains, both I at 5'4' and my colleague who is 6'4' have noticed less leg room (or less seat pitch as the airlines call it) in the most basic seating section. You probably do want to upgrade and booking advance-discount tickets makes the price difference minimal, as long as you are ready to commit to travel dates and times, which it sounds like you will be.