Earliest trains tI've bo Venice from Florence and latest trains to return back to Florence

I suspect it is unlikely that earlier or later trains will be added. Florence to Venice and vv. is part of a longer itinerary, Rome to Venice and vv. - the train leaving at 8.30am from Florence is timed to leave at 6.50am from Rome and, being in Venice at 10.35am, arrives still early enough for a business meeting in late morning. It would make little commercial sense to move this train too much from this time slot (it would leave too early from Rome or arrive too late in Venice). The same logic, reversed in direction, applies to late afternoon trains from Venice that must arrive in Rome before it is too late in the night for business travelers.

In order to have earlier or later trains, they would have to leave/arrive from/in Florence, without the Rome section. Sometimes new future train services are announced in national press, but at present I have not heard anything about this. Probably there is not enough request for an earlier train from business travelers.

I see a train at 7:25:pm, but also one from Mestre at 3:11 am getting to Florence at 6:07 am.

You could get to Venezia 15 minutes earlier by leaving at 7:35am, but there's a train change and I doubt 15 minutes would be worth it.

Thank you all - much appreciated!

There are ways (or at least one I know of, anyway) to arrive earlier but unfortunately they take quite a bit more time. Just for kicks I looked at trains from S.M. Novella to Bologna and then to Venice using a random date of June 9th at 4:00 AM?

There's a regionale train leaving at 4:35 AM and arriving in Bologna Centrale at 6:12 (1 hour, 37 minutes).
There's another train leaving Bologna Centrale to Venezia S. Lucia at 6:20 and arriving at 8:18 (1 hour. 58 minutes). Long story short, it's possible to get there before 10:00 if you're willing to spend about 3.5 hours to do it.

I didn't work the schedule in reverse to see if the same could be done on later trains but I imagine that's possible as well.

To add (using the same June 9th date) I'm seeing a direct train which leaves Venezia S.Lucia at 7:25 PM (19:25) and arriving at S. M Novella at 9:30 PM (21:30) so you could buy a little time + a shorter journey on that end.

If the train skeds aren't looking great to you, if possible, do consider spending a night in Venice on your way to or from Florence.

Thanks Kathy - the 7.30pm train does give me hope that when the timetables change I may have another option rather than the 6pm last train I'm currently seeing. Will wait till mid June to get the return ticket. Thanks again!

Eileen, unfortunately we have already booked our accommodation and flight out of Italy from Florence so Venice will have to be a day trip. My husband and I did stay overnight last time we were in Venice and loved it but it's not going to be an option this time.

Just curious: what day are you looking at, and are you using the Trenitalia website? I'd like to take a peek myself to see why that later train isn't showing up for you. I'm also seeing very attractive super economy rates on that run for random dates in July.

Are you using the Italo site?

Thanks a million Kathy!!!! The site now shows the trains for my date and I just bought it! Really appreciate the heads up - otherwise I would have completely missed this.

Very glad to hear that you're all set! Good journey!