I'd like to purchase Milan to Rome train tickets now for a late May trip. The website won't take my credit cards (Visa or MasterCard). Rick Steves' Italy says that my cards needs "Verified by Visa" status (or the MasterCard equivalent). My card issuers have given me conflicting advice on how to obtain that credential. I'm out of ideas. Would really like to make the reservations so as to get the best price and not have the hassle of purchasing tickets while jet-lagged or the worry that the train will be full. Can anyone tell me how to solve this problem?
So far no one here has come up with a way to purchase Italian tickets in advance (except through Rail Europe). The price you see on the Trenitalia website is the same price you will pay at the counter in the station. There are some discounts for early purchase (15% for 7 days early).
If you really want to have tickets in hand when you arrive, you can get them from RailEurope currently for only a little more than at the counter in Italy. This is unique to Italy; RailEurope charges more for most countries.